As the holidays approach, a Florida State University therapist says setting boundaries and managing expectations can help ease the tensions that often arise during family gatherings. Whether tensions stem from personal disagreements or political friction, family dynamics can be difficult to manage during a season centered on togetherness.

FSU licensed marriage and family therapist Nari Jeter is an expert on relational processes across individual and family development. Jeter suggests several strategies for reducing holiday stress, including establishing clear boundaries, managing expectations and recognizing when to step away.

According to Jeter, holiday gatherings can cause families to fall back into familiar roles and communication patterns. Family meals, in particular, can bring these dynamics to the surface as parents and adult children return to previously established interactions.

“Even when people are adults, they often fall back into those familiar family roles,” Jeter said. “In family psychology, this is sometimes described as a form of regression, where people return to behaviors and expectations they had earlier in life.”

Jeter also noted that generational differences exist in how family members communicate personal boundaries and define respect. While older generations may associate respect with obedience, younger generations tend to place greater value on feeling understood.

These differing expectations can create tension, especially when conversations turn to sensitive topics such as politics or personal relationships.

“Maintaining peace within a family doesn’t require everyone to agree,” Jeter said. “Often, it means accepting that people have different beliefs while still treating each other respectfully.”

“Maintaining peace within a family doesn’t require everyone to agree. Often, it means accepting that people have different beliefs while still treating each other respectfully.”

– Nari Jeter, licensed marriage and family therapist

Jeter encourages families to focus less on winning disagreements and more on recognizing when a conversation is no longer productive. Acknowledging a relative’s concern while also communicating personal limits can help prevent a minor disagreement from escalating into a larger conflict.

“Sometimes protecting your peace means ending a conversation, taking a break or choosing not to engage,” Jeter said. “Walking away from a conversation that isn’t productive isn’t a weakness. It’s often a healthy form of self-management.”

Beyond difficult conversations, constant social interaction and competing expectations during holiday gatherings can leave even close family members emotionally drained. Jeter recommends taking time to recharge so people can return to family activities feeling more positive.

“Needing a break should not create guilt,” Jeter said. “Family members should feel comfortable saying they need some downtime without being criticized or pressured to continue socializing.”

Jeter is available to discuss the psychology behind holiday family tensions and strategies for navigating disagreements, setting boundaries and maintaining healthy relationships. She can be reached via email at nari.jeter@fsu.edu.

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Infographics can influence how people perceive the risks of Lyme disease and encourage them to take preventive measures, according to new research co-authored by a Florida State University professor.

Patrick Merle, director of FSU’s School of Communication, co-authored the study, which found that infographics increased participants’ perceptions of their susceptibility to tick bites and Lyme disease, as well as their intentions to take preventative action.

The findings, published in the Journal of Health Communication, also found that how numbers were presented mattered. Participants who saw percentages rather than absolute numbers perceived Lyme disease as less severe, suggesting that the way public health information is presented can influence how people respond to potential risks.

Numerical framing in infographics

Participants in the study were randomly assigned to view fictitious news articles and infographics about ticks and Lyme disease with experimental variations. Specifically, the participants were randomly assigned to see or not see the infographic. All participants saw the article. The infographic and article contained the same substantive information about ticks and Lyme disease.

The research specifically reviewed whether the presence or absence of infographics and the format of data communicated to the public affected how participants thought about Lyme disease risk.

Presenting the data as percentages (such as, “50% of counties”) reduced perceived severity compared to absolute values (for example, “1,571 counties”). Participants who viewed an article and an infographic with percentage-based statistics did not feel as susceptible to risks associated with Lyme disease.

Adding infographics had the greatest positive effect on perceptions of disease severity and intentions to take preventive action among participants with limited prior knowledge of Lyme disease.

Among participants with greater knowledge, infographics slightly decreased perceived severity. Participants with stronger math skills were less influenced by how the information was presented.

“Visual aids, such as infographics, if they’re incorporated into public health communication material, may make people feel that the risk is more relevant,” Merle said. “It could then allow them to understand what protective behaviors they could adopt to fight against the disease.”

Why it matters

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to people primarily through the bite of blacklegged ticks. The disease is becoming more common in the United States, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that 2026 is shaping up to be one of the worst tick seasons in nearly a decade.

“This is an inevitable and scary reality,” Merle said. “The study idea came from the fact that more and more people across the United States are battling with ticks. It was interesting for us to understand what could help the community to take those protective actions.”

The findings could help public health professionals develop more effective messages about tick-borne diseases, particularly for people who have limited knowledge of the risks and preventive measures.

Future research and collaborators

Health messaging is not one-size-fits-all, Merle said. Public health initiatives should tailor visuals and numerical information to audiences’ background knowledge and math skills. The findings may also differ for other diseases.

“With a different disease, do we in fact get the same outcome? We don’t know that because we only tested it in one context,” Merle said. “Further research should incorporate additional public health risks to see if we find a similar outcome.”

Researchers also hope to examine whether the size of an absolute number influences people’s perceptions of risk.

Co-authors included Florida Atlantic University marketing and communication scientist Olivia Nadel and FSU School of Communication doctoral student Sazzad Mahmud Shuvo.

Learn more about FSU research on the FSU College of Communication and Information website.

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Throughout the drug development process, which can take a decade or more, tens of thousands of chemical compounds are produced that never go on to become medicines. A Florida State University researcher is part of a team that has discovered a new way to give some of these “dead-ends” a second chance at becoming the foundation for tomorrow’s blockbuster drugs.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Bryan Kudisch and his collaborators have developed a light-powered chemical reaction that can transform a difficult-to-repurpose class of compounds known as sulfonamides into useful building blocks for future drug discoveries. Their research was published in Journal of the American Chemical Society.

“Dr. Kudisch is a molecular spectroscopist who develops and applies laser-based techniques to measure extraordinary short time processes, particularly chemically important processes induced by light,” said Wei Yang, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry chair. “His work demonstrates both exceptional technical ability and extraordinary insight to some of the most fundamental and complex processes in chemistry. This publication addressed an important problem closely related to drug discovery, which is a major strategic area of the FSU ASPIRE initiative.”

A target for repurposing compounds

Sulfonamides — which appear in and give rise to the name “sulfa drugs” — are one of the most important molecular substructures in medicinal chemistry. These synthetic medications were some of the first widely used antibiotics almost 90 years ago. Today, they’re still used and found in a variety of medicines that treat diseases and symptoms including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV and melanoma.

Despite their usefulness in many pharmaceuticals, sulfonamides are difficult to repurpose because they are chemically inert. Chemists have developed recipes to interconvert many other functional groups that change the biological properties of a compound, but relatively few options are available to do this with sulfonamides — especially for the sulfur atom that lies at the center of these substructures. Removing this atom or replacing it with a new chemical group could allow researchers to create new versions of existing compounds while preserving their other useful features.

Kudisch and his collaborators addressed this challenge by using a photochemical reaction that converts sulfonamides into anilines, a different class of chemical compounds that serves as the foundation for some cancer-fighting medicines. By transforming part of the molecular structure, otherwise dead-end compounds once again become potential starting points for developing new medicines.

“This outcome was achieved through a chemical ‘surgery’ that uses light to excise a sulfur atom from a sulfonamide,” Kudisch said. “We’re optimistic these types of photochemical surgical tools could underpin a range of powerful processes for reshaping molecules that could advance the development of new medicines.”

How it works: Light transforming molecular structures

To better understand the molecular reaction during this excision, Kudisch used advanced laser spectroscopic methods to observe the reaction as it happened within a single picosecond — a millionth of a millionth of a second.

“We essentially spy on what the light is doing to sulfonamides,” Kudisch said. “Our research focuses on what photochemistry secrets are encoded in this transformation. We can track the molecules to understand how they transition into structures that eventually become the desired product or unwanted side product.”

Kudisch collaborated with assistant professors of chemistry Eric Nacsa and Elvira Sayfutyarova at Pennsylvania State University as well as pharmaceutical company GSK on the research. Kudisch’s group conducted experimental studies to investigate the reaction’s mechanism while Sayfutyarova completed computational studies explaining how the reaction occurs. Nasca’s group discovered and optimized the reaction, demonstrated its broad applications and conducted additional mechanistic studies. GSK helped show the potential application of the new reaction in drug discovery.

“Experimental contributions from the Kudisch Lab at FSU combined with computational work by the Sayfutyarova group at Penn State were critical for understanding the reaction’s mechanism,” Nacsa said. “We anticipate these results and ongoing collaborations with the Kudisch group will provide new fundamental insight into how light can transform molecular structures.”

Why it matters: A new tool for drug discovery

With structure-based drug design becoming more essential for efficient medicine development, this technique can play a key role in contributing to new drug discoveries when applied to different groups of molecules.

“We’re just scratching the surface in learning new ways to make, break and remodel molecules to make them do what we want them to do,” Kudisch said. “There are so many fascinating opportunities in modern chemistry as long as you have the breadth of experience to understand how other chemists talk about their research and the depth of expertise to spot the beautiful new questions that come about with every discovery.”

Kudisch’s work also supports FSU Health, an academic health system combining the expertise of hospitals, physicians, clinics, research, education and innovation to improve the health of our community.

To learn more about research conducted in the FSU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, visit chem.fsu.edu.

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A new federal grant will help Florida State University expand suicide prevention and mental health support for students.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded the four-year, $500,000 GLS Campus Suicide Prevention Grant to FSU’s University Health Services (UHS) and Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS). The funding will strengthen mental health resources and improve students’ quality of life.

The Center for Health Advocacy & Wellness (CHAW), part of UHS, will lead the initiative, “Noles Supporting Noles: A Comprehensive Public Health Approach to Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Promotion, and Behavioral Health Access.” CHAW is FSU’s primary health advocacy and prevention unit.

FSU is matching the award, bringing the program’s total funding to $1 million.

“This remarkable investment reflects the university’s shared partnership to support student wellness and our collective commitment to student success,” Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht said. “This award helps our mission to offer healthcare services and health education programs to promote a culture of well-being.”

The program aims to strengthen FSU’s comprehensive public health approach by expanding access to behavioral health services for students at risk of suicide, depression, mental health conditions, substance use disorders and related academic disruptions.

UHS provides more than 40,000 student visits annually, with mental health concerns a leading reason students seek care. In addition, CAPS provides counseling, crisis intervention, psychological assessment, treatment coordination, referrals and a 24/7 crisis hotline.

“Student well-being is fundamental to student success,” said Amy Magnuson, director of University Health Services. “This grant will help FSU strengthen suicide prevention, mental health promotion, and behavioral health access through a comprehensive, campus-wide approach that emphasizes early intervention, collaboration and connection.”

FSU maintains strong relationships with community behavioral health providers that extend the university’s continuum of care beyond campus services.

“We are grateful for the partnership of so many campus and community organizations whose continued collaboration will help ensure that students receive the support they need to thrive,” said Carlos J. Gómez, associate vice president for Health, Wellness, and Safety and dean of students.

Some funding will be used to expand prevention and early intervention services and training, improve behavioral health crisis response and referral systems, and increase awareness through outreach and education.

By the end of year four, at least 4,000 students, faculty, staff and campus partners will be trained in suicide prevention and early intervention through evidence-based training programs.

“We are excited to build on our programs that promote mental health, resilience and social connection,” said Yvonne Langdon-Maduekwe, director of CAPS. “This work is possible because of the dedication and commitment from our faculty, staff, students, and of course, our university’s support.”

The project will be supported by a multidisciplinary leadership team consisting of UHS, CAPS, CHAW and Student Affairs Assessment. The network will also include the FSU Police Department, Emergency Management, Department of Student Support and Transition, Student Conduct and Community Standards, Housing and Residence Life, New Student & Family Programs, Faculty Development, the Student Veterans Center, the FSU Psychology Clinic, the Assessment, Learning, Evaluation, and Counseling Center (ALEC), Athletics Mental Health Services, College of Medicine Student Counseling Services, the Career Center, academic advising partners and wellness-based student organizations.

This “Noles Supporting Noles: A Comprehensive Public Health Approach to Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Promotion, and Behavioral Health Access” was developed [in part] under grant number H79SM092211 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS.

University Health Services and Counseling & Psychological Services are part of FSU’s Division of Student Affairs. For more information about FSU’s Division of Student Affairs, visit studentaffairs.fsu.edu.

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Researchers at Florida State University are working to improve how people with limited speech communicate, using advances in technology, literacy instruction and social interaction to help them express themselves and connect with others.

Nearly 100 million people worldwide could benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), experts say. These methods assist people with limited speech express themselves, including individuals with autism, ALS, Parkinson’s disease and aphasia.

At FSU’s School of Communication Science & Disorders, Assistant Professor Dawn Sowers and Associate Professors Andrea Barton-Hulsey and Michelle Therrien are approaching that challenge from three complementary perspectives: making communication technology easier to use, expanding access to literacy instruction and helping people build friendships.

“We now have such a breadth of expertise that so many universities do not have with AAC, and I think it shows the students that AAC is not one thing, but that it actually applies to lots of situations,” Therrien said.

For Sowers, the challenge is not simply giving someone a communication device. It is making that device accessible to a person whose motor or visual disabilities may make it difficult to select a message. Her research examines how AAC system design can reduce those demands and support everyday communication.

Her work includes human-centered artificial intelligence and eye tracking as a way to access AAC. As part of a collaborative AI research effort, Sowers has explored how technology can detect natural gestures and connect them to spoken messages from a device. The goal is to make systems adapt to the user, rather than require the user to adapt to rigid technology.

“I’m trying to understand better how to make systems that do the heavy lifting for the individual instead of the individual having that burden on them,” Sowers said.

“I’m trying to understand better how to make systems that do the heavy lifting for the individual instead of the individual having that burden on them.”

– Dawn Sowers, FSU School of Communication Science & Disorders Assistant Professor

That emphasis on access connects with Barton-Hulsey’s work on reading development and Therrien’s research on social interaction. Together, their projects address not just how a person communicates, but what communication makes possible in school and community life.

Therrien studies ways to support social interaction and friendship for people who use AAC. One project examines children’s experiences on community playgrounds to guide the development of technologies that support social participation. The work treats opportunities to play, engage with peers and make friends as important outcomes of communication support.

The literacy and playground projects that Barton-Hulsey and Therrien are co-leading are part of a broader effort supported by a five-year, $5 million federal grant awarded to the research team in 2025. Funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the grant supports the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on AAC, which develops technologies and shares knowledge to improve outcomes for children and adults with disabilities.

“Communication is power,” Therrien added. “When we can provide supports that let people show who they are and what they’re capable of, I just think that’s amazing.”

Barton-Hulsey focuses on making literacy assessment and instruction accessible to children with limited speech. Her team is developing a tool with Temple University for children as young as pre-kindergarten, with input from teachers and speech-language pathologists. Her broader research examines how vocabulary, understanding of language and awareness of speech sounds relate to reading development, alongside children’s access to literacy instruction at home and school.

“For me, it means providing them equitable access to instruction in school, access that their peers have because they have access to speech,” Barton-Hulsey said.

Collaboration also shapes how the researchers work. Barton-Hulsey draws on Sowers’ technology expertise and Therrien’s experience with research methods, while connections with the Florida Center for Reading Research bring additional perspectives to the team’s literacy work.

“The actual research methods that I use have shifted after being part of the team here, Barton-Hulsey added. “Dr. Therrien is an expert in single case research and I wasn’t trained in that, so I could bounce questions and ideas off her. It’s a nice place to be able to share and learn and grow together.”

Their shared goal is to expand opportunities for people whose speech does not reliably meet their communication needs.

“If I could provide a way for someone to communicate whose speech was not reliable for them, that [creates] limitless opportunities,” Sowers said. “It changes their trajectory for school, for community, for work, for all parts of their lives.”

For more information, visit the School of Communication Science & Disorders website. The school is part of FSU’s College of Communication & Information.

The work of FSU’s School of Communication Science & Disorders is also part of FSU Health, the university’s integrated health system that brings together hospitals, physicians, clinics, research, education and innovation to improve the health of communities.

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A Florida State University neuroscientist has received a new grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how a food or drink’s temperature affects the way our brains process the taste of salt, a neural mechanism that plays a significant role in shaping eating behaviors and nutrition habits.

Associate Professor of Biological Science and Neuroscience Roberto Vincis will use the $2.5 million in funding from the NIH’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to research temperature’s impact on salt taste processing through his project, “Thermal Influences on Salt Taste Sensitivity and Neural Processing.”

“Temperature strongly shapes what we choose to eat, yet we know surprisingly little about how it affects the way the brain processes taste,” Vincis said. “When we eat or drink, three senses work together: taste, smell and touch, which includes texture and temperature. Combined, they create what we experience as flavor.”

Flavor guides what we choose to eat and drink, and those choices have lasting effects on health. Salt plays a bigger role. Beyond tasting salty, it changes how a food tastes, most notably by masking bitterness. Reducing excess salt in the American diet is a major public health priority. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, about 90 percent of Americans consume more sodium than recommended.

“Most previous studies looked at one component of flavor at a time, but in order to fully understand how the brain processes taste, we need to see components like temperature and salt interact,” Vincis said. “I believe few labs in the U.S. study oral sensory components simultaneously. The NIH is supporting nutrition-related research from many angles, and this grant tells us we are on the right track to better understanding what drives nutrition habits and shapes eating behaviors.”

Table salt is necessary in small amounts, but too much can lead to high blood pressure and a higher risk for heart disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Together, heart disease and stroke kill more Americans each year than any other cause.

“By uncovering how multiple sensory systems interact to drive unhealthy dietary preferences, this research could also help to identify novel biological targets for treating obesity and eating disorders,” said Lisa Eckel, director of FSU’s Program in Neuroscience.

When we eat, chemicals in foods and drinks activate taste cells in the mouth, and these cells pass the signal to nerves that carry it to the brain. This information eventually reaches the primary gustatory cortex, a region deep in the brain’s insular region where the brain makes sense of what we are tasting.

By studying how the temperature of a food or drink affects the way the brain processes the taste of table salt and salt substitutes, Vincis and his team hope to uncover overlooked factors that shape what we eat and ultimately our health.

“We’ll combine hypothesis-driven behavioral experiments, recordings of brain activity, and targeted manipulation of specific brain circuits to examine how stimulus temperature changes the way the brain responds to salt,” Vincis said. “What we learn could help develop strategies to reduce excess salt consumption in the diet.”

Since joining FSU’s faculty in 2018, Vincis and the Vincis Lab have been continually supported by national funding in the investigation of processes underlying neural processing of sensory experiences. In 2022, he was awarded a five-year, $1.8M NIH grant to understand how interactions among various brain regions contribute to the sense of taste, and he received the 2026 Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation from the Association for Chemoreception Sciences.

Vincis’ research also contributes to FSU’s Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health, which aims to create and catalyze high-impact multidisciplinary collaborative nutrition research and training to improve human health. Additionally, his work supports FSU Health, an academic health system combining the expertise of hospitals, physicians, clinics, research, education and innovation to improve the health of our community.

“The study of chemical senses has long been a hallmark of excellence within the FSU Program in Neuroscience, and this new grant award further elevates the stature of this distinguished community of scientists,” Eckel said. “It also highlights the broad impact of Dr. Vincis’ research and his growing national and international reputation as a leading scholar in the field.”

To learn more about neuroscience and biological science research at FSU, visit neuro.fsu.edu and bio.fsu.edu.

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Florida State University cut the ribbon Friday on its new FSU Health Research and Collaboration Building and announced that the facility will be named for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, whose leadership helped secure the funding that made the project possible.

The 137,000-square-foot facility, located on the FSU Health Tallahassee Memorial Hospital campus, marks a major milestone in the growth of FSU’s integrated academic health system. It brings clinicians, researchers, students and community partners together under one roof to advance medical research, train healthcare professionals and improve patient care.

The FSU Board of Trustees voted Friday morning to name the facility the Wilton Simpson FSU Health Research and Collaboration Building. As Florida Senate president in 2022, Simpson championed the project, helping secure $125 million in construction funding and an additional $20 million in recurring funding for FSU and its growing health enterprise.

FSU President Richard McCullough recalled meeting with Simpson early in his presidency to discuss his vision for transforming healthcare in North Florida. When McCullough outlined the proposed research building and its $125 million price tag, Simpson’s response was immediate.

“He said, ‘Done,'” McCullough recalled.

McCullough said Simpson’s support reflected his understanding of the project’s potential impact.

“What I appreciate most about Wilton Simpson is that he saw what this could mean for the people of Florida,” McCullough said. “He understood that this was ultimately about improving health, expanding access to care, strengthening our healthcare workforce and creating opportunities that did not exist before.”

Simpson said he was surprised by the naming announcement but proud of what FSU Health will mean for the region.

“If you care about your community, you care about the quality of care,” Simpson said. “The research that will be done on these floors behind me will save lives and improve the quality of life of so many.”

More than 250 people attended the ribbon-cutting and dedication, including FSU trustees, university and hospital officials, government and business leaders, and community partners.

McCullough thanked Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature, the Florida Board of Governors, the Leon County Board of County Commissioners and the Tallahassee City Commission for supporting the project.

FSU Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins said the building will help shape the university’s future for the next 10 to 15 years, calling it one of the most transformational investments in FSU’s history.

“The really cool thing about being a trustee is at these moments, right? When you build something tangible,” Collins said. “This is going to be transformational.”

Mark O’Bryant, president and CEO of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, said the building will give patients access to more advanced care closer to home while supporting research that could lead to new treatments and save lives.

“This building represents a huge strengthening of that fabric, and it really helps us to complete the fabric of healthcare in our region,” O’Bryant said.

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Florida State University Professor Zhe He has been elected a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI), one of the highest professional honors in biomedical and health informatics.

He is among just 22 individuals elected to the college in 2026, recognizing his contributions to advancing artificial intelligence, health data science and informatics to improve healthcare delivery, patient engagement and health outcomes.

“I am deeply honored by this recognition,” He said. “It reflects the collective efforts of my students, colleagues, mentors and collaborators over the years. Our goal has always been to bridge advances in AI and data science with real-world healthcare needs, developing technologies that empower patients, support healthcare professionals and ultimately improve people’s lives.”

He is a professor in FSU’s School of Information and director of the university’s Institute for Successful Longevity, a multidisciplinary research institute dedicated to helping people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives. He also directs the eHealth Lab, where his research team develops and evaluates trustworthy, human-centered AI and informatics technologies for healthcare.

His research focuses on making complex medical information more useful for patients, caregivers and clinicians. Through federally funded projects supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Humana Foundation, his team is developing AI-powered tools to help patients understand complex medical information, improve patient-clinician communication, support personalized healthcare decision making, and reduce loneliness and social isolation, particularly among older adults and underserved populations.

One example is LabGenie, an AI-powered educational tool designed to help patients better understand their laboratory test results and communicate more effectively with healthcare professionals. The project reflects He’s broader vision of developing AI technologies that are technically advanced, trustworthy, accessible and responsive to patients’ needs.

“Dr. He’s election to the American College of Medical Informatics is a tremendous recognition of his scholarly work and leadership in the field,” said Michelle Kazmer, dean of FSU’s College of Communication and Information. “His research demonstrates how interdisciplinary collaboration and human-centered innovation can translate advances in artificial intelligence into meaningful improvements in healthcare. We are proud of his achievements and grateful for the impact of his work at Florida State and beyond.”

In addition to his work in patient-centered AI, He has made significant contributions to biomedical data science through research involving electronic health records, natural language processing, and machine learning. His interdisciplinary collaborations bring together experts from computer science, medicine, psychology, public health and gerontology to address complex healthcare challenges.

He also contributes to the national biomedical informatics community through scientific leadership, editorial service, mentoring and federal research review. He currently serves as a standing member of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Informatics and Digital Health Study Section, and chair of AMIA’s Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Working Group.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, a master’s degree from Columbia University and a doctorate from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He conducted postdoctoral research at Columbia University’s Department of Biomedical Informatics before joining FSU in 2015.

“AI has tremendous potential to transform healthcare, but its success depends on whether the technologies we develop are trustworthy, accessible and genuinely useful to the people they are intended to serve,” He said. “I hope this recognition will help us build new collaborations and further advance patient-centered AI research at FSU.”

New fellows will be inducted into the college during the organization’s annual symposium in Dallas in November.

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FSU Health is Florida State University’s integrated academic health system, uniting hospitals, physicians, clinics, research, education, and innovation under a unified vision to improve health across communities we serve. With hospitals in Tallahassee and Panama City Beach operated by Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, FSU Health connects trusted community care with the academic, research, and training strengths of Florida State University. FSU will open a new 140,000-square-foot FSU Health Research and Collaboration Building on the Tallahassee Memorial campus in Fall 2026. Together, we are building a nationally recognized destination for patient care, education, research, and innovation.

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A new Florida State University study finds that adding healthcare providers’ photographs to clinic welcome signs can strengthen certain aspects of patient trust before patients even meet their providers. 

 The study, “First Impressions Matter: The Influence of Provider Photographs on Medical Trust Among Minority Women,” was conducted by Amy Huber, professor and chair of FSU’s School of Design, and Rachel L. Bailey, James E. Kirk Professor of Communication. The researchers examined how provider photographs influence perceptions of trust among Black and Hispanic women.

Previous research has shown that medical trust plays a critical role in healthcare decisions among Black and Hispanic women. Huber and Bailey examined whether simple, low-cost design changes could strengthen provider-patient relationships and potentially contribute to better health outcomes. 

 “This study reinforces the idea that design does more than shape spaces; it shapes human experiences in important ways,” said Huber. “In every space where we spend time — in our homes, doctor’s offices, workplaces, airports — design impacts our decision making and affects the way we feel.” 

The findings suggest that patients can begin forming trust in their healthcare providers before meeting them. The research also highlights how thoughtful waiting room design can improve the patient experience through simple, inexpensive changes. 

The study included 343 responses from Black and Hispanic women in the United States, ages 18 to 44. Each participant viewed one of 12 randomly assigned images of clinic waiting rooms featuring different healthcare provider photographs. Participants then rated their perceptions of the provider using a measure of medical trust. 

The researchers found that displaying provider photographs improved perceptions of providers’ commitment to patients. Black participants also rated providers of the same racial or ethnic background more favorably in fairness and communication skills. However, the study found no significant differences in overall trust based on provider identity. Among Hispanic participants, provider identity did not significantly affect trust ratings. 

The study was published in the Health Environments Research & Design Journal.  

To learn more about the FSU School of Design, visit Design.fsu.edu.  

The FSU College of Communication and Information’s Wellness Communication Center is dedicated to advancing evidence-based wellness strategies that empower individuals and communities to achieve optimal health, resilience and longevity. Learn more at wcc.cci.fsu.edu.  

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