Research Day
Research Day 2017
THE ANNUAL UF HEALTH CANCER CENTER RESEARCH DAY took place Nov. 16, 2017, at the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building. Attendees got a glimpse into the innovative cancer research taking place across the UF campus and poster presenters engaged with new potential collaborators — which is essential to advancing discovery and improving patient outcomes. The keynote speaker at this year’s event was Michael Kastan, M.D., Ph.D., the executive director of the Duke Cancer Institute. Additionally, five graduate students gave three-minute thesis presentations as winners of the annual UF Health Cancer Center Predoctoral Awards, which recognize and support outstanding predoctoral candidates who are conducting innovative cancer research. Research day guests also enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and live music.
Poster Winners
Cancer Population Sciences (CPS) Research Program
Predoctoral Category
Rachel Damiani, M.A.
Primary Mentor: Janice Krieger, Ph.D.
“Bridging the divide between the ‘regular Joe’ and scientists: using an identity framework to understand citizen scientists’ perceived role, motivation and communication with scientists in cancer research”
Postdoctoral Category
Yi Sheng, Ph.D.
Primary Mentor: Rui Xiao, Ph.D
“An essential role of the iron-sulfur cluster assembly enzyme isu-1 in the aging and stress responses of Caenorhabditis elegans”
Cancer Therapeutics & Host Response (CTHR) Research Program
Predoctoral Category
Veronica Hughes, M.S.
Primary Mentor: Dietmar Siemann, Ph.D.
“Choice of non- physiologic HGF concentrations in preclinical evaluations of c-Met targeting agents results in an over- estimation of c-Met inhibitor activity”
Predoctoral Category
Jose Varillas, B.S.
Primary Mentor: Hugh Fan, Ph.D.
“Isolation, detection and analysis of circulating tumor cells in microfluidic devices for monitoring pancreatic cancer treatment response”
Postdoctoral Category
Sarah Tomkovich, Ph.D.
Primary Mentor: Christian Jobin, Ph.D.
“Microbial activities associated with carcinogenic biofilm- forming microbes isolated from humans”
Postdoctoral Category
Yu Long, Ph.D.
Primary Mentor: Jianping Huang, M.D., Ph.D.
“Regulatory T cells play a key role in VEGF blockade induced tumor immunosuppression”
Mechanisms of Oncogenesis (MOO) Research Program
Predoctoral Category
Julie Bray, B.S.
Primary Mentor: Thomas Schmittgen, Ph.D.
“Evaluation of the transcriptional repressor REST during acinar to ductal metaplasia”
Postdoctoral Category
Lauren Gay, Ph.D.
Primary Mentor: Rolf Renne, Ph.D.
“Phenotypic characterization of endothelial cells infected with KSHV microRNA knockout viruses”
Predoctoral Award Winners
The highly competitive UF Health Cancer Center Predoctoral Awards are awarded annually to up to five predoctoral candidates who have passed their qualifying exam. The $10,000 award recognizes and supports the winners’ innovative cancer research for a one-year period, with the possibility of a second-year renewal. The award winners present their projects in concise, three-minute talks at UFHCC Research Day.
Adam Grippin, B.S.
Primary Mentor: Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.
“Engineering Delivery of Immunomodulatory RNA- nanoparticles Targeting Malignant Glioma”
Yue Jiang, B.S.
Primary Mentor: Fredric Kaye, M.D.
“Functional Properties and Regulations of MYB-N b Gene in Adenoid Cystic Cancer”
Patrick Kellish, B.S.
Primary Mentor: Maria Zajac-Kaye, Ph.D.
“Oncolytic Virotherapy for SCLC; Priming Immunity for More Effective Checkpoint Inhibition”
Rachel Nosacka, B.A.
Primary Mentor: Andrew Judge, Ph.D.
“Modeling Human Pancreatic Cancer Cachexia Using Mouse Avatars”
Tyler Wildes, B.S.
Primary Mentor: Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.
“Reprogramming the Brain Tumor Microenvironment with Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells”