The UF Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center is the first of its kind in the nation and studies long-term outcomes in patients treated for sepsis in the UF Health Shands Hospital’s surgical and trauma intensive care units. Our goals is to develop clinical solutions for sepsis, as well as illnesses that stem from it and their enduring effects.
🔬 Research Focus: Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center (SCIRC)
(Updated October 2025)
The Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center (SCIRC) at the University of Florida leads multidisciplinary investigations into the biology of sepsis and the long-term effects of critical illness. Our work bridges basic science, translational models, and clinical studies to define mechanisms that underlie chronic inflammation, immune suppression, and organ dysfunction following severe infection, trauma, and COVID-19.
Our current research program builds upon discoveries from the RM1, MIRA, and T32 training initiatives and reflects recent publications in Nature Medicine, Genome Medicine, Molecular Medicine, and NeuroImage. Together, these studies reveal that recovery from critical illness is not simply a matter of surviving the ICU—it involves profound and persistent immune, metabolic, and cognitive rewiring.
Current Areas of Investigation
1. Immune Dysregulation and Myelopoietic Reprogramming in Sepsis
Our investigators are uncovering how sepsis alters bone-marrow output and myeloid differentiation, leading to expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that perpetuate immune suppression and chronic inflammation.
- Recent Nature Medicine work established a consensus immune dysregulation framework for sepsis and critical illness, offering a shared language for precision immunotherapy.
- Ongoing RM1 research integrates transcriptomic, epigenetic, and metabolic profiling to identify molecular drivers of pathological myelopoiesis and potential therapeutic targets.
2. Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Signaling and Trained Immunity
Building on studies in both humans and mouse models, SCIRC investigators are characterizing how extracellular vesicles carry alarmins and reprogram immune responses after trauma and burn injury.
- Our 2025 bioRxiv preprint showed temporal changes in EV protein cargo that reshape immune phenotypes after burn injury.
- These findings inform strategies to counteract maladaptive “trained immunity” that sustains chronic critical illness.
3. Microbiome and Metabolic Health After Critical Illness
Our teams are exploring how the gut microbiome and metabolic rewiring affect inflammation, recovery, and resilience.
- The Genome Medicine study demonstrated microbiome-based therapeutics for healthier aging and longevity, underscoring host–microbe crosstalk in post-sepsis recovery.
- Experimental models show that β-blockade therapy enhances microbiome diversity and may mitigate chronic inflammation (Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2025).
4. Cognitive and Neurological Sequelae of Sepsis
Using advanced neuroimaging and behavioral models, SCIRC investigators are identifying how sepsis and systemic inflammation disrupt brain connectivity and cognition.
- NeuroImage publications reveal sex-dependent alterations in cortical and striatal networks following sepsis and validate these findings through longitudinal imaging.
- Translational collaborations connect these findings to clinical studies on cognitive decline in older sepsis survivors and Alzheimer’s disease risk.
5. Innate Immune Training and Developmental Vulnerabilities
Our research into neonatal and aged immunity examines why these populations experience higher sepsis risk and worse outcomes.
- The Molecular Medicine paper demonstrated that innate immune training shapes neonatal responses to sepsis, identifying developmental windows for immune intervention.
6. Translational Therapeutics and Precision Medicine
SCIRC partners with national consortia to translate immunologic insights into clinical trials.
- Scientific Reports (2025) detailed use of ELISpot assays to evaluate immunomodulatory drug efficacy in sepsis.
- Collaborative studies, including the JCI Insight trial of IL-7 therapy in critically ill COVID-19 patients, are advancing precision immunotherapy for sepsis and related syndromes.
Looking Forward
Through multidisciplinary collaboration across five UF Colleges, the SCIRC continues to define the biological foundations of chronic critical illness and to pioneer interventions that restore immune and organ homeostasis.
Our mission is to transform the long-term trajectory of sepsis survivors—improving not only survival, but quality of life.
Recent Publications
(Select 2024–2025 publications involving SCIRC investigators)
- A Consensus Immune Dysregulation Framework for Sepsis and Critical Illnesses. Nature Medicine, 2025. PubMed
- Microbiome-based Therapeutics Towards Healthier Aging and Longevity. Genome Medicine, 2025. PubMed
- Innate Immune Training in the Neonatal Response to Sepsis. Molecular Medicine, 2025. PubMed
- Functional Connectivity Within Sensorimotor Cortical and Striatal Regions Is Regulated by Sepsis in a Sex-Dependent Manner. NeuroImage, 2025. PubMed
- Determining Potential Immunomodulatory Drug Efficacy in Sepsis Using ELISpot. Scientific Reports, 2025. PubMed
- Temporal Changes in the Protein Cargo of Extracellular Vesicles and Resultant Immune Reprogramming After Severe Burn Injury. bioRxiv Preprint, 2025. PubMed
- Nonselective Beta Blockade Enhances Gut Microbiome Diversity in a Rodent Model of Trauma, Hemorrhage, and Chronic Stress. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2025. PubMed
- A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of IL-7 in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19. JCI Insight, 2025. PubMed
Research Volunteer Opportunities: To Get Involved and Participate in our Research as a Healthy Control Volunteer, please visit this link: https://scirc.med.ufl.edu/2024/07/01/get-involved-participate-in-research-healthy-control-recruitment/ or email us at SRG-SCRIC@ad.ufl.edu .
