Research Overview
One of the great benefits of receiving cancer care at an academic health center like UF Health is unique patient access to the most advanced medical research, treatments and technologies. Our clinician-scientists participate in research that has a direct impact on improved patient outcomes, and allows patients access to the very latest cancer-fighting technologies and drugs. Activities and programs are acutely focused on early stage translational research that applies findings to clinical trials, resulting in improved patient care. Our leadership works with lab-based faculty to develop new ideas to collaborate on innovative cancer treatments and therapies.
FINDING TOMORROW’S ANSWERS FOR TODAY’S PATIENTS
The overarching goal of the UF Health Cancer Center is to improve cancer outcomes. We aim to accomplish this, in part, by promoting research in cancer mechanisms, developing and conducting interventional clinical trials addressing the most prevalent cancers that affect our patients and improving our understanding of the determinants of cancer outcomes in rural, underserved and elderly patients. We are committed to interdisciplinary basic discovery and translational research, and the pursuit of scientific endeavors that have near-term clinical applications. The research priorities of the Cancer Center cut across and align with our research programs:
Florida Academic Cancer Center Alliance
FACCA annual meeting
(This image was taken prior to national guidelines of face coverings and physical distancing.)
The UF Health Cancer Center, along with Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, joined in 2014 to create the Florida Academic Cancer Center Alliance, or FACCA. FACCA was created to address the unique cancer burden of the state of Florida by expediting cancer research and maximizing the state investment in biotechnology. The alliance encourages and promotes collaborative research conducted by researchers at its partnering institutions and supports workshops and meetings to encourage the exchange of information and networking among researchers.
In 2019, over 100 physicians and researchers attended the annual retreat, hosted last year in Miami. Twenty-seven UF Health Cancer Center members attended the retreat, 16 speaking at the event. Two Cancer Center members were awarded FACCA pilot awards.
The alliance also accepts applications and awards grants for a wide variety of cancer- related research by researchers located at one of the three partnering institutions. All alliance-funded research is conducted by Florida-based scientists and reflects the mission to attract and expand the state’s research capabilities to address the public health challenges of cancer.