How FIU scientists are shaping the future of brain health
In the heart of Miami, a city celebrated for its culture, resilience, and innovation, a new discovery is offering hope against one of the world’s most devastating diseases: Alzheimer’s. Researchers at Florida International University (FIU), led by Dr. Tomás R. Guilarte, have uncovered how a tiny brain biomarker called TSPO could help detect Alzheimer’s years—even decades—before symptoms such as memory loss begin to appear.
This is not just another medical breakthrough—it’s a story of global collaboration rooted right here in Miami. And for our community in Little Havana and across the metropolitan area, it highlights the critical role South Florida continues to play in advancing science with worldwide impact.
TSPO: A window into the brain’s future
Dr. Guilarte, dean of FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, has dedicated more than 30 years of his career to studying TSPO, a protein linked to brain inflammation. In Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders, inflammation is often one of the earliest warning signs. What Guilarte’s team discovered is groundbreaking: TSPO begins to rise in the brain long before memory loss, confusion, or other symptoms appear…