Monthly HAAs
Honors, Awards + Achievements
Congratulations
Maryam Rahman, M.D.
Maryam Rahman, M.D., has been elected the 2020-21 member-at-large of the executive committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, one of the largest international neurosurgical societies, with over 9,800 members.
Lan Hoang-Minh, Ph.D.
Lan Hoang-Minh, Ph.D., received a discovery grant from the American Brain Tumor Association. Discovery Grants are one-year, $50,000 grants supporting cutting-edge, innovative approaches that have the potential to change current diagnostic or treatment standards of care for either adult or pediatric brain tumors.
Dr. Hoang-Minh also received the Pray for Dominic St. Baldrick’s Scholar Grant to support her research to explore a method that uses a child’s own immune system to destroy their brain tumors, known as immune cell therapy.
Susmita Datta, Ph.D.
Susmita Datta, Ph.D., has been elected to serve in the regional committee of the Eastern North American Region of the International Biometric Society for the 2021-2023 term. Dr. Datta was also elected as one of the three Board of Trustees member of the International Indian Statistical Association for 2020-2022 term.
Rolf Renne, Ph.D.
Rolf Renne, Ph.D., the Henry E. Innes Professor of Cancer Research in the department of molecular genetics and microbiology, received the 2020 Basic Science Research Award.
Ryan Thomas, M.D., Thomas George, M.D., FACP, and Raad Gharaibeh, Ph.D.

Ryan Thomas, M.D., Thomas George, M.D., FACP, and Raad Gharaibeh, Ph.D., received a $500,000 anonymous donation for their study titled, “Temporal changes of the microbiome in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and responsiveness to systemic chemotherapy.”
Olga Guryanova, M.D., Ph.D.
Olga Guryanova, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed to serve on the American Society of Hematology Scientific Committee on Myeloid Biology for a 4-year term beginning in December. Dr. Guryanova also gave an invited talk at the Fourth Miami Epigenetics & Cancer Symposium.
Chengguo Xing, Ph.D.
Chengguo Xing, Ph.D., was invited by the National Cancer Center for a talk in a Cancer and Aging Interest Group symposium titled, “Cancer prevention in Elderly and Particularities for Mechanisms of Action.”
Diana Wilkie, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, and Miriam Ezenwa, Ph.D., MSN, BSN, R.N., FAAN

Diana Wilkie, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, and Miriam Ezenwa, Ph.D., M.S.N., B.S.N., R.N., FAAN, received a five-year grant from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health for their study titled, “Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of Guided Relaxation and Acupuncture for Chronic Sickle Cell Disease Pain.”
Nam Nugyen
Nam Nugyen, a graduate student in Jatinder Lamba’s Lab, received an abstract achievement award from American Society of Hematology.
Mai Tanaka

Mai Tanaka, a UF Health Cancer Center Cancer Biology Concentration student, received the Alec Courtelis Award from the UF College of Medicine.
UF Health Cancer Center named Champion of Center of Undergraduate Research
The UF Health Cancer Center was named a Champion of Center of Undergraduate Research. UFHCC has supported over 35 University Scholars in the past 3 years, showing consistent and continued support for undergraduate research.
Kudos!
Transform Today event raises more than $500,000 for pediatric patients and their families

With in-person and livestreamed events due to COVID-19, Transform Today raised $578,874.31. Transform Today is a UF student-run event where each dollar raised goes toward pediatric patients at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville’s local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
The two-day event ran from Tuesday at 8 a.m. to Wednesday at 10:12 a.m. – or 26.2 hours, the amount of time that fundraisers dance during Dance Marathon’s largest fundraising event in the Spring. While many children battling illnesses were given the opportunity to tune in online, others were invited to attend the in-person events, despite the risk of COVID-19.