McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida

MBI researcher Dr. Natalie Ebner and colleagues found that while AI programs performed better at detecting deepfake images, humans more accurately identified fakes in videos, picking up on subtle inconsistencies in facial expressions and movement.

Read more: bit.ly/40YlZw8

Like many with progressive supranuclear palsy, the late civil rights leader Jesse Jackson was initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which has similar symptoms.

Today in The Conversation US, MBI researcher Dr. Joe Abisambra sheds light on the deadly disease known as PSP and details the first evidence linking key proteins in its development.

Jesse Jackson’s misdiagnosis of Parkinson’s is common – new genetic discovery could lead to treatment for this deadly disease People typically die from progressive supranuclear palsy within 7 to 10 years. There is currently no specialized treatment or effective screening for this neurodegenerative disease.

For 15 years, MBI researcher Dr. Elias Sayour has hunted for better treatments for cancer, focusing on the promise of mRNA vaccine technology to “wake up” the immune system in the fight against brain tumors.

In UF Research's Explore Magazine, learn how Sayour’s pediatric patients inspired his career pivot from the clinic to the lab — and why his most recent paper was one of the best read and most notable in all 2025 medical literature.

Read more: bit.ly/4sIFWTF

While many factors contribute to developing Parkinson's disease, genetic mutations can increase susceptibility.

In a new review for the journal Current Opinion in Neurobiology, MBI researcher Dr. Matt Farrer explores ways to identify novel genes driving the prevalent neurodegenerative disorder.

Read the paper: bit.ly/47nMaQu

On Saturday, the MBI welcomed over 30 homeschool students from across Florida for a Brain Awareness Week celebration led by volunteers from the North Central Florida Society for Neuroscience.

Students enjoyed art projects, lab tours, Q&A sessions with researchers and bike helmet giveaways.

Learn more: bit.ly/4bxvgBk

Learn how machine learning is reshaping non-invasive brain stimulation aimed at boosting cognitive function in a new review co-authored by an MBI team, including Dr. Ruogu Fang and Gator NeuroScholar Dr. Skylar Stolte.

Read the paper in Transactions on AI: bit.ly/40NwEtv

On this opening day of the 2026 Winter Paralympics, learn how MBI researcher Dr. Michael Jaffee and the UF Health team supported Team USA para alpine skier Spencer Wood's journey back to the slopes after he sustained a concussion while training.

Speed, Gratitude, and Grit: Spencer Wood’s Journey Beyond Traumatic Brain Injury After sustaining a high-speed concussion during downhill training in Valle Nevado, Chile, Team USA Paralympic alpine skier Spencer Wood was referred to UF He...

The 11th Luttge Lecture, honoring visionary neuroscientist and MBI founding director Dr. William G. “Bill” Luttge, was delivered Wednesday by Dr. Lisa Barnes of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

“She is the mastermind behind an innovative, significant and vigorous research program on aging that is a model of community-engaged research for the scientific community,” said Dr. Natalie Ebner, an MBI researcher and associate director of UF’s Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research.

Read more: bit.ly/3N8zB4B

Friday's student-run North Central Florida chapter of the Society for Neuroscience annual conference attracted 200+ attendees from across the University of Florida and featured keynote speaker Dr. Geoffrey Schoenbaum from The National Institute on Drug Abuse, as well as a poster session with submissions from 20 departments and 25 research areas.

Read more: bit.ly/4rdjTDp

New research shows that the diabetes drug metformin improved motor skills and decreased neuroinflammation in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 8, a debilitating neurological disorder. The Life Science Alliance study is our latest MBI Research Snapshot.

Learn more: bit.ly/4rMWycE