Public Health News
USF leads new effort to bring facts and trust back to children’s vaccinations
Vaccinations have become clouded in uncertainty and many parents are confused on what to do and whom to trust. That’s why USF’s College of Public Health (COPH) launched a new project called Vaccine Shared Decision Making – VaxSmart, for short − to improve communication between parents and health care providers.
October 9, 2026Research and Innovation
USF student documents the effects of polluted well water in Florida community
Graduate student Emily Walsh is exploring the experiences of residents in Osceola County’s Whitted Historic Community, where an abandoned landfill has raised concerns about environmental exposures. Through oral histories and archival research, Walsh aims to document the community’s experiences and preserve its history.
October 7, 2026Community Health Sciences, Research and Innovation, Student Life
Research team uses new tool to define and predict harmful algal blooms
A new study by researchers at the University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University has demonstrated that a promising DNA sequencing tool can rapidly identify harmful algae in coastal waters, offering a new approach for monitoring species that could lead to improved methods for detecting potentially dangerous species before blooms become widespread.
October 14, 2026Global - Environmental - Genomic Health Sciences, Research and Innovation