Neuroscience researcher at FSU

Their mutual work on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s has prompted Florida State University and Mayo Clinic Florida to team up.

“The collaboration could lead to discoveries in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and stroke that could not occur with either institution working alone,’’ says
Dr. Thomas Brott, a neurologist and director of research at Mayo Clinic Florida.

Both Mayo and FSU have developed therapeutic or preventive agents for treating cancer, including some now in clinical trials. FSU also is developing a new model for clinical trials designed to help determine whether new medicines are effective, says Dr. Myra Hurt, the college’s associate dean for research. The Clinical Research Network could involve numerous practicing physicians who are among FSU’s 1,300 part-time faculty members; their 1.5 million patients offer a diverse spectrum of age, demographics, health and illness and could potentially benefit from clinical trials of new medicines. “Research studies depend on patients,’’ says Brott.

The partnership also gives Mayo Clinic researchers access to FSU’s High Magnetic Field Laboratory, providing vastly expanded capabilities for studying brain tissues, for example, through a magnetic lens more than five times stronger than any other in use in the country.

Birdsall medical research building, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville

Mayo Clinic

The world’s oldest and largest non-profit group medical practice has more than 6,000 medical researchers, 321 based at its 21-year-old Jacksonville research unit. Research includes:

» Work on the drug Flurizan that has led to clinical trials for Alzheimer’s treatment

» Discovery of a prognostic marker and novel therapy for lung cancer trials

FSU College of Medicine

The university has been engaged in neurosciences and cancer research for more than 20 years, says Dr. Myra Hurt, the college’s associate dean for research. Research includes:

» Cancer study of an enzyme that could possibly slow runaway cell division

» Development of Taxol, a major drug treatment for breast cancer