Researchers at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine were awarded $5.6 million of expected funds for a 4-year study from the U.S. Department of Defense to examine why many people with Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) go on to also develop heart disease, a major cause of death for those with FA.

“We still don’t have a full understanding of the genetic mutation for Friedrich’s ataxia to determine why so many patients go on to get heart disease – we need to know,” said Dr. Thomas McDonald, Principal investigator for the USF study.

Read more about the USF Health study being conducted define a link between genetics and heart disease Friedrich ataxia patients.

Dr. Ravel uses clinical genomics and systems biology approaches to develop improved strategies for managing gynecological and obstetrics conditions. He has published more than 350 peer-reviewed publications. In addition, he is the co-director of the NIH-funded Collaborative Research Center on Human 3D Biomimetics Cervicovaginal Models for Sexually Transmitted Infections.

“Regeneration represents the body’s most fundamental form of healing,” said Da-Zhi Wang, PhD, professor and Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine and director of USF Health Heart Institute and the CRM. “At USF Health, we are uniting biologists, engineers and clinicians to uncover how that healing happens and how we can amplify it to prevent and treat disease.”

“If you are smoking cannabis, and you are already on a processed food diet — or what we call an omega-6 enriched diet — then you are shutting off the immune system, which is your defense system,” Ganesh Halade, PhD, a cardiovascular researcher and professor of Internal Medicine, and senior author of the new study.