DECEMBER 2022 HEADLINES

The UF Health Cancer Center has received a three-year reaccreditation from the Commission on Cancer, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons, in recognition of its commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered cancer care.

During The V Foundation for Cancer Research’s “V Week,” ESPN and ABC aired videos highlighting UF Health’s efforts to fight brain cancer. The videos include patient Mikah Phillips and his parents Debbie and Justin and longtime UF brain tumor research supporter Paul Hale. They also include pediatric neurosurgeon Jason Blatt, M.D., FAANS; William Friedman, M.D., and Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., co-directors of University of Florida’s Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy; and several other team members.

Janice Krieger, Ph.D., director of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications STEM Translational Communication Center, will serve as principal investigator on a $3.5 million U01 grant from the National Cancer Institute to use virtual human technology to increase racial and ethnic minority representation in cancer clinical trials.

A new study led by University of Florida researchers found that while younger patients with colorectal cancer were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage colorectal malignancies, these patients had significantly lower rates of genetic mutations, decreasing the number of effective, approved drugs that are available for treatment. Universal genetic testing at UF Health identified a relatively large population of older patients with sporadic colorectal cancer who were eligible for immunotherapy.

Melike Caglayan, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology in the University of Florida College of Medicine, has been awarded a $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to study the repair mechanism of DNA.

Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D., co-leader of the Cancer Center’s Cancer Therapeutics & Host Response research program, will serve as assistant dean for clinical science research in the University of Florida College of Medicine.

Kate Hitchcock, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of radiation oncology in the University of Florida College of Medicine, has been appointed vice chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee of NRG Oncology, a nonprofit research organization.

Thomas Schmittgen, Ph.D., professor and chair in the department of pharmaceutics in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, was featured on a local news segment discussing his recent pancreatic cancer discovery.

New research from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications STEM Translational Communication Center explores how to develop virtual human clinicians that individuals highly identified with rurality find attractive. The study, titled “Can virtual human clinicians help close the gap in colorectal cancer screening for rural adults in the United States? The influence of rural identity on perceptions of virtual human clinicians,” was published in the December 2022 edition of Preventive Medicine Reports.

Catherine Flores, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of neurosurgery in the University of Florida College of Medicine, was celebrated for her role as an inspiring mentor. “I always felt included in her lab, and I greatly appreciated the relaxed and fun culture,” said her mentee, John W. Figg, a third-year M.D.-Ph.D. student researching cancer biology.

Kate Hitchcock, M.D., Ph.D., spoke with the Orlando Sentinel about a new cancer center that improves access to care for patients in St. Cloud. She also highlighted the importance of diversity in the medical field and the value of a bilingual staff.

Elizabeth Flood-Grady, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor in the UF STEM Translational Communication Center and manager of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute Recruitment Center, received a grant for her work evaluating a recruitment intervention and implementing a system for tracking cancer clinical trial recruitment outcomes in the university’s clinical trial management system.

As part of a community service initiative, members of the UF department of neurosurgery participate in different projects each month, from serving food to those experiencing homelessness and putting together care packages for military members to collecting school supplies for children in need and taking part in breast cancer awareness walks. The entire department is invited to join, from clinical and research faculty and staff to residents, fellows and students.

Florida’s biotechnology industry organization, BioFlorida, has awarded its 2022 Weaver H. Gaines Entrepreneur of the Year award to Courtney Miller, Ph.D., a member of the UF Health Cancer Center. Miller, who serves as director of academic affairs and a professor at UF Scripps Biomedical Research, was praised for her ongoing passion for developing a new class of treatments for cancer and addiction.

John Ligon, M.D., a pediatric oncologist at UF Health, was featured in a recent article in Guide to Greater Gainesville on his osteosarcoma research grant.

In a new video, the UF College of Medicine featured Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., and his lab’s research on immunotherapy for malignant brain tumors. Mitchell is the recipient of the 2022 College of Medicine Clinical Science Research Award, given for research that has a close connection to clinical medicine and/or has an impact on the delivery of patient care.