FIU Alzheimer’s breakthrough advances to national finals of science competition ‘STAT Madness’

Stempel now faces the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center in the STAT Madness finals, and Panthers are being called on to rally the online vote and help FIU take the title.

Just as March Madness reaches its peak, FIU is making another championship run of its own. This time in science.

For the second year in a row, FIU has 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.

Representing FIU in this year’s finals is a research team from the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, led by Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of Stempel College, and Daniel Pérez Martínez, a doctoral candidate in biochemistry. 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.

The winner of STAT Madness is determined by online public voting, and the FIU community is once again being encouraged to show its support.