FIU Alzheimer’s research earns second place in national science competition ‘STAT Madness’

FIU’s Alzheimer’s research earned national recognition with a second-place finish in STAT Madness 2026, marking the university’s second consecutive run to the finals of the annual biomedical research competition.

Just as March Madness wrapped up, FIU made another championship run of its own. This time in science.

For the second year in a row, FIU advanced to the final round of STAT Madness, the annual bracket-style competition organized by STAT that highlights some of the most innovative and impactful biomedical research published in the past year. This year’s competition featured 64 teams and drew 168,192 votes over six rounds.

Representing FIU in this year’s finals was a research team from the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, led by Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of Stempel College, and doctoral candidate Daniel Pérez Martínez. Their study explores TSPO, a protein associated with brain inflammation, as a potential early biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease.

The research identified increased levels of TSPO in key memory-related regions of the brain long before cognitive symptoms appear. Using advanced imaging and human brain tissue samples, the team found evidence suggesting that Alzheimer’s-related changes may begin decades before diagnosis. The findings point to TSPO as a promising marker for early detection and a potential target for future therapies aimed at slowing disease progression.

“Being selected for STAT Madness two years in a row reflects the strength and consistency of the research at Stempel College,” Guilarte said. “Last year, Dr. Azzam’s team demonstrated the impact of our cancer research. This year, our TSPO work continues that momentum by advancing innovation in Alzheimer’s science.”

FIU’s return to the championship round follows last year’s strong showing, when Dr. Diana Azzam’s precision cancer research also advanced to the STAT Madness finals. Back-to-back appearances in the competition’s final round underscore FIU’s growing national profile in biomedical research and the university’s continued momentum among leading research institutions.