News + Updates
UF Health researchers sifting through millions of electronic health records found evidence that nine drugs already being used to treat other health conditions may also have the potential to improve cancer survival.
The researchers hope that with additional study, some of these drugs — currently used to treat noncancerous health conditions such as high cholesterol, acid reflux, hypertension and diabetes — could be repurposed as effective cancer treatments. READ MORE
An unexpected ability of cells to bend metal determines the safety of silver nanowires — highly conductive nanomaterials a thousand times thinner than a human hair that are being used in next-generation touchscreens for smartphones and consumer electronics, a transnational team of scientists that includes University of Florida researchers has found.
As manufacturers seek to transition from rigid touchscreen displays, which use brittle indium tin oxide, to flexible ones that can bend, roll or fold, they are turning to emerging technologies such as silver nanowires, but their safety has been a concern. To begin to assess potential risk, the scientists investigated nanowires of different lengths and thicknesses for their toxicity to skin cells, and reported their conclusions July 8 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Thin wires are safer, and work as well or better than thick wires. READ MORE
A team of UF Health researchers has received a five-year, $2.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to evaluate simple interventions aimed at health care providers and parents that could substantially boost vaccine rates for human papillomavirus, or HPV, among 11- and 12-year-olds.
Despite national recommendations that all 11- and 12-year-olds routinely receive the HPV vaccine, only about half of teens start the vaccine series, according to Stephanie Staras, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UF College of Medicine’s department of health outcomes and biomedical informatics and the principal investigator of the grant. Moreover, a recent study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that only about 16% of teens were fully protected by the time they turned 13. READ MORE
The Cancer Center marketing manager, Jessica Barton, is looking for physicians and other clinicians to identify potential patients whose stories we can share on social media and other platforms.
Criteria:
Please email jessbarton@ufl.edu if you have a candidate for consideration. Please do not include detailed patient info, just an outline of their case.
University of Florida Health Shands Hospital ranks among the nation’s elite in seven adult medical specialties in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019-20 “Best Hospitals” report.
Both nephrology and urology are ranked 24th in the nation. UF Health’s other ranked specialties are geriatrics (37th), diabetes and endocrinology (40th), gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery (40th), cancer (42nd) and pulmonology and lung surgery (44th).
About: Last year, the UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital Oncology Med/Surg Unit 5East team launched the very first “Flock the Hospital,” a fancy flamingo fundraiser that raises money for breast cancer research.
Now the unit is getting ready to launch Flock the Hospital 2019 and the theme for this year’s fundraiser “we will … we will … flock you” channels the popular Queen rock anthem. Proceeds will be donated to “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.”
Flocks will officially launch on Monday, Sept. 30 and complete their migration on Thursday, Oct. 31. The unit will have flocks available to pre-order by contacting Dana Viviano, M.S.N., R.N., nurse manager, from the end of August through the official start date.
For more information on pricing and rules, click here.
Fundraiser Duration: Sept. 30 – Oct. 31
Contact: Dana Viviano | 352-278-5399 | viviad@shands.ufl.edu