After years of research and development led by experts at UCF in collaboration with researchers from universities across the U.S. and in Europe, the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA) has reached two major milestones: powering its first full-scale study to address one of virtual reality �鶹��Ʒ S�s most persistent barriers to adoption and awarding its first use grant to enhance immersive learning and information across industries.

VERA, a platform funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is the first, large-scale system for extended reality human subjects research and designed to advance the speed, scale and scope of immersive research. The platform enables immersive researchers to design, deploy, and manage virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) studies with remote participants therefore significantly improving the quality of the science, while reducing costs, lowering logistical barriers and expanding participant reach.

�鶹��Ʒ S�No one has built anything like VERA before, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch, lead principal investigator on VERA. �鶹��Ʒ S�The team was really starting from scratch to create this national platform, integrating AI technologies and establishing policies and procedures that will produce methodologically rigorous behavioral data. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re excited for VERA to now start to run in an open beta mode and reach these two firsts, �鶹��Ʒ S� Welch continues.

Accelerating Understanding of Cybersickness

For its first major large-scale study leveraging remote participants, VERA is helping researchers address one of the most persistent challenges in virtual reality: cybersickness.

Cybersickness occurs when symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and discomfort are caused by a mismatch between visual motion in a headset and the user �鶹��Ʒ S�s physical motion. Associate Professor of Computer Science Gerd Bruder, who is an affiliate researcher in the Institute of Simulation and Training, is leading the research study in collaboration with other UCF researchers and external partners.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Understanding who is susceptible to cybersickness is critical to improving VR accessibility, making VR more comfortable for all users and enabling broader adoption across research, education and industry, �鶹��Ʒ S� Bruder says.

Early data collection highlights the powerful capabilities of the VERA platform to accelerate VR research at an unprecedented scale.

In just 15 cumulative days, VERA had more than 250 participants complete the full study protocol. In comparison, the original in-lab study collected data from just 30 participants and in traditional VR research settings, studies with hundreds of participants often require several months to complete.

For the study, each participant experiences a controlled VR rollercoaster ride on their own headset and provides sickness ratings at periodic intervals, a pre- and post- exposure questionnaire, an in-VR visual acuity assessment, and continuous head-tracking data. Each session is completed in approximately 30 minutes at home.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Enrollment is ongoing with a target of 2,000 participants. Preliminary analyses already suggest meaningful individual differences in how quickly and severely participants experience cybersickness.

�鶹��Ʒ S�VERA was built to study problems like this with a combination of speed, scale and experimental complexity not previously possible, �鶹��Ʒ S� Welch says. �鶹��Ʒ S�The sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Groundbreaking Immersive Learning Project

For the first project selected in its Use Grant program, VERA is supporting innovative research to study how different immersive technologies engage learners in different ways. The study will help inform how to leverage emerging technologies in education, cultural institutions, public engagement and more.

The grant was awarded to the San José State University School of Information Library Technology Integration Lab in Silicon Valley and New Media Learning, one of the largest providers of virtual reality programming in public libraries.

The project will support a collaborative virtual reality research environment integrated with VERA with participants from across the U.S. in public libraries, universities and other sites.

Researchers will collect behavioral and interaction data including attention patterns, object interaction, navigation pathways, movement, clicks, engagement metrics, and time-on-task, supplemented by surveys and participant feedback. The resulting research environment will serve a scalable prototype for future applications to make immersive learning experiences more accessible to communities worldwide.

A distinguishing feature of the project is the active involvement of San José State University undergraduate and graduate students from the School of Information who will work alongside faculty researchers and technology partners to gain hands-on experience.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Being selected as the first VERA Use Grant recipient is both an honor and an extraordinary opportunity, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Anthony S. Chow, professor in the San José State University School of Information and founder of the Library Technology Integration Lab. �鶹��Ʒ S�Through this collaboration, we hope to generate research that helps libraries, educators, museums and community organizations leverage virtual reality to address some of society �鶹��Ʒ S�s most important challenges while creating meaningful research opportunities for students. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�We are excited to welcome San José State University and New Media Learning as the first recipients of a VERA Use Grant, �鶹��Ʒ S� Welch says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Their expertise in libraries, immersive learning, public engagement and emerging technologies makes them ideal partners for demonstrating how VERA can accelerate impactful XR research. We believe this collaboration will help establish new models for studying learning, engagement, and information behavior in immersive environments. �鶹��Ʒ S�

UCF College of Medicine Associate Professor Claudia Andl, a throat and oral cancer researcher, is investigating how a simple probiotic could treat and prevent both conditions..

UCF College of Medicine Associate Professor Claudia Andl, a throat and oral cancer researcher, is investigating how a simple probiotic could treat and prevent both conditions. The research is funded by a one-year, more than $380,000 grant from the Florida Department of Health �鶹��Ʒ S�s Florida Cancer Innovation Fund.

Probiotics are live microorganisms �鶹��Ʒ S� usually bacteria or yeasts �鶹��Ʒ S� that support and strengthen health by increasing the body �鶹��Ʒ S�s population of healthy cells. Many people take probiotics to improve gut health and digestion. Andl �鶹��Ʒ S�s research is focused on using a healthy bacteria called Lactobacillus spp. to treat esophageal damage caused by acid reflux and improve the microbial environment in the esophagus to reduce the risk of cancer.

In patients with acid reflux �鶹��Ʒ S� as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic and more severe form of the digestive condition �鶹��Ʒ S� stomach acid burns through the lining of the esophagus, causing inflammation and DNA damage to surrounding cells. Over time, those cellular changes can create a condition called Barrett �鶹��Ʒ S�s esophagus, which increases the risk for esophageal cancer. In addition, when the throat �鶹��Ʒ S�s bacterial environment becomes dominated by stomach acids and salts, healthy bacteria struggle to survive. Harmful bacteria take their place, causing further cell damage and inflammation that increases cancer risk. Introducing Lactobacillus spp. into disease models has solved both issues.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We all talk about how important it is to eat yogurt or drink kombucha so that we maintain a healthy bacterial residence in all your organs. And it �鶹��Ʒ S�s the same in the esophagus. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�The reintroduction of beneficial bacteria works two-fold, �鶹��Ʒ S� Andl says. �鶹��Ʒ S�It restores a normal environment again, but also these Lactobacilli are known to suppress inflammation and repair the DNA damage. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�We all talk about how important it is to eat yogurt or drink kombucha so that we maintain a healthy bacterial residence in all your organs, �鶹��Ʒ S� Andl continues. �鶹��Ʒ S�And it �鶹��Ʒ S�s the same in the esophagus. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Early results have shown a reduction in Barrett �鶹��Ʒ S�s esophagus, and if cancer develops at all, it occurs much later than in models not treated with the probiotic.

Andl says she hopes her research will inform new therapies and provide more information on how to keep the body �鶹��Ʒ S�s microbial balance healthy to fight disease. She notes this is especially important as data also shows Barett �鶹��Ʒ S�s esophagus and esophageal cancer are increasing in patients under ages 60-70, the average age for these patient populations.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We aim to improve outcomes for the large number of reflux patients at risk for cancer, �鶹��Ʒ S� Andl says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Playing a role in that would be incredibly rewarding. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Andl joined UCF in 2016 after receiving her Ph.D. in cell biology from the University Duisburg-Essen in Germany and conducting postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania.

This research is sponsored by the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund and the Florida Department of Health.

������research, backed by a five-year $813,130 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant, found that an antimicrobial peptide naturally found in cows weakens the biofilm defenses of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria and destroys it.

Now in their fourth year of research, Fleeman and her lab have discovered exactly how the peptide works in findings published in PLOS Pathogens.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our research is very advantageous for healthcare because about 80% of bacterial infections being treated in the clinic are bacteria living in a biofilm state, which makes them resistant to virtually every antibiotic available, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says.

The results represent a critical step to potentially applying this peptide as a therapy and eventually treating patients, as the findings show they can and kill biofilm-embedded bacteria in animal models.

Parsing out the Peptide

K. pneumoniae is found in the intestines and is usually harmless, however, the bacterium develops resistance over a person �鶹��Ʒ S�s lifetime as they are exposed to antibiotics. The bacteria also can spread from the intestine to other parts of the body in immunocompromised patients and those who have internal ruptures or exposure to contaminated medical devices. That exposure can lead to pneumonia, urinary tract or wound infections.

�鶹��Ʒ S�What happens is the bacteria infects the wound, proliferates, and then invades through the bloodstream where it travels to the liver, kidneys and spleen, �鶹��Ʒ S� Fleeman says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We found our peptide was able to decrease the bacteria at the source while limiting the bacteria �鶹��Ʒ S�s ability to move through the blood. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Fleeman and her lab �鶹��Ʒ S�s most recent study found that the peptide triggers a dual stress response that tricks the bacteria to break out of their protective biofilm.

They discovered the genetics of a specific protein in the bacterium when turned on in the germ causes it to break from its own protective biofilm. The peptide, in effect, damages the protection and then stresses the bacterium into shedding its protection, making the germ more sensitive to antibiotics and the body �鶹��Ʒ S�s immune system.

�鶹��Ʒ S�By hitting the membrane as well as protein synthesis at the same time, it’s a double punch that triggers a genetic change in the cell to make it think it needs to break out of the biofilm as a response to our peptide, �鶹��Ʒ S� Fleeman says.

The team says their sustained research aims to demonstrate that their peptide can work synergistically with existing antibiotics. They envision long-term applications could involve a topical cream that weakens the bacteria �鶹��Ʒ S�s defenses and allows standard antibiotics to work more effectively.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re moving our research forward and we �鶹��Ʒ S�re very hopeful, �鶹��Ʒ S� Fleeman says.

Preparing for the Post-Antibiotic Era

The first author of this new work is Robert Beckman  �鶹��Ʒ S�23, who graduated from UCF with a bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in health sciences, managed Fleeman �鶹��Ʒ S�s lab and is now on his way to the University of Michigan for his Ph.D.

His previous work as an EMT gave him firsthand exposure to infectious diseases and their impact on patients. He says helping to lead the study and working with Fleeman helped prepare him for a career in medical research.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I have developed a strong foundation in research and gained insight into the many components that define an effective scientist, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�My long-term goal is to remain in academia and eventually lead my own research lab. I plan to continue focusing on bacteriology, with a particular emphasis on pathogenic bacteria and drug discovery applications. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Funding and Disclosure:

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R00AI163295. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Now a global project manager for wire technology at Alleima Advanced Materials, the materials science and engineering alum has earned the company �鶹��Ʒ S�s 2026 Innovation Prize for her work advancing wires used in critical medical devices such as continuous glucose monitors, hearing implants and pacemakers. The annual award recognizes excellence in product development.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The work I do is very rewarding. Every day, I get to contribute to advancing medical care and treatment, �鶹��Ʒ S� McDorman says. �鶹��Ʒ S�If it �鶹��Ʒ S�s a medical device and it has a wire, Alleima is likely contributing to it somehow. �鶹��Ʒ S�

McDorman earned her doctoral degree from UCF under Associate Professor Swaminathan Rajaraman, who directs the , where researchers develop micro- and nanoscale solutions spanning biotechnology, pharmacology, plant sciences and medical devices.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I chose UCF because the [materials science and engineering] program was highly rated … and had a wide variety of research areas … �鶹��Ʒ S�

Before coming to UCF, McDorman earned her master �鶹��Ʒ S�s and bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degrees in physics, but discovered a passion for applied research that required a deeper focus on materials.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When I decided to pursue a Ph.D., materials science and engineering was a natural choice, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I chose UCF because the program was highly rated, small and had a wide variety of research areas that I was interested in. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Through her doctoral studies, McDorman found a more biology-focused side of materials science. Her work with biosensors in Rajaraman �鶹��Ʒ S�s lab ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in the medical device industry.

She credits her research experience at UCF with preparing her for work at Alleima, where 90% of her unit �鶹��Ʒ S�s business supports medical device manufacturing.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The company has a rich history of materials innovation in steel and nickel-based alloys, �鶹��Ʒ S� McDorman says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Since we produce wire, I am constantly using base materials science knowledge to process the material in a way that achieves a specific set of properties in the end product. �鶹��Ʒ S�

She says she has always aimed for a position that would allow her to make a positive contribution to society, an opportunity she is grateful to have at Alleima.

For new graduates considering a similar path, McDorman encourages them to connect with UCF alumni on LinkedIn and to explore job opportunities in Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s growing manufacturing industry, particularly in Volusia and Flagler counties.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We put a lot into our work every day because we truly care about ensuring the best possible patient outcomes, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�It is great that our efforts have been recognized by the business. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Dinender Singla, professor and head of the College of Medicine �鶹��Ʒ S�s Division of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Sciences, developed a system that turns exosomes �鶹��Ʒ S� vesicles that cells secrete to communicate with one another �鶹��Ʒ S� into delivery vehicles for medical treatments.

This innovative technology, for which UCF is seeking patent protection, places therapeutics inside exosomes and coats them with cell-specific markers that direct them to an exact area of the body to deliver the drug.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I call these smart tiny bubbles, �鶹��Ʒ S� Singla says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Millions of people have heart disease, and they take multiple drugs in extremely high doses. But we have no way to be certain these drugs are getting to where they need to go. We need innovative technologies to get treatments exactly where they need to go to cure the problem. �鶹��Ʒ S�

How the Therapy Works

This discovery is part of Singla �鶹��Ʒ S�s work to provide therapies to treat and prevent heart disease, including heart damage caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and targeted radiation to the chest. That heart damage seems to be caused by inflammatory factors that treatments use to kill cancer cells. Technology developed by Singla encapsulates anti-inflammatory heart treatments in exosomes and then delivers the drug to the exact area of heart damage.

�鶹��Ʒ S�They can treat cancer and protect the heart. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� UCF Professor Dinender Singla

As part of this research, Singla �鶹��Ʒ S�s team also developed technologies to deliver cancer-killing drugs inside exosomes. They chose triple-negative breast cancer for their research, the deadliest form of the disease, with a 77% �鶹��Ʒ S�78% five-year survival rate. In the lab, the therapy showed significant promise in killing cancer cells �鶹��Ʒ S� at much lower doses that are used in chemotherapy �鶹��Ʒ S� while also protecting the heart. So the exosome therapy could help cancer patients without the severe side effects of chemotherapy.

�鶹��Ʒ S�These therapies can work hand-in-hand, �鶹��Ʒ S� Singla said. �鶹��Ʒ S�They can treat cancer and protect the heart. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Financial Investment is Key for Drug Development

The next step will be manufacturing the therapy for clinical use and advancing into FDA clinical trials for heart disease and cancer treatment. To help accelerate that path, Singla partnered with Orlando investor and UCF donor Chakri Toleti, a healthcare technology entrepreneur focused on building category-defining businesses through AI and agentic platforms, biomedical innovation and ambient intelligence including most recently care.ai, which was acquired by Stryker in 2024.

Through his innovation fund, TCapital, Toleti backs transformative technologies designed to improve healthcare delivery and reduce human suffering at scale. Together, Singla and Toleti invested in and formed Exomic to fund continued research, clinical development, and commercialization of the technology.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This was an opportunity to do something truly innovative in cancer and cardiovascular treatment. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� Chakri Toleti, UCF donor

Toleti says his passion for advancing cancer research is deeply personal after losing his father to the disease.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This was an opportunity to do something truly innovative in cancer and cardiovascular treatment, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Dr. Singla �鶹��Ʒ S�s work represents a fundamental shift toward new biomedical platforms not only in how targeted therapies are delivered in the human body, but in how we think about treatment and healing itself. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Such public-private partnerships are one of the goals of , which drives innovation, enterprise, and collaboration across disciplines.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Dr. Singla �鶹��Ʒ S�s groundbreaking exosome delivery system perfectly exemplifies how university innovation translates into significant, life-saving benefits for society, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Winston V. Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation. �鶹��Ʒ S�As demonstrated by the creation of Exomic, industry partnership is essential for driving such pioneering technologies towards successful translation and real-world clinical use. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The effort is also providing exciting learning opportunities for College of Medicine graduate students. Jonatas De Mendonca Rolando �鶹��Ʒ S�23MS �鶹��Ʒ S�26PhD earned his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences earlier this month. He is staying at UCF as a post-doctoral researcher to continue creating the exosome therapy.

He helped develop protocols and procedures for the delicate technology and saw its impact in the lab. He �鶹��Ʒ S�s excited to have a financial supporter who can help take the therapy from lab to, he hopes, patients.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s been amazing to part of a high-tech project and see leadership in science, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I am very excited for my future. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Researcher Background

Singla is the AdventHealth Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Sciences at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences and is a faculty fellow with the UCF Office of Research. He earned his bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s and master �鶹��Ʒ S�s degrees from Punjabi University, Patiala, India, and his Ph.D. from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and has continually been funded by the American Heart Association and/or the National Institutes of Health since 2004.

About TCapital

TCapital is an AI, Frontier Tech and Life Sciences innovation fund investing in category-defining platforms and infrastructure. Founded by healthcare technology entrepreneur Chakri Toleti, T-Capital invests in companies shaping the future of treatment, care, and biomedical innovation. For more information, visit TCapital.com.

When NASA launches its latest voyage to the International Space Station on May 12, it will carry a blood clotting experiment from the UCF College of Medicine �鶹��Ʒ S�s newest faculty member. The research will include illuminated bone marrow cells floating in space to find better ways to keep astronauts and Earthlings healthier.

Hansjorg Schwertz specializes in occupational health and focuses his research on how microgravity and radiation in space impact the body �鶹��Ʒ S�s blood-clotting functions. After an extensive career overseas and at the University of Utah, he comes to UCF to serve as the associate director for Translational Aerospace Medicine Research at the UCF Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM).

As humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, the center is exploring how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When it comes to putting footprints on the moon, there is no better place to be than UCF, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says.

NASA Concerned About Blood Clots in Space

Pre- and post-mission medical testing of astronauts on the International Space Station has shown that spaceflight changes their immune system and blood clotting ability. A few astronauts have even developed blood clots during a flight or after returning. For that reason, Schwertz is leading the NASA-funded Megakaryocytes Orbiting in Outer Space and Near Earth (MOON) study, which he began working on at the University of Utah and continues to collaborate with the university’s researchers on.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When it comes to putting footprints on the moon, there is no better place to be than UCF. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� Hansjorg Schwertz

Megakaryocytes are bone marrow cells that create platelets, which circulate in the blood stream and can stop bleeding or form blood clots. Both cells also play a key role in immune responses.

The MOON study is examining how space flight affects the development and function of megakaryocytes as they create platelets. The results could provide important knowledge about the risks of inflammation, immune responses and blood clot formation that will help space travelers and patients on Earth, Schwertz says.

His team is sending human cells to the ISS on board the SpaceX 34 resupply mission. Once they are aboard the space station, astronauts will culture the cells and help to develop megakaryocytes in space.

One part of the experiment is to watch the cells in real time, and how they develop their �鶹��Ʒ S�daughter cell, �鶹��Ʒ S� the platelets. Because the research will be in microgravity, the cells will float. They �鶹��Ʒ S�ll be stained with fluorescent dye so UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s researcher can examine them remotely at better accuracy.

Schwertz says mentors taught him, �鶹��Ʒ S�seeing is believing, �鶹��Ʒ S� so he is �鶹��Ʒ S�genuinely excited �鶹��Ʒ S� to see megakaryocytes float in space.

Advancing Personalized Medicine

One of the challenges of space medicine research is that so few people have gone to space, so the sample pool is small. As space travel and colonization progress, more people will be traveling to and working on the moon and beyond.

Healthwise, many will be different than astronauts who are selected after going through vigorous testing and selection criteria. Thus, space is a new frontier of healthcare.

Schwertz hopes his study will unlock technologies and therapies to keep astronauts �鶹��Ʒ S� blood clotting mechanisms controlled, prevent abnormal clotting and bring those discoveries back to Earth.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re examining the impact of space flight on each person �鶹��Ʒ S�s cells, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�This is personalized medicine, and isn �鶹��Ʒ S�t that what healthcare is all about? �鶹��Ʒ S�

Emmanuel Urquieta, vice chair for Aerospace Medicine at the UCF College of Medicine and founding director of CASEEM, Schwertz’s work reflects the program’s broader mission to connect spaceflight research with practical clinical and operational solutions.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our aerospace medicine program is intentionally designed to be operational and translational in nature, �鶹��Ʒ S� Urquieta says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We are building a program that can support the real medical needs of exploration missions while rapidly translating discoveries from spaceflight and extreme environments into innovations that improve health here on Earth. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Schwertz received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the School of Medicine at the University of Mainz, Germany. After a residency in Internal Medicine/Cardiology at the University of Halle, Germany, he did a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Utah, where he also served as faculty.

In 2012, he  was awarded a prestigious Lichtenberg-Professorship for Experimental Hemostasis and returned to Germany where he directed a research laboratory. He returned to Utah in 2015, where he completed his residency training in Occupational Medicine and was a faculty member, researcher and community physician.

The material is based upon work supported by NASA under award No. 80NSSC22K0255. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

“The residency accelerates clinical reasoning by three to five years, making [residents] more competitive candidates for the best jobs.” �鶹��Ʒ S� Meredith Chaput, research coordinator and liaison for the UCF and Orlando Health sports physical therapy  residency program

�鶹��Ʒ S�We look for people who thrive on rigor, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Meredith Chaput, the residency �鶹��Ʒ S�s research coordinator and liaison. The payoff is priceless. �鶹��Ʒ S�The residency accelerates clinical reasoning by three to five years, making them more competitive candidates for the best jobs. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Chaput �鶹��Ʒ S�s sport-specific expertise, along with that of four of her colleagues in the UCF Division of Physical Therapy who serve as didactic and clinical mentors, is an instant draw to the program. So, too, are UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s research labs, partnerships and the opportunity to teach students in the UCF doctor of physical therapy program.

The residents are equally drawn to the opportunity to advance their skills alongside a seasoned clinical team at Orlando Health. They take on a caseload of sports and orthopedic patients, providing specialized care ranging from post-surgical rehabilitation to elite-level performance optimization, tapping into advanced rehabilitation technology to improve athlete recovery. Nearly 2 million people every year suffer sports-related injuries and receive treatment in emergency departments, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

With all of this in place, professionals are being prepared, two at a time, through a specialized 12-month program, to join the select group of 169 board-certified sports clinical specialist physical therapists in Florida. It �鶹��Ʒ S�s a coveted residency and one designed to develop healthcare providers to better aid athletes of all levels. Central Florida is a premier sports destination, featuring a mix of professional franchises, elite collegiate athletics, large high schools and massive amateur complexes.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When we started this program in 2020, our mission initially aimed to strengthen the rehabilitation services provided to the local sports-based community within Central Florida by producing highly trained and skilled sports physical therapists, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Philip Agostinelli, residency program coordinator and rehab clinical operations manager with Orlando Health Sports Medicine and Rehab Center.  �鶹��Ʒ S�Now, currently, in our sixth cohort of residents, that mission evolved to encompass the needs of athletes on a national scale, with multiple past graduates working in professional or semi-professional sports across the country. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The Tireless Protege: Alvaro Zapata

Long days do not faze Alvaro Zapata, even as they turn into 60-hour weeks. To him, they �鶹��Ʒ S�re part of the allure of the residency program.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I ask myself, �鶹��Ʒ S�When would I have this kind of opportunity again? �鶹��Ʒ S� and the answer is never, �鶹��Ʒ S� Zapata says. �鶹��Ʒ S�The program opens doors that would otherwise not be open. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�m gaining all the knowledge I could possibly need to eventually be at the top of my profession. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� Alvaro Zapata

Since entering the program last August, Zapata has stretched his aptitude alongside clinicians at Orlando Health and Jewett Orthopedic. He �鶹��Ʒ S�s worked with athletes in high schools and at UCF and accessed the inner circles of Orlando �鶹��Ʒ S�s two professional soccer teams.

As Zapata puts it, �鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�m gaining all the knowledge I could possibly need to eventually be at the top of my profession. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Zapata was poised to climb the ladder with his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Boston University when he heard about Chaput heading up the residency program at UCF. He knew of her published research and presentations to global audiences.

�鶹��Ʒ S�She �鶹��Ʒ S�s a big reason I wanted this residency so badly, �鶹��Ʒ S� Zapata says.

Here, he has had the opportunity to collaborate with Chaput and progress research on the �鶹��Ʒ S�visual-cognitive control-to-chaos continuum �鶹��Ʒ S� in rehab, a model for which Chaput is one of the original creators. After ACL reconstruction surgery, patients often develop inhibitions within the brain that limit the coordination of knee movement. Instead of movement in competition being instinctive, athletes are often consciously aware of deficiencies that were once automatic.

�鶹��Ʒ S�If you can �鶹��Ʒ S�t trust your knee, then you can �鶹��Ʒ S�t get back to the top of your game, �鶹��Ʒ S� Zapata says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Rehab is typically done in a controlled setting. The real sports environment is chaotic. We �鶹��Ʒ S�re finding ways to challenge people the day after surgery, so inhibitions don �鶹��Ʒ S�t set in. �鶹��Ʒ S�

This means �鶹��Ʒ S�visual-cognitive �鶹��Ʒ S� challenges are added to rehab in the very early stages. For example, the physical therapists might have the patient look for colored lights on a screen. Red means squeeze the right leg. Blue means squeeze the left leg. Yellow means squeeze both.

The visual-cognitive control-to-chaos continuum calls for therapists to gradually make exercises more complex for the patient, from simple, controlled movements to more unpredictable, game-like situations. The goal is to better prepare patients to safely return to sports by training both the body and the brain.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We want athletes to react instead of thinking first, �鶹��Ʒ S� Zapata says. �鶹��Ʒ S�It could be a game changer. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The Team Player: Tsianna Barnwell

At noon on a Monday, Tsianna Barnwell leaves Jewett Orthopedic Clinic, where she �鶹��Ʒ S�s been broadening her skills since 7 a.m. She �鶹��Ʒ S�ll now drive to a local high school to work with athletes across a range of sports. Barnwell thrives in the residency program because no two days are the same. She might work with the Orlando Pride or Orlando City, provide expertise for USA Track or binge on insights at Orlando Health.

Some people call the program challenging. Barnwell calls it �鶹��Ʒ S�incredible. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�m getting the best of all worlds, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. She even immerses herself in the world of Orlando Ballet, calling it �鶹��Ʒ S�another unique experience to add to my toolbox. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Barnwell takes her toolbox into the Cognition, Neuroplasticity and Sarcopenia Lab, where she and Chaput are advancing research, which they recently presented in Athens, Greece, at the Isokinetic Conference. It started with a question Barnwell had from her days as a Division I soccer player: Why are female athletes two to six times more likely to suffer knee injuries than men? Through her sports residency, she �鶹��Ʒ S�s discovered that females are more likely to be weaker in their hamstring muscles. Studying these anatomical and physiological differences can inform impactful changes in rehab, recovery and injury prevention, she notes.

“With this residency under my belt, my opportunities will be almost endless.” �鶹��Ʒ S� Tsianna Barnwell

Barnwell knows firsthand what it �鶹��Ʒ S�s like to suffer a torn ACL. She �鶹��Ʒ S�s also known �鶹��Ʒ S�the team �鶹��Ʒ S� as her home away from home since leaving Qatar as an 18-year-old to study and play soccer at St. Bonaventure University. Ultimately, she wants to be part of a team again, perhaps as the director of rehabilitation for a professional women �鶹��Ʒ S�s soccer team. That �鶹��Ʒ S�s her preference, but when the residency ends, she �鶹��Ʒ S�ll be prepared to work with any team �鶹��Ʒ S� even a ballet company, Cirque du Soleil or the rehab team at Orlando Health.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�m fortunate to gain such a breadth of knowledge, �鶹��Ʒ S� Barnwell says. �鶹��Ʒ S�With this residency under my belt, my opportunities will be almost endless. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The Empowered Graduate: Jeremy Wydra �鶹��Ʒ S�18 �鶹��Ʒ S�22DPT

Jeremy Wydra �鶹��Ʒ S�18 ’22DPT is where Zapata and Barnwell will soon be: residency complete, now pursuing a path to find more effective ways to help athletes and performers recover and raise the bar.

�鶹��Ʒ S�That �鶹��Ʒ S�s the great outcome for me: variety, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Wydra, who finished the residency program in 2024 and is now practicing clinically, and working toward his doctorate in kinesiology at UCF, where he is collecting data on the recovery and return to performance after ACL reconstruction.

Wydra worked his way through UCF, first envisioning a career in mechanical engineering and ultimately earning a bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s in health sciences. Along the way, he decided he wanted a people-facing profession and shadowed at a clinic, where he noticed physical therapists conversing with patients throughout treatment sessions, often for more than an hour. He saw it as personalized healthcare that he could optimize with physics and innovation.

After finishing his doctorate in physical therapy at UCF, Wydra landed in a dream situation in Maryland, practicing as both a strength and conditioning coach and a physical therapist within sports performance centers. It begs the question: Why return for the residency?

�鶹��Ʒ S�I wanted to work with mentors who would push me to be better, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Wydra.

Unlike Zapata and Barnwell, Wydra had little soccer experience. Gaining it became part of the push he desired.

“… the value of the residency for me: having access to such diversified people and environments.” �鶹��Ʒ S� Jeremy Wydra �鶹��Ʒ S�18 �鶹��Ʒ S�22DPT

�鶹��Ʒ S�During my second week in the residency, I stepped into the Orlando City Academy training room to work with high-level athletes, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I also helped on the sidelines and talked with the medical staff about team-centered communication with coaches and players. That was the value of the residency for me: having access to such diversified people and environments. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Wydra sees himself taking full advantage of the variety still in front of him, perhaps as a physical therapist and sports scientist, reforming best practices and helping others be their best.

�鶹��Ʒ S�That �鶹��Ʒ S�s what my mentors in the residency have done for me: made me a better person and professional, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I wouldn �鶹��Ʒ S�t trade those 12 months for the world. �鶹��Ʒ S�

We could start 33 years ago to when Castro Tapler first visited UCF and dreamed of becoming a Knight.

Or jump to when she lost sight of that dream in the whirlwind of life after enlisting in the U.S. Marines, completing an overseas deployment, getting married and raising a family.

Or here, in present day, as the 49-year-old graduates alongside her oldest, each with degree choices influenced by Johnny �鶹��Ʒ S�s struggle with neurological hearing loss �鶹��Ʒ S� hers, early childhood development and education and his, communication sciences and disorders. And don �鶹��Ʒ S�t forget her other son, Michael, an emergency management major, close behind and husband, John, graduating later this year from Valencia College, a partner.

Their story is one of many subplots and selfless acts, and so much love for family �鶹��Ʒ S� a family that pulled strength from each other on the road to this long-awaited, triumphant moment.

�鶹��Ʒ S�People doubted us for moving here from Long Island to become Knights, �鶹��Ʒ S� Castro Tapler says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We said, �鶹��Ʒ S�Just watch. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re proving that you can do anything you put your mind to doing by adapting and overcoming. �鶹��Ʒ S�

A Dream Put on Hold, But Never Forgotten

Castro Tapler �鶹��Ʒ S�s mind first fixed on UCF in 1993 when the family of her friend, David Konits �鶹��Ʒ S�01, paid for her to visit them in Orlando to thank her for saving their son �鶹��Ʒ S�s life after a serious injury. Putting others first had already become ingrained for Castro Tapler, then 16, despite a childhood without means. She lived with her mother in another friend �鶹��Ʒ S�s basement and had never traveled beyond New York.

�鶹��Ʒ S�They brought me to the UCF campus and I was blown away, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�d never seen such nice kids studying together in such a beautiful environment. If I could ever afford college, I wanted it to be here. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Castro Tapler went back home, finished high school and joined the U.S. Marines. Shortly after 9/11, she was deployed to Kuwait. The idea of college continued to dim as she fulfilled her military duty, returned to Long Island, went to work and raised a family.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The goal was always out there, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says, �鶹��Ʒ S�but I just couldn �鶹��Ʒ S�t get to it. �鶹��Ʒ S�

She wanted a more streamlined path for her sons, Johnny and Michael, so she and her husband always included tours of universities during family trips.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When we came to UCF, the boys and John fell in love, �鶹��Ʒ S� Castro Tapler says, �鶹��Ʒ S�and to me, that feeling of belonging was still there after so many years. �鶹��Ʒ S�

On the day of Johnny �鶹��Ʒ S�s high school graduation, they loaded up the car and moved to Orlando �鶹��Ʒ S� placing her within reach of the dream she never gave up on.

Planting Roots on Campus

As a U.S. Marine veteran, Castro Tapler has chilling stories about how she calmly put out oil fires in open combat zones. On her first day of classes at UCF, she �鶹��Ʒ S� like a good Marine �鶹��Ʒ S� arrived 30 minutes early with food and hydration. An emotion consumed her: Fear.

Here she was, surrounded by students half her age using tablets and carrying backpacks while she pulled around a wagon and used a spiral notebook. She would need to relearn how to learn. Three encounters quickly made her feel at ease.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The sound of a piano in the lobby soothed my nerves. Then a group of girls in my first class invited me to work with them. And I found the , �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�A college campus is a different world from what veterans are used to. The people in that office helped me understand aid, tutoring and the culture. They �鶹��Ʒ S�re veterans, too, so they know how difficult the transition can be. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Her fear turned to joy and a genuine belief she belonged. She felt even more connected knowing Johnny and Michael were on the same campus feeling the same pride.

The Start of a New Future

We come to the most surreal moment: mom and son graduating together. She points out this is a goal achieved, but not the goal.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our degrees open doors to serve others, �鶹��Ʒ S� Castro Tapler says.

She �鶹��Ʒ S�ll teach first grade, knowing each child is unique, perhaps with a challenge that hasn �鶹��Ʒ S�t yet been identified. Johnny intends to use his communications and sciences disorders degree as the first step toward a medical degree in audiology. He visualizes being the first person parents see when their babies are diagnosed with a complication. He already knows what he �鶹��Ʒ S�ll say:

�鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s going to be OK. Look at me. I have a hearing disorder, too, and now I �鶹��Ʒ S�m a doctor, �鶹��Ʒ S� Johnny says.

Michael will apply his emergency management degree from UCF to help communities on a larger scale. And John, after finishing at Valencia College, will consider an online business master �鶹��Ʒ S�s program at UCF, so he can provide financial planning and support for those facing their own challenges.

�鶹��Ʒ S�He wants so badly to be a Knight like the rest of us, �鶹��Ʒ S� Castro Tapler says.

It makes sense. Knights are known for their grit. And this family has plenty of it.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I think back to people saying you �鶹��Ʒ S�ll never afford college, you �鶹��Ʒ S�re too old, and Johnny can �鶹��Ʒ S�t become a doctor with hearing loss, �鶹��Ʒ S� Castro Tapler says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Now we �鶹��Ʒ S�re going to walk to the stage together and hear our names called. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Designed to accelerate innovation, the Orlando Health Strategic Innovations group connects real clinical and operational challenges with student and academic talent, creating a healthcare environment where ideas are tested, informed by feedback, and continually improved. The space serves as an extension of the system �鶹��Ʒ S�s downtown headquarters and is jointly funded by Orlando Health Ventures and the Orlando Health Innovation teams.

Orlando Health �鶹��Ʒ S�s presence within SPRK aligns with UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s broader co-location strategy, which brings industry partners onto campus to catalyze innovation through proximity. The approach emphasizes shared space, shared challenges and shared outcomes to accelerate problem-solving, support experiential learning and speed the translation of ideas into practice.

The co-location marks the latest milestone in Orlando Health �鶹��Ʒ S�s long-standing partnership with UCF.

�鶹��Ʒ S�By working side by side at SPRK, we are accelerating innovation and moving real-world healthcare solutions more quickly into the communities we serve. �鶹��Ʒ S�   �鶹��Ʒ S� Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF president

The �鶹��Ʒ S�Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute �鶹��Ʒ S�provides comprehensive, year-round care for UCF student-athletes, including on-field coverage, primary care sports medicine, and specialized imaging. As a Pegasus Partner, Orlando Health pledged $5 million toward the , which supports nursing internships, scholarships, and hiring, helping to address the state’s nursing shortage. In addition, Orlando Health and UCF collaborate on advanced technology projects  �鶹��Ʒ S� such as the �鶹��Ʒ S�AI for Medical Surgery system  �鶹��Ʒ S� jointly offer specialized residency programs and collaborate in many additional ways.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Orlando Health has been an exceptional partner, demonstrating what is possible when industry and academia come together with shared purpose. This next phase of co-location builds on that foundation, �鶹��Ʒ S� says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. �鶹��Ʒ S�By working side by side at SPRK, we are accelerating innovation and moving real-world healthcare solutions more quickly into the communities we serve. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Healthcare Innovation at the Center of Campus

Located in approximately 2,649 square feet within SPRK, the Strategic Innovations group was intentionally placed, here, to foster continuous collaboration with faculty and students across disciplines.

This co-location enables a new operating model. Orlando Health brings real health system challenges directly into the academic environment, and interdisciplinary teams of students, faculty, and Orlando Health innovators rapidly design, test, and refine solutions.

Early collaboration has already begun to generate impact in areas such as cancer research, digital health, creation of AI models and various orthopedic innovations.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The opening of an Orlando Health Strategic Innovations space at UCF represents our shared commitment to advancing healthcare delivery through bold new ideas, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Jamal Hakim, M.D., chief physician officer, Orlando Health. �鶹��Ʒ S�Through this partnership, we are creating a collaborative environment where clinicians, researchers, students and industry leaders can generate real-world solutions and drive innovations that will shape the future of how we care for patients. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Built to Go For Launch

The latest milestone in , this co-location represents UCF’s deep commitment to the ecosystem of support powering our vision for the future.

Through a collective effort  �鶹��Ʒ S� combining philanthropy and transformational giving with corporate partnerships, research commercialization and other revenue-generating endeavors  �鶹��Ʒ S� UCF is charting a bold new path forward and building a future the world has only begun to imagine.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This co-location with Orlando Health exemplifies the kind of partnership that powers Go for Launch, bringing industry and academia together to create real-world impact, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Rod Grabowski, UCF vice president for Advancement and Partnership, and CEO of the UCF Foundation. �鶹��Ʒ S�By aligning visionary partners with UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s innovation ecosystem, we are accelerating discovery, expanding opportunity and advancing solutions that improve lives. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Parchment is one of just two nurse leaders in Florida �鶹��Ʒ S� and the only one from a Florida university �鶹��Ʒ S� inducted into the 2026 class of fellows. The distinction honors individuals who �鶹��Ʒ S�ve made sustained contributions to nursing leadership and are influencing the future of healthcare.

With more than two decades in the field, including her recent role as corporate director of nursing strategy implementation at Orlando Health, Parchment has guided two hospitals to Magnet Recognition, an honor for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovation in practice. She �鶹��Ʒ S�s actively mentored nurses and built systems that help them progress. At one multi-hospital health system, her framework supported 62% of clinical nurse leaders in advancing professionally.

Turning Mentorship Into Momentum

Since 2022, Parchment has mentored graduate students at UCF as an assistant professor in the College of Nursing, helping prepare future nurse leaders.

�鶹��Ʒ S�In my career, I have learned that continual growth and lifelong learning are essential, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�As our profession continues to evolve, it is crucial that experienced leaders help guide the path forward, navigate new norms and provide support during times of change. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Filling the Gaps in Leadership Training

Her research �鶹��Ʒ S� cited nearly 50 times in national and international journals and books �鶹��Ʒ S� examines professional nursing practice and leadership science, including defining role-specific factors behind workplace bullying among nurse managers and its effects on those in these leadership positions.

One of her most notable contributions is an evidence-based manual for interim nurse managers that addresses a critical gap in leadership training. It equips managers with the skills and resources to lead in complex, demanding environments and has been downloaded nearly 200 times to date. The manual was recognized by the Association for Leadership Science in Nursing as an innovative solution to the nurse manager workforce crisis and adopted by a 357-bed hospital to support its nurse manager transition-to-practice program.

Advancing Nursing at the National Level

Beyond the classroom and research lab, Parchment �鶹��Ʒ S�s influence extends nationally. She serves as the academic commissioner for the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Magnet Recognition and sits on The Nurses Legacy Institute board. She �鶹��Ʒ S�s also an active member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the Association of Leadership Science in Nursing, where she co-led three funded national research studies on nursing leadership and system science priorities within healthcare leadership.

“I will continue to advocate for the profession, advance nursing leadership [and] nurture future leaders …”

�鶹��Ʒ S�It is an incredible honor to be recognized by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, an organization that has encouraged me to seize opportunities and use my voice to inspire transformation across levels of healthcare, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I will continue to advocate for the profession, advance nursing leadership, nurture future leaders and empower them to excel in today �鶹��Ʒ S�s challenging healthcare landscape. �鶹��Ʒ S�