Dear Alumni and Friends,
As you read the stories in this issue of Florida Physician, you’ll notice that each one reflects the value
of our reliance on others — our inherent need to work with others, learn from others and help others
and how these relationships are powerful tools in our quest to impact human health. Only through
coordinated collaborations like the ReMission Alliance, a partnership that aims to battle brain tumors, or
UF Health’s work with first responders and the greater community to improve the region’s survival rate
from cardiac arrest can we achieve our goal of improving individual and community health.
In these pages, you’ll see several examples of how collaboration can change lives. On page 16, meet a
4-month-old UF Health patient who received the country’s first dose of a newly approved gene therapy
to treat her debilitating neuromuscular disease since the therapy received FDA approval in May. This
groundbreaking treatment was made possible thanks in part to fundamental discoveries by a group of
researchers at UF nearly 40 years ago on the pioneering use of AAV vector-based gene therapies. In the
cover stories (pages 2-15), read how UF’s neuroscience research and patient care programs have risen to
national prominence and how each new discovery and improvement in care can be linked to the act of
bringing together some of the brightest minds in medicine and to the generosity of dedicated donors
who help fuel their passions. Individuals and organizations have partnered with UF for two decades,
investing millions to help physicians and scientists unlock the complexities of brain disorders.
For these advancements and many more, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our UF College of
Medicine donors. They are helping to pave the way for groundbreaking research that is transforming
patient care and making life better for people everywhere.
I thank you for reading these stories and for staying engaged with the UF College of Medicine.
Sincerely,
Joseph A. Tyndall, MD, MPH
Interim Dean
FROM THE DEAN