The Academic Minute

On University of Miami Week: To maximize the impact of research on youth anxiety, asking the right questions matter.

Jill Ehrenreich-May, professor of psychology and pediatrics, dives into this.

Faculty Bio:

Dr. Jill Ehrenreich-May is a Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami. Dr. Ehrenreich-May’s research is concerned with the development and evaluation of transdiagnostic programs for youth presenting with or at risk for anxiety, depression and related concerns. She directs a community-research clinic at the University of Miami, the Child and Adolescent Mood and Anxiety Treatment Program, which serves as a hub for training and dissemination of evidence-based practices in youth psychotherapy and allows for the study of mechanisms and outcomes associated with transdiagnostic treatments for youth.

Transcript:

Back-to-school season is stressful. Parents, teachers, and especially students, commonly experience heightened emotions ahead of the new school year. Trained as a clinical psychologist, one of my areas of expertise is youth anxiety and stress. When training future clinical psychologists, I want my students to understand the experience of anxiety and deliver the right tools to cope.For more than two decades, I have led research on the Unified Protocols for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents, a compelling collection of treatment strategies addressing a range of emotional needs in kids. Put simply, this work aims to frame existing evidence-based treatments typically developed in research settings in a manner that makes them feasible and scalable in any environment. However, much of that work originated in my research clinic. To truly understand how to make youth psychotherapy scalable, you need to move your research outside such a highly controlled setting.Few evidence-based interventions built for clinical delivery pivot to outside settings, like schools, and even fewer incorporate school community perspectives during adaptation. My latest research attempts to fill these gaps in the literature. I iteratively adapted the Unified Protocol for Adolescents in lower-resource high schools to deliver hands-on, effective cognitive behavioral treatment strategies to students in a natural, familial setting. The resulting program was designed with input from the community, including teachers, students, families, administrators, and more, on how to best adapt the intervention. Results were strong. We found that anxiety-related life interference, irritability and behavioral problems were reduced and students had better classroom behavior. The program’s success demonstrates that as practitioners and researchers, we need to tailor interventions to best fit the unique needs of youth and the world they live in.

Read More:

[Miami] - College of Arts & Sciences

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On University of Miami Week: Can AI bridge the mental health equity gap for Hispanic youth?

Willy Prado, distinguished university professor of nursing and health studies, public health sciences, and psychology, explores the possibilities.

Faculty Bio:

Guillermo (Willy) Prado is professor of Nursing and Health Studies, Public Health Sciences, and Psychology at the University of Miami. He is a pioneer in health disparities and behavioral interventions for the prevention of substance use, sexual risk behaviors, obesity and mental health in Hispanic families.He has received approximately $20 million of continuous NIH and CDC funding since his doctoral studies (including approx. $1 million dollars/year of active funding) as PI and over $100 million as Co-I, mentor, or collaborator. His research has led to over 190 peer-reviewed articles and chapters. His h-index is 48 and the average number of citations per year in recent years is over 800, speaking to the impact of his work on the field.Prado’s scholarship on family-based preventive interventions and Hispanic adolescents is internationally recognized. At the time that Prado and his colleagues began developing family-based preventive interventions for Hispanics, there were no such interventions for this population. For significantly advancing knowledge in the behavioral interventions, health disparities, and adolescent health literature, he has received numerous awards and honors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Hispanic Science Network; the Community, Culture, and Prevention Science Award from the Society for Prevention Research; and election to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine. His research has been featured in multiple media outlets including the Miami Herald, NBC, Univision, and CNN en Español. He has also been invited to serve as a witness to the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparities and Fairness in Growth to speak about prevention science and health disparities.In addition to research and scholarship, Prado has a strong commitment to teaching and mentoring. In addition to his well-funded research program and his administrative responsibilities since arriving at University of Miami in 2007, Prado has taught courses in prevention science, research methods, professional development, and biostatistics. In recognition of his teaching, Prado received the inaugural faculty teaching award in the Department of Public Health Sciences awarded by the Public Health Student Association.Prado is also dedicated to mentoring and training the next generation of prevention and health disparities scientists, particularly those who identify as underrepresented minorities (URM). In fact, more than 90 percent of his doctoral mentees in the past 10 years have been URMs. All his doctoral mentees have pursued careers in research, academia, and industry. His post-doctoral fellows have all successfully pursued faculty positions upon completion of their post-doctoral training and all his post-doctoral fellows have received NIH K awards and/or R01s within 18 months of completing their fellowship with him. Prado has been the recipient of mentoring awards including the award for mentoring early career preventionists from the Society for Prevention Research and the Presidential Award of the Florida Education Fund for his commitment to training underrepresented minorities.Prado served as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, and previously as vice provost for Faculty Affairs and dean of the Graduate School. He previously served as the founding director of the Division of Prevention Science and Community Health, director of the Epidemiology Division, and director of the PhD program in Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine. He is former associate editor of Prevention Science and the immediate past president of the Society for Prevention Research, an organization of more than 800 prevention scientist, practitioners, and policy makers. Currently, he is on the executive committee of the Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine of Florida; and on the board of directors of Research!America, a non-profit medical and health research advocacy alliance, whose board of directors consists of former secretaries of Health and Human Services, former NIH directors, the president of the National Academy of Medicine, the president & Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Colleagues of Nursing, and other health leaders and policy makers.

Transcript:

Hispanic adolescents face significant systemic barriers to mental health care, ranging from limited access to insurance to cultural stigma surrounding treatment. Yet, even as these challenges persist, effective solutions are within reach. When families are equipped with the right tools and support, parents are uniquely equipped to play a powerful role in promoting their adolescent’s mental health and well-being. For more than two decades, with vital funding, our team developed and rigorously tested Familias Unidas, a culturally grounded, family-based intervention designed to empower parents and strengthen parent-adolescent relationships. By helping families improve communication, build trust, enhance parental involvement, and develop effective monitoring skills, Familias Unidas empowers families to create healthier, more supportive home environments. Through multiple clinical trials, we proved that strengthening family functioning significantly reduces risk behaviors and improves adolescent mental health outcomes. But research only transforms lives when it reaches the communities who need it most. While we’ve successfully implemented Familias Unidas in communities locally, nationally and internationally, expanding access remains a critical priority. That’s where AI offers an unprecedented opportunity. With ongoing funding and support, we’re pioneering AI-powered digital therapists that can guide family sessions, facilitate more constructive conversations and provide personalized guidance that strengthens family relationships in real time. This work showcases the transformative power of research funding: taking interventions proven through decades of scientific research, combining them with innovative technology, and making evidence-based family mental health support accessible to families wherever they are.

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On University of Miami Week: What is the long-term effect of AI on human behavior?

Nina Huang, professor and chair of business technology, discusses how to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms.

Faculty Bio:

Nina Huang is the Department Chair of Business Technology and Dennis & Smith Family Endowed Chair Professor at the Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami, Florida. Nina’s expertise centers on understanding how digital technology can enhance user experiences and improve business outcomes. Her research program covers a range of digital contexts, including live streaming, online dating, online learning, online healthcare, mobile applications, and digital commerce.

Transcript:

Artificial intelligence and digital technologies have permeated most aspects of our lives, but what impacts will it have on the human experience long-term? My research investigates how the cutting-edge technology will influence everything from human decision-making to economic and business outcomes. I seek to uncover the unknown by examining how AI and digital technologies affect the human experience across a variety of contexts, from online shopping and gaming, to software development and business strategy. With any transformation, there will be positive and negative outcomes. In the case of AI, the consequences can have polarizing effects. On the one hand, AI stands to create tremendous opportunities. For instance, in a recent study I found that incorporating AI streaming assistants into livestream sales improved the online shopper experience. The technology mitigated common tensions in livestream selling, increased sales by 3%, and reduced product return rates by more than 12%. The technology can spark unintended consequences as well. My research has also investigated the AI investments that businesses make following media exposure of labor issues. In these instances, when businesses invest in AI to address exposed problems, they often automate, rather than augment, human tasks, which puts jobs at risk. The range of effects underscore the importance of developing a comprehensive understanding of AI technology itself and its impact on user experience and business outcomes.The academic community is uniquely positioned to be a force of good in this AI-led transformation. It is our responsibility to investigate and rigorously vet the evidence that can help users, organizations, and stakeholders understand the opportunities and challenges that accompany advancements. Let’s think about AI not simply as a technological innovation, but as a force that is transforming human behavior and institutions.

Read More:

[News @ the U] - AI assistant for online shopping

[News @ the U] - Labor feeling the squeeze from AI’s advance

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On University of Miami Week: Let’s rethink how discovery happens.

Alberto Caban-Martinez, Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship, examines how collaboration can help.

Faculty Bio:

Alberto J. Caban-Martinez is vice provost for research and scholarship at the University of Miami. He is also a tenured professor of public health sciences at the university’s Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. As vice provost, he provides strategic leadership and oversight for the University’s research enterprise, advancing institutional priorities that promote research integrity, innovation, and global impact across its 12 schools and colleges. He directs initiatives that strengthen compliance and research governance, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and works with faculty, staff, trainees, and leadership to enhance research infrastructure and a culture of scientific excellence.

Transcript:

The men and women in the fire service go above and beyond to protect our communities. They give unconditionally in high stress and dangerous environments. Unfortunately, repeated exposure in those environments can increase health risks. For instance, fire investigators, a specialized group who analyze the root-cause of fires, report higher rates of bladder cancer. My research leads a national longitudinal cohort evaluating health outcomes in an effort to inform health and safety best practices for this group.

My team of multidisciplinary experts studies ways to reduce risk for fire service members by investigating evidence-based practices. Our ability to connect experts across disciplines, thoughts, and experiences positions us to solve this challenge.

We see this approach front and center in the University of Miami Laboratory for INtegrative Knowledge. Known as U-LINK, this university initiative fosters collaborative research teams to tackle complex problems. The U-LINK approach catalyzes, nurtures, and develops interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and science. We’ve seen remarkable success. To date, the program has elevated critical research, such as sustainable coastal protections, improved hurricane cone visualizations, and music therapy initiatives, into federally-funded, world-class efforts with global impacts.

We’re seeing societal issues continue to compound: first responder health and safety, climate change, extreme weather, energy demands, and more. Only when we’re willing to rethink the traditional research framework and not only embrace, but bolster collaboration, will we find solutions to our most vexing issues.

[Miami] - U-LINK

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Mindfulness may help to lower anxiety for some, but not all.  How do we know who is who? Resh Gupta, postdoctoral research associate at Washington University in St. Louis, looks into the research. Resh Gupta is a postdoctoral research associate with the Mindfulness Science & Practice Cluster and the Cognitive Control & Psychopathology Laboratory at […]

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Understanding how your body senses muscle movement is essential for balance. Katherine Wilkinson, professor of biology at San Jose State University, examines how it works. Katherine Wilkinson is a Professor of biology at San José State University in San Jose, California. Wilkinson’s specialty is studying and understanding proprioception–how our brains understand our physical presence in […]

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Can you trust your gut to heal your brain?

Sonia Villapol, associate professor and neuroscientist at the Center for Neuroregeneration and the Department of Neurosurgery at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, delves into the microbiome.

Faculty Bio:

Dr. Sonia Villapol is an Associate Professor and neuroscientist at the Center for Neuroregeneration and the Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute (Houston, TX). She received her B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Santiago de Compostela (2003) and completed an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2007). She pursued postdoctoral research at the CNRS–Université Pierre et Marie Curie (VI) and INSERM in Paris, and later at the National Institutes of Health/Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine and the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. In 2014 she joined Georgetown University as a Research Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, moving to HMRI in 2018.Dr. Villapol’s work, funded by the NIH, Department of Defense, and private foundations, investigates mechanisms of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration across AD and TBI models, the brain–gut axis, and the development of neurorestorative drug-delivery systems. She has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

Transcript:

Brain injuries and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease remain some of the greatest challenges in modern medicine. My research is centered on understanding how inflammation, the immune system, and the gut microbiome interact to shape brain health after injury and during disease progression. When the brain experiences trauma, such as a traumatic brain injury, the damage extends far beyond the initial event. The injury triggers a cascade of biological responses that includes immune activation, metabolic dysfunction, and communication among multiple organs, particularly the brain, liver, and gut. This interconnected network, often described as the gut-brain axis, plays a critical role in regulating inflammation, recovery, and long-term neurological outcomes. In our laboratory, we investigate how signals derived from the microbiome influence the brain’s immune environment and how these interactions can amplify or prolong neuroinflammation after injury. We are especially interested in understanding how these processes may contribute to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, where chronic inflammation is believed to accelerate disease progression. To address these questions, our work combines a wide range of approaches, including animal models, clinical research, microbiome sequencing, integration of personalized data using AI, advanced imaging, and nanomedicine. One major focus is the development of targeted nanomedicine therapies that deliver treatments directly to specific brain cells involved in inflammation and tissue damage. At the same time, we are exploring whether modulating the microbiome through diet, probiotics, or related strategies can help restore balance to the gut-brain axis and promote recovery after injury. By integrating microbiology, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering, we aim to uncover new mechanisms and identify innovative therapeutic opportunities. Ultimately, our goal is to translate this knowledge into more effective treatments that protect the brain, reduce long-term damage, and improve patient outcomes. The future of brain health may depend not only on treating the brain itself, but on understanding the entire biological system that supports it.

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How do we get better outcomes at lower cost for preschool children?

Angeline S. Lillard, Commonwealth professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, explores one option.

Faculty Bio:

Angeline S. Lillard is the Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia where she directs the Early Development Laboratory and the Montessori Science Program; her research focuses on children’s play and Montessori education. She is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Psychological Science, and Chief Editor of Frontiers in Developmental Psychology. She received her PhD in Psychology from Stanford University in 1991, and the American Psychological Association’s Boyd McCandless Award for her early career contributions to Developmental Science. Her book, Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius (Oxford University Press) received the Cognitive Development Society Book Award, is translated into several languages, and is currently in its 3rd edition. She has been keynote speaker at dozens of Psychology and Montessori conferences worldwide. Her research has been funded by the Institutes of Education Sciences, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and many private foundations.

Transcript:

Preschool has been around for over a century, but we can't seem to settle on the best models to use--entirely free play, or dive into academics. New research shows the Montessori method yields better outcomes at lower cost. The study followed for 3 years 588 children who had entered a random lottery for a seat at one of 24 public Montessori schools across the country. About a third won a spot, and the rest were waitlisted. The children were no different on outcomes at baseline when they started pre-K, nor were they different at the end of PK3 or PK4. But at ages 5-6, several differences emerged, and the effects were large. First, children who attended Montessori were better readers; specifically, a child who would have scored at the 50th percentile in reading at a traditional school would have scored at the 71st percentile had they attended Montessori. Children who got into Montessori also had better executive function, short-term memory and social understanding at the end of kindergarten. And the cost savings were $13,127 per child as compared to traditional PK3 through kindergarten programs--a savings that would really add up across all the 3- to 6-year-olds in a district. This is not the first study to show better outcomes from Montessori--other randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and two meta-analyses done in 2023 all come to the same conclusion.Why isn't there more of this model? One reason may be that there are many poor exemplars. Real Montessori has 3-year age groupings, and teachers give children structured lessons on how to use hundreds of hands-on materials Dr. Maria Montessori and her collaborators developed to convey learning, and then children freely explore those materials with their peers, without grades, and without teachers dictating their schedules. Bridging play and work, the public Montessori preschool model yields better outcomes, at lower cost.

Read More:

[PNAS] - A national randomized controlled trial of the impact of public Montessori preschool at the end of kindergarten

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Can AI make spacecraft propulsion more efficient?

Marcos Fernandez-Tous, associate professor of space propulsion and hypersonic aerodynamics at the University of North Dakota, discusses this topic.

Faculty Bio:

I currently coordinate the Space Studies Propulsion Lab within the Department of Space Sciences and offer courses on space propulsion, air-breathing engines, and hypersonic aerodynamics. My teaching emphasizes project-based learning and follows the Innovation-Based Learning methodology.I hold a Ph.D. in Space Sciences from the University of North Dakota, where my dissertation focused on developing a novel synchronization protocol for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Additionally, I earned an M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering with a specialization in Air Traffic Management from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, completing a thesis on GPS-based approach procedures for Palma de Mallorca Airport.My research focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to integrating artificial intelligence technologies to advance space propulsion development. Beyond academia, I actively contribute to the community of Grand Forks, where I have resided since 2018.

Transcript:

Every year, hundreds of rockets are launched into space, with numbers rising as missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond become the new reality. But these ambitions depend on propulsion—the technology that moves spacecraft forward. Breakthroughs in this technology are essential to make interplanetary travel faster and more efficient, and artificial intelligence is emerging as a key enabler for that.One branch of AI, reinforcement learning, teaches machines through trial and error, improving performance by interpreting outcomes and adjusting strategies. This capability is particularly valuable for complex systems that exceed human intuition, such as propulsion systems design. Reinforcement Learning can optimize flight paths to minimize fuel use and travel time, or it can assist engineers by analyzing countless variables—materials, geometry, and heat transfer—to identify configurations that maximize efficiency.Nuclear propulsion is among the most promising concepts for deep-space missions. Fission-based systems have been tested before, while fusion remains a frontier. Nuclear thermal propulsion, which transfers heat from atomic reactions to hydrogen propellant, could dramatically reduce travel time compared to conventional propulsion. Reinforcement Learning supports this technology by optimizing reactor designs, such as those explored since NERVA program at NASA in the 60s and 70s.Beyond design, Reinforcement Learning can manage real-time operations, including fuel consumption for adaptable missions. This flexibility is critical for spacecraft that must respond to changing priorities, such as military or multi-role satellites. The ability of Reinforcement Learning to learn and adapt makes it a powerful tool for addressing uncertainty in mission planning.As propulsion technologies evolve, AI—and derivative tools such as reinforcement learning—will play a central role in enabling faster, safer, and more sustainable space exploration, opening pathways to destinations across and beyond our solar system.

Read More:

[The Conversation] - AI is making spacecraft propulsion more efficient – and could even lead to nuclear‑powered rockets

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Despite efforts to avoid it, vessel collisions are still hindering conservation efforts for whales.

Dana Cusano, research assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Syracuse University, explores what changes can occur.

Faculty Bio:

Dana Cusano is a bioacoustician and behavioral ecologist whose research focuses primarily on the acoustic behavior of marine mammals. Her interests include the use of vocal signaling in animals and the link between vocalizations and behavior. Specifically, she is interested in the social interactions between individuals and how arousal may be reflected in acoustic signals. Past research has also centered on investigating the movement of animals in response to anthropogenic disturbance with the use of animal movement models.Currently, Dana’s research involves studying the acoustic and movement behavior of sei whales, North Atlantic right whales, and humpback whales with the use of biologging tags.

Transcript:

Many whale species feed in Massachusetts Bay and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, but two face an especially urgent threat: the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, with only about 384 left, and the endangered sei whale, a species we know very little about. Both can be found close to shore and in heavily populated areas. They also often feed on the same prey near the surface where they are difficult to see, putting them at high risk for vessel collisions, or ship strikes, one of the most serious threats large whales face.Decades of conservation efforts have worked to reduce maximum speeds during specific times of year, and even to shift shipping lanes to avoid critical habitats. Despite this, ship strikes remain one of the leading causes of death and injury to right whales — and the number of sei whales struck in the North Atlantic appears to be increasing and is likely underestimated.A better understanding of what conditions increase that risk, and how to prevent collisions, is critical. My research uses suction-cup tags attached to whales in Massachusetts Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to understand how they move near the surface and underwater while they feed in this important spring-time foraging habitat. These data are combined with information on prey to build models that can identify and predict foraging hot spots — areas where feeding whales are likely to aggregate.Using remote-sensing technology, we can identify these hot spots from space even before whales are detected in the area. That information is then pushed as alerts to vessels using the global Automatic Identification System network and to vessel operators in the app WhaleAlert — so mariners can respond before it’s too late.

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