March 28, 2024
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Full Sail University is known for its programs focusing on audio, film and media production.
Orlando
Faculty at UCF's College of Optics and Photonics have spun off 26 companies.

High-Tech Corridor

Orlando

| 8/19/2019

Orlando

UCF's Role

The University of Central Florida is an incubator of technology and research for the entire region. It is the largest university in Florida and one of the largest in the nation. UCF’s graduate video game program is ranked among the top five in the world. It’s also an academic and research leader in fields including optics, modeling and simulation, digital media, hospitality management, engineering and business administration. It supplies aerospace and defense companies with more graduates than any other university in the U.S.

UCF Facts

  • 66,059 — Students
  • 220 — Degrees offered
  • 32 — U.S. patents granted in 2018
  • 75th — Rank among American universities in number of U.S. patents

UCF RESEARCH

Dopamine Detector

The presence of dopamine in the body can signal illness, but detection can require hours and specialized lab equipment. University of Central Florida researchers using nanotechnology have developed the first rapid dopamine detector.

Requiring only a few drops of blood and the researchers’ small specialized chip, the detector can provide results in minutes.

“A neurotransmitter like dopamine is an important chemical to monitor for our overall wellbeing, so we can help screen out neural disorders like Parkinson’s disease, various brain cancers, and monitor mental health,” says Debashis Chanda, an associate professor in UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center and the study’s principal investigator. “We need to monitor dopamine so that we can adjust our medical doses to help address those problems.”

Metro Orlando Snapshot

  • 2.49 million — Population
  • 1.36 million — Labor force
  • 46.6 — Median age
  • 90% — Have high school diploma
  • 31% — Have bachelor’s degree or higher
  • $52,261 — Median household income
  • $265,000 — Median home sales price

Colleges and Universities

  • University of Central Florida
  • Full Sail University
  • Rollins College
  • Valencia College
  • Seminole State College
  • LakeSumter State College

Incubators and Accelerators

  • Bridg
  • GuideWell Innovation
  • Groundswell
  • Orlando GameSpace
  • Orlando Tech
  • Team Orlando (military simulation)
  • UCF Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

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