University of Central Florida

What happens to blood clotting in space?��

UCF College of Medicine scientist, Hansjorg Schwertz is leading the NASA-funded MOON study, exploring how spaceflight impacts megakaryocytes — the bone marrow cells responsible for producing platelets.

The research could help scientists better understand blood clotting both in orbit and here on Earth, advancing the future of space medicine and human health.

UCF Scientist Sends Blood Clotting Research to Space Hansjorg Schwertz joins the College of Medicine’s Space Medicine team a day before SpaceX 34 is set to launch with his experiment onboard.

What does it take to train the next generation of elite sports physical therapists?

At UCF and Orlando Health’s Sports Physical Therapy Residency, residents work alongside professional athletes, collegiate teams and leading researchers — gaining hands-on experience in everything from ACL recovery to performance optimization.

With only two residents selected each year, the program is preparing healthcare professionals to help athletes perform at their highest level and recover stronger than ever. ⭐️

The Next Elite Sports Physical Therapists The healthcare providers selected for the UCF and Orlando Health Sports Physical Therapy program bring a unique blend of skills and passion for delivering care.

From questioning whether college was the right path to becoming a leader on campus, Nina Johnston’s journey at UCF is a testament to the power of opportunity, confidence and community.

Through UCF’s Inclusive Education Services (IES) program, she gained independence, built lifelong relationships and discovered what she’s capable of — all while preparing for life beyond graduation.

Now, she’s leaving UCF ready for her next chapter. 🎓

Inclusive Education Services Student Leverages College Experience in Forging Path Toward Independence From landing a part-time job on campus to earning her driver’s license and planning her upcoming wedding, Nina Johnston has used her IES experience to gain independence, develop career skills and prepare for life beyond UCF.

Congratulations to our longest serving faculty member, Chuck Dziuban, on his retirement after 56 years in the classroom.

A true pioneer. Charge On!

🔗 https://go.ucf.edu/3SNKefB

UCF mechanical engineering students raced a human-powered vehicle past competitors from across the country to claim a national championship.��

Fueled by engineering ingenuity and months of testing UCF team earned second place in the ASME Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D Challenge.

UCF Engineering Students Pedal to Victory with Award-Winning Human-Powered Vehicle Design UCF's e-Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (e-HPVC) team took home four trophies for the design and performance of their custom-built vehicle at the 2026 American Society of Mechanical Engineers e-HPVC competition.

UCF professors Claire Connolly Knox and Chris Emrich are expanding their emergency management impact to the federal level after being selected for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Vanguard Executive Crisis Leaders Fellowship.��

They believe the experience will allow them to build new partnerships, bring valuable insight back to UCF to incorporate in their classrooms and identify new ways to connect expanded emergency management expertise across disciplines.

UCF Emergency Management Faculty Selected for Prestigious FEMA Fellowship From UCF’s top-ranked emergency management program to the highest level of governance in the field, professors Chris Emrich and Claire Connolly Knox are taking their impact to the next level.

On this World Sea Turtle Day, we're proud to highlight integrative conservation biology alum Katherine Martin '24PhD and her sea turtle research.

UCF Researcher Reveals How Genetic Variation Shapes Sea Turtle Immune System Evolution New research from a UCF biology researcher shows how genetic variation shapes sea turtles’ immune systems, with implications for disease resilience and conservation strategies.

Pegasus Professor of electrical and computer engineering, Issa Batarseh dedicated his career to discovering renewable energy solutions — and it all started in 1991 in a small lab at UCF.

What Drives UCF’s Issa Batarseh to Expand Energy Research Issa Batarseh dedicated his career to discovering renewable energy solutions before many people had heard of the concept. Where did his bold ideas lead? Look around.

What if biosensors didn’t wait for molecules to find them — but reached out to capture them instead?�

Inspired by cephalopods like squids and octopuses, UCF researchers are developing DNA nanostructures with “tentacles” that actively grab target molecules, helping speed up detection for diseases, environmental threats and more.�

This finding could lead to faster, more accurate biosensors for healthcare, food safety and biosecurity.

Learn more:

Tentacles in Solution: UCF Research Speeds Up DNA Biosensing A new nanostructure approach actively captures targets instead of waiting for them — enabling faster, more accurate detection for healthcare, environmental monitoring and biosecurity.