College of Health & Human Performance

A University of Florida-led Alzheimer’s research network has received a $22.3 million, five-year federal grant to accelerate advances in dementia diagnosis, treatment and care. The renewed funding will support the 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, a statewide collaboration connecting researchers, health systems and community partners. Using emerging tools such as blood-based biomarkers and advanced clinical assessments, the center aims to identify Alzheimer’s disease earlier, expand access to clinical trials and translate discoveries into better patient care. UF researchers, including Applied Physiology and Kinesiology professor David Vaillancourt, contribute to the multidisciplinary effort.

UF alumna Lacy Fowler turned a flexible online degree in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management into a career helping create memorable experiences at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. As a guest experience lead, Fowler has worked on more than 30 events, from employee family programs to major rocket launches, including the historic Artemis II mission. The skills she developed at UF — particularly event planning, contingency preparation and business fundamentals — now guide her work coordinating thousands of guests at one of the world’s most recognizable destinations while balancing the unpredictable demands of space exploration.

A new multi-university study, co-led by University of Florida researchers, aims to improve the diagnosis and treatment of dementia with Lewy bodies, one of the most commonly misdiagnosed forms of dementia. Supported by a $2.5 million grant from the Lewy Body Dementia Association, the project will evaluate promising new biomarker tests designed to detect the disease earlier and more accurately. By comparing multiple diagnostic approaches and linking them to patient symptoms, researchers hope to improve clinical decision-making, guide future treatments and provide faster answers for patients and families.