SOLUTIONS FOR FLORIDA AND THE WORLD.
POWERED BY NSU.
THE LAB MEETS LIFE AT NSU
We're advancing discoveries for a better world.
At Nova Southeastern University, breakthroughs in research are powering healthier communities, revitalized ecosystems, and more resilient seas.
From clinical trials that bring patients advanced treatments to health research that will redefine the future of healthcare to ocean science that propels Florida’s blue economy, NSU is turning bold ideas into tangible solutions for South Florida and the world. Fueled by world-renowned clinician-scientists and faculty members, top-tier research institutes and healthcare clinics, and the next generation of student scholars, NSU is charting the next frontier of clinical research, healthcare, ocean science, and beyond to ignite extraordinary impact.
TOP-TIER RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
Florida's Largest Private Research University
1 of 3
U.S. UNIVERSITIES WITH M.D. AND D.O. COLLEGES
Medical Education Excellence
ONLY UNIVERSITY IN THE U.S. OFFERING M.D., D.O., AND D.M.D. DEGREES
Top 6
IN THE U.S. FOR GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEGREES AWARDED
RESEARCH FOR WORLDWIDE IMPACT
NSU Research Collaborations Span the Globe
In 2025, 186 international collaborations resulted in publications by NSU researchers. NSU is conducting research that touches lives in Florida, the U.S., and around the world.
6 CONTINENTS
7 NATIONS
82 UNIVERSITIES
Microfinance in Bangladesh
NSU researchers explored how small seed investments have the potential to propel women to economic stability through microfinance loans in Bangladesh.
Saving Species in Colombia
To better detect vulnerable species in conflict zones where biodiversity monitoring is limited, NSU researchers explored eDNA tools in Colombia—a crucial conservation resource.
Sustainable Fisheries in Australia and Papua New Guinea
NSU researchers examined a small fishery in Papua New Guinea to estimate sustainability reference points, improving how local reef fisheries can manage resources without long-term data-collection tools.
NSU Research Collaborations Span the Globe
In 2025, 186 international collaborations resulted in publications by NSU researchers. NSU is conducting research that touches lives in Florida, the U.S., and around the world.
6 CONTINENTS
7 NATIONS
82 UNIVERSITIES
Microfinance in Bangladesh
NSU researchers explored how small seed investments have the potential to propel women to economic stability through microfinance loans in Bangladesh.
Saving Species in Colombia
To better detect vulnerable species in conflict zones where biodiversity monitoring is limited, NSU researchers explored eDNA tools in Colombia—a crucial conservation resource.
Sustainable Fisheries in Australia and Papau New Guinea
NSU researchers examined a small fishery in Papau New Guinea to estimate sustainability reference points, improving how local reef fisheries can manage resources without long-term data collection tools.
NSU Research at a Glance
NSU’s research enterprise is growing, with expenditures rising by more than $36 million from FY21 to FY24. This is a more than 150 percent increase in just four years.
The university was designated an R1 research university by the Carnegie Foundation in 2025, a distinction awarded to universities demonstrating the highest level of research activity. NSU researchers are committed to finding new paths in clinical trials, health research, ocean research, and more.
83 Patent Applications
45 Worldwide Patents
20 High-Potential Technologies
NSU Research by the Numbers
Private Institution Research and Development Expenditures Ranking
|
Institution |
Rank |
|---|---|
|
Morehouse School of Medicine |
60 |
|
Southern Methodist University |
61 |
|
Lehigh University |
62 |
|
Loyola University, Chicago |
63 |
|
Nova Southeastern University |
64 |
|
Catholic University of America |
65 |
|
University of Denver |
66 |
|
Marquette University |
67 |
|
Chapman University |
68 |
|
Mercer University |
69 |
|
Illinois Institute of Technology |
70 |
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University |
71 |
|
Teachers College, Columbia University |
72 |
|
Villanova University |
73 |
Annual Research Expenditures
FY25 Awards by Funding Source
$33.9M
FY25 Total Sponsored Awards
FY25 Awards by Academic Unit
|
Other Colleges, Centers, and Divisions |
|
|---|---|
|
College of Pharmacy |
$1,729,574 |
|
College of Psychology |
$1,507,867 |
|
College of Allopathic Medicine |
$1,499,263 |
|
College of Nursing |
$1,396,000 |
|
College of Computing, AI, and Cybersecurity |
$966,003 |
|
Office of the Provost/Academic Affairs |
$599,736 |
|
NSU Art Museum |
$531,078 |
|
Office of the President |
$136,104 |
|
Honors College |
$100,000 |
|
Research and Economic Development |
$43,566 |
|
Library, Research, and Information Technology Center |
$30,322 |
|
College of Business and Entrepreneurship |
$18,639 |
|
College of Education and School of Criminal Justice |
$10,000 |
PIONEERING TREATMENTS. LIFE-CHANGING CARE.
Emerging science for diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), COVID-19, Gulf War Illness, and other neuro-immune conditions is shining a light on how these complex conditions work. Clinical trials are an essential next step to transforming science into accessible, life-changing treatments for patients.
With its seven healthcare colleges, patient-focused academic health system, NSU Health, and renowned physician-scientists, NSU’s rare combination of resources are critical to leading the next wave of clinical research-based innovations and discoveries.
Researchers and physician-scientists are focused on advancing research that affects lives in South Florida and beyond, pioneering novel approaches to treat some of the most challenging diseases, and working from research labs to bedsides to bring the findings to world-class patient care.
5
HEALTHCARE INSTITUTES
200,000
PATIENT ENCOUNTERS PER YEAR
70+
CLINICS
Trailblazing Treatments for ALS
CATHY J. HUSMAN ALS CENTER AND THE DAVID AND CATHY HUSMAN NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE AT NSU HEALTH
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to a loss of muscle control. Common symptoms include muscle weakness and spasticity, leading to loss of speaking, swallowing, walking, and breathing. Although there is currently no cure, the Cathy J. Husman ALS Center is dedicated to improving treatments and finding a cure for ALS.
An advanced, 7,000-square-foot facility in NSU’s Center for Collaborative Research (CCR), the Cathy J. Husman ALS Center is staffed by a bilingual, multidisciplinary team of ALS clinicians who provide comprehensive diagnostic and supportive care. As a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence, the ALS Center optimizes symptom management, reduces hospitalizations, improves quality of life, slows disease progression, and supports multiple active clinical trials, including treatment studies, expanded access programs, and research registry and biorepository studies supported by the federal National Institutes of Health (NIH) and industry partners.
The HEALEY ALS Platform Trial is the largest ALS study in history, with 86 sites. It is designed to facilitate simultaneous evaluation of multiple promising therapies—enabling accelerated results, compared to traditional study designs. NSU site investigator, Eduardo Locatelli, M.D., executive director of the David and Cathy Husman Neuroscience Institute at NSU Health, is leading this innovative platform study at NSU’s ALS Center
A Milestone for Veterans' Care
THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR GULF WAR ILLNESS TREATMENT
As many as one-third of the 693,826 veterans deployed in the Gulf War faced chemical exposures that later caused a painful disorder with multiple symptoms, from fatigue to chronic pain. Known as Gulf War Illness (GWI), this disorder was not formally acknowledged in standard medical forms for decades—until now.
A group of institutions, including researchers from NSU, successfully advocated for recognition in 2025, providing a diagnostic code for GWI in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). For veterans, the change will provide validation and much-needed insurance coverage, and for researchers, the ICD code will foster more efficient recruitment for GWI clinical trials through medical record searches, ensuring more patients benefit from participation in clinical research.
1 IN 3 Gulf War veterans developed GWI
Breakthrough Research in Neuro-Immune Medicine
The NSU Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine continues to pioneer research to better understand GWI and other neuroimmune conditions.
Two recent studies published by Lubov Nathanson, Ph.D., examine the impact of stress on negative outcomes for GWI patients and people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). One study demonstrated how cell response during physical exertion and recovery was distinct for ME/CFS patients, compared to healthy controls. A second study examined gender-specific outcomes, with female GWI patients and male GWI patients showing different patterns of abnormal cell activity during physical exertion and recovery. Genetic and sex-specific research is furthering advances in personalized medicine for these conditions.
In an innovative exploratory study, Vladimir Beljanski, Ph.D., and Dr. Nathanson, are investigating immune and metabolic dysfunctions in ME/CFS. By focusing their research on exosomes, tiny particles responsible for cellular communication, their team is investigating how cellular communication might affect immune cells and energy production in patients with ME/CFS. It could uncover new insights into the root cause and novel therapy targets for the disease.
The Search for a Cure for Long COVID
AT THE INSTITUTE FOR NEURO-IMMUNE MEDICINE
Facing debilitating cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, and other symptoms affecting the brain, heart, and lungs, millions with Long COVID continue to struggle with the lasting effects of the disease years after the pandemic began. Ramiro Valdez, a participant in a groundbreaking clinical trial at NSU, is one of those Long COVID sufferers.
Researchers led by Nancy Klimas, M.D., at the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine (INIM) are pioneering one of the few clinical trials testing treatments to cure Long COVID, with funding provided by the Florida Department of Health and the Schmidt Initiative for Long COVID.
In this study, a monoclonal antibody treatment approved for COVID prevention (Sipavibart, Astra Zenica) is being tested as a possible treatment for the complex, chronic Long COVID condition. Over six months, patients like Valdez work with researchers to provide biological samples and track symptoms to determine how they respond to treatment.
With the study’s focus on testing repurposed drugs, INIM aims to accelerate much-needed treatment delivery to patients, reducing the delay of drug development and producing patient outcomes faster.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this study, because it’s one of the few studies that’s really going for the cure.”
Nancy Klimas, M.D.
EMERGING SCIENCE THAT MOVES THE NEEDLE
We’re shining a new light on challenging conditions, pioneering studies to better understand some of the most complex diseases, and laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs in treatment. From investigating innovative treatments for pediatric brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer to exploratory research that drives sports science, neuroscience, and regional health forward, NSU is shaping advancements in healthcare.
New Pathways in Cancer Research
SAFER TREATMENTS FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER AT THE DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF ALLOPATHIC MEDICINE
Brain tumors are the leading cause of death for children with cancer, and more than 50 percent of those who survive will face lifelong, disabling challenges because of the severe effects of radiation treatment and chemotherapy.
Regina Graham, Ph.D., is designing nanomedicine-based treatments to improve outcomes for children with brain tumors and other high-risk pediatric cancers, including neuroblastoma. Dr. Graham is engineering carbon dot nanoparticles that can cross the blood–brain barrier and selectively deliver multiple anticancer drugs to tumor cells, with the goal of improving therapeutic efficacy while reducing long-term toxicity.
1 IN 5 newly diagnosed childhood cancers in the U.S. involve brain/spinal cord tumors
TARGETED THERAPIES FOR HARD-TO-TREAT CANCERS AT THE BARRY AND JUDY SILVERMAN COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND THE NSU RUMBAUGH-GOODWIN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
Precision treatments for cancer are increasingly at the forefront of cancer research, and a new study led by Dmitriy Minond, Ph.D., is exploring targeted therapies for some of the most difficult-to-treat forms of prostate cancer. Through a Florida Department of Health–funded effort, Dr. Minond is researching small molecule therapies for metastatic prostate cancer that is resistant to taxanes, a class of chemotherapy drugs. His team is testing a compound discovered by his laboratory and taking the next steps in drug discovery.
ADDRESSING CANCER DISPARITIES THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AT THE NSU AUTONATION INSTITUTE FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND CARE
In Broward County and Miami-Dade, Fla., advanced-stage breast cancer disproportionately affects women in several zip codes with a 15–25 percent higher frequency compared to the U.S. average—a statistic that highlights the ongoing disparity in breast cancer outcomes within communities.
Using funding from the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation, Jean Latimer, Ph.D., is investigating how environmental exposures may drive breast cancer disparities among women of African and Hispanic/Latino ancestry in South Florida.
Dr. Latimer and her team are using a unique tissue engineering platform to create samples of healthy breast tissue grown in the lab for research. They’re examining how carcinogens, such as arsenic and glyphosate—found in regional water and agricultural settings—alter cellular responses linked to early malignancy, offering insight into ancestry-specific vulnerabilities that can inform prevention and policy.
Advancing the Frontiers of Alzheimer’s Research
A little-known risk factor of dementia, mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), is the subject of the latest research from Lisa Robison, Ph.D. The study explores how mild TBI causes an accumulation of amyloid protein in the brain, which can contribute to increased risk of dementia—including cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease—as well as stroke. Researchers are investigating how repeated TBI leads to this protein accumulation, including whether biological sex has an affect on its progression. Dr. Robison aims to understand the mechanisms linking TBI and increased dementia risk, which may offer novel treatment paths.
Affecting about 69 million people worldwide each year, mild TBIs are the most common form of brain injury (greater than 70–90 percent of all cases). They impact long-term brain health, including heightened risk of stroke and dementia.
Metabolic disorders associated with poor dietary habits, including obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes, significantly increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, yet effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited. Benedict Albensi, Ph.D., BCMAS, CRQM, is exploring the therapeutic potential of nilotinib, an FDA-approved drug for a type of leukemia, for treating Alzheimer’s disease. The drug has shown promising neuroprotective effects in preclinical studies, improving cognitive function and enhancing mitochondrial function and bioenergetics. In addition, his research team will assess how sex-based differences affect the disease, which could guide future research in developing more personalized preventative measures and drug treatments.
More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, a number that is expected to grow to an estimated 13 million by 2050.
Health and long-term care costs for people living with dementia are projected to reach nearly $1 trillion by 2050.
“Two-thirds of those with Alzheimer’s disease are women, and no one knows why. We know that, generally, women live longer than men, but increased longevity alone does not explain these higher rates in women.”
Benedict Albensi, Ph.D., BCMAS, CRQM
The Next Leap Forward for Performance
AT NSU’S EXERCISE AND SPORT SCIENCE PROGRAM
Neuromuscular performance research seeks to understand not only how the body can optimally activate muscles for improved speed and power, but to reduce the risk of injury and help teams optimize their performance.
Corey Peacock. Ph.D., CSCS, is investigating physiological performance and its impact on fight outcomes in professional mixed martial artists. His study provides important insights into how aerobic capacity, explosive performance, and rapid weight-loss strategies vary across weight categories, offering valuable applications for optimizing training, enhancing recovery, and improving weight-management practices. The findings can help keep fighters healthy, extend careers, provide a competitive edge, and reduce health risks associated with extreme weight cycling in elite combat sports.
NSU’s Exercise and Sport Science Program is among the first to establish technological performance and body composition profiles of football players training for the National Football League draft. Led by Monique Mokha, Ph.D., students collaborated with high-performance coach Pete Bommarito. The study used force plates, 3D-motion capture synced with a treadmill, and an InBody device to measure the data and create the profiles. Advanced biodata profiles offer valuable insights to help recruiters, coaches, and trainers identify athletes’ talent, strengths, and weaknesses, aiding in the design of optimal strength and conditioning programs for draft-eligible football players.
“How do you maximize acceleration related to any sport motion? And how are you limiting injuries? We’re answering those questions, and we’re taking this baseline data and redirecting it back into the research community to go into a million different directions.”
Monique Mokha, Ph.D.
Health Analytics Brings Hope for ALS Treatment
AT THE CATHY J. HUSMAN ALS CENTER
Ninety percent of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurogenerative disease with no cure, will lose their speech and ability to swallow, rapidly leading to negative health outcomes. In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored study, Lauren Tabor Gray, Ph.D., CCLP, is harnessing innovative digital tools to study how this deterioration of speech and swallowing occurs in Spanish-speaking patients with ALS. With increased studies using digital tools to collect similar data for English-speaking patients, this work will expand the data available to treat more patients. This integration of health analytics into clinical care will facilitate earlier interventions and better-informed treatment decisions.
DISCOVERIES TO CHANGE THE TIDE
Ocean health is the foundation of healthy coastal communities and economies worldwide, yet our seas continue to face pressures that stress species, ecosystems, and the industries they sustain, with the cost of continued degradation estimated at more than $400 billion annually by 2050. NSU Ocean is finding intelligent, sustainable solutions to drive the health and economic future of our oceans. A hub for global ocean research, education, and workforce development, the university is introducing innovations that contribute to saving our coral reefs and other marine species, igniting resilience for sea-level rise, and creating oceans of opportunity.
Fighting for the Future of Florida’s Pillar Coral
AT THE NSU NATIONAL CORAL REEF INSTITUTE
Florida’s Coral Reef is the only barrier reef in the continental U.S., and acts as vital natural infrastructure in the region, crucial for fostering biodiversity, providing habitat to young fish, and mitigating hurricanes. In Florida and around the world, coral reefs have faced record heat stress in recent years, in addition to environmental pollution and disease outbreaks.
The latest research from the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI) at NSU is a sobering reminder of these challenges. NCRI has found that the wild population of a particular species—the pillar coral, which has a tall, cylindrical shape that is known for its large, sheltering capacity for wildlife—has continued to rapidly decline. There are now just 23 individual corals of this type remaining on Florida’s Coral Reef, according to NSU researcher Karen Neely, Ph.D.
For the past 13 years, NSU has played a key role in monitoring this species’ decline. The university has also spent the last decade leading the preservation of many coral species in onshore nurseries and other restoration facilities—a critical success for the future recovery of Florida’s Coral Reef.
Following a devastating die-off of Florida corals from rapidly spreading stony coral tissue loss disease in 2015, the university was a key partner in a genetic rescue effort to preserve many exceptional corals in the region. NSU has helped rescue nearly 5,000 corals from the wild and pioneered methods of assisted sexual reproduction of many coral species, training institutions across the U.S., and internationally, in methods to upscale revitalization of declining coral populations.
An effort to rescue pillar coral was also initiated in 2015, as part of a large-scale collaboration led by Dr. Neely, then at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and partners at Keys Marine Laboratory—an initiative that has since grown to include NSU and enabled the survival of this unique species. Neely and other researchers at NSU have continued to monitor the status of wild pillar corals and manage the species’ database, playing a key role in the fight for the future of pillar coral.
30%
amount of NSU’s funded research that relates to the marine and ocean sciences
$39.5 billion
estimated impact of Florida’s ocean economy, with shoreline resilience boosted by NSU Ocean
16,750+
number of corals raised and outplanted on Florida’s reefs by NSU researchers
Understanding, Planning, and Adapting for Climate Readiness
AT THE NSU RISING SEAS INSTITUTE
When Steve Halmos first noticed sea levels rising at his home in South Florida, he knew something was changing quickly. Inspired to explore the issue more deeply, the local businessman and longtime supporter of NSU’s oceanographic programs went on a journey with John Englander and his Rising Seas Institute to explore the front lines of sea-level rise: Greenland.
Participants in Greenland fact-finding expeditions witness the vast expanse of million-year-old glaciers and watch as the ice breaks away into icebergs. They step on ancient glaciers, explore the heart of vast ice sheets, and observe as meltwater rivers pour through crevices in the ice, falling into the ocean.
The world’s glaciers, not including Greenland and Antarctica, have lost an average of 270 billion tons of ice per year for the last 25 years. The Greenland ice sheet alone loses about the same amount per year, with recent estimates showing the ice sheet loses millions of tons of ice every hour—and ice loss continues to accelerate, translating to more flooding on many coastlines.
270 billion
Over the last 25 years, glaciers worldwide (excluding Antarctica and Greenland) have lost 270 billion tons of ice per year.
$600 billion
The estimated value of at-risk property in Florida because of sea-level rise in this century is $600 billion.
These insights inspired Halmos and the university to establish the NSU Rising Seas Institute in 2025, positioning NSU at the forefront of global sea-level rise advocacy, research, planning, and adaptation strategies.
Expeditions to Greenland are part of NSU’s program. Participants—from researchers and educators to media personnel and business leaders—can see the extreme transformations on Greenland’s shores, learn from local and subject-matter experts on sea-level rise science, and find the inspiration to take action.
Florida has the second-largest shoreline in the United States and a blue economy valued at $39.5 billion. Through the NSU Rising Seas Institute and its several other marine-research institutes, the university is advancing research, education, and advocacy to understand, plan, and adapt for a world of rising seas.
Where Ocean Health Meets Human Health
AT THE NSU OCEAN HEALTH INITIATIVE
The NSU Ocean Health Initiative (NOHI) creates the space for faculty members, researchers, communities, industries, and partners from diverse disciplines and sectors to collaborate and codesign across ocean science, human health, community systems, and the blue economy. As a convener, facilitator, connector, and accelerator, NOHI brings people and expertise together to build research clusters, develop emerging topics, mentor students, and strengthen community engagement. It enables those involved to advance ocean-based health solutions and deepen understanding of how oceans support well-being and expand NSU’s impact in coastal communities.
$5 trillion
The annual global spending on coastal and marine tourism--roughly half of all global tourism spending--reflects the importance and economic value of healthy seas for human well-being.
Marine organisms are key to developing ocean-derived compounds and blue biotechnology, including the discovery of new drugs with the potential to improve patients’ lives.
EMERGING SCHOLARS WITH NEXT-GEN SOLUTIONS
Off-campus impact begins in the classroom at NSU. Student researchers are finding solutions to critical problems across disciplines while gaining intensive, mentored research experiences.
High school learners in NSU University School and undergraduate and graduate students in neuroscience, psychology, biology, marine science, and sport science are contributing data and innovations that can shape policy, practice, and patient care.
Students at University School can participate in the Research Fellowship Program and Experiential Learning programs in dentistry, medicine, and healthcare innovation. These university-integrated experiences immerse students in clinical challenges, connect them with expert mentors in science research, and inspire future pathways in medicine and science. Undergraduates can tap into unique research opportunities through the Hochberg-Miniaci Razor’s Edge Scholars program, and graduate students work closely with faculty advisers on grant-funded research projects—growing advanced research skills as tomorrow’s future leaders in healthcare and medicine, psychology, ocean and environmental science, and more.
Accelerating Performance
Sports medicine student researchers are innovative undergraduates who combine science, technology, and compassion to advance athletic health and performance. Through studies spanning neuroscience, biomechanics, rehabilitation, and wearable technology, students, such as Emily Cabral, Emma Hickey, Rhitik Joshi, and Taylor Stockman, exemplify NSU’s commitment to practical research and leadership that empowers the next generation of sports medicine professionals.
1,103
Doctorates Awarded in Research and Professional Health Programs
New Research Pathways
Student researchers are redefining discovery through projects that span chemistry, marine biology, nanotechnology, and parasitology.
Lauren Nonnenmacher is engaging in global studies on heavy metal contamination, and Alexia Hilber is exploring parasite dynamics in Florida’s wading birds. Emma Hickey is researching how carbon nanodots can be used as a novel therapeutic approach to Parkinson’s disease, and Delaney Deinlein is pursuing breakthroughs in coral sampling techniques. In these studies and more, NSU scholars are advancing science and inspiring future innovators.
#1 in the Nation
for Doctoral Degrees Awarded in Health Professions and Related Programs
Division of Research and Economic Development
Nova Southeastern University
3300 S. University Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328-2004
research.nova.edu
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