Monthly HAAs
Honors, Awards + Achievements
Congratulations
Scott L. Tomar, D.M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H.
Scott L. Tomar, D.M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., has won the American Association for Dental Research, AADR, Jack Hein Public Service Award. The award honors those who have given exemplary service in the area of public affairs by promoting the interests of oral health research.
Jane Aldrich, Ph.D.
Jane Aldrich, Ph.D., has been chosen as a Fellow by the American Chemical Society. Aldrich’s research on analogs of opioid peptides has been continuously funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse for more than 25 years, and she has been the principal investigator on more than $14 million in research grants.
Lance McMahon Jr., Ph.D.
Lance McMahon Jr., Ph.D., and his colleague Christopher R. McCurdy, Ph.D., received an NIH HEAL award to lead research at UF to explore novel medication options for opioid use disorder and overdose. The national study, known as the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study, or HEALthy BCD, is part of the NIH HEAL Initiative. Launched in 2018, the initiative aims to improve prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction and enhance pain management.
Walter O'Dell, Ph.D., and Julie Bradley, M.D.
Walter O’Dell, Ph.D., and Julie Bradley, M.D., discussed their paper, Proton therapy preserves acute left ventricular ejection fraction relative to conventional X-ray therapy in breast cancer, at the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (FL-AAPM) Fall 2019 meeting on Sept. 27, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Debra Lyon, Ph.D., R.N.
Debra Lyon, Ph.D., R.N., has been selected as the sixth editor for Oncology Nursing Forum (ONF). ONF is an official Oncology Nursing Society publication.
Daohong Zhou, M.D., Guangrong Zheng, Ph.D., and Jose Trevino, M.D.
Daohong Zhou, M.D., Guangrong Zheng, Ph.D., and Jose Trevino, M.D., received funding from NCI for their study, Use of BCL-xL Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras to Treat Pancreatic Cancer.
Gail Keenan, Ph.D., R.N., Yingwei Yao, Ph.D., Jiang Bian, Ph.D., and Diana Wilkie, Ph.D., R.N.
Gail Keenan, Ph.D., R.N., Yingwei Yao, Ph.D., Jiang Bian, Ph.D., and Diana Wilkie, Ph.D., R.N., received funding from NINR for their study, Tailored Clinical Decision Support Formats Designed to Improve Palliative Care for Cancer and Chronically Ill Patients: A Pre-Clinical Test.
Chengguo Xing, Ph.D.
Chengguo Xing, Ph.D. received funding from National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) for his study, A phased clinical trial of a dietary supplement kava: biomarker changes and anxiolytic effects.
Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D., received a competitive renewal from NCI for his study, Novel Targeted Anticancer Agents From Marine Cyanobacteria.
Jonathan Licht, M.D.
Jonathan Licht, M.D., received funding from LLS for his study, Targeting Enhancer Dysfunction in Hematological Malignancy.
Sharon Jank
Sharon Jank, chair of the UF Health Cancer Center Leadership Council, presented on our behalf at the Marion County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Sept 17. She brought attention to Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and the benefit of clinical trials.
Mohammed Gbadamosi
Mohammed Gbadamosi, a graduate research assistant in Dr. Jatinder Lamba’s Lab, was selected to receive the 2019 Minority Graduate Student Abstract Achievement Award from the American Society of Hematology for his abstract, Novel CD33 Antibodies Unravel Localization, Biology and Therapeutic Implications of CD33 Isoforms.
Kudos!
Gumby Awards
The Gumby Award is a peer-awarded recognition within the Solid Tumor Office for staff members who exhibit incredible flexibility or work ethic. Kenstin Nnaji (right) was awarded it in August and selected Justin Lorentzen (left) as the September recipient based on his willingness to accept several new projects and ability to flex his workload to accommodate trial operational workflows and needs. Congratulations!
Bahamian Relief Drive
The UF Health Cancer Center participated in the Children’s Clothing Drive for families in the Bahamas devastated by Hurricane Dorian. It took more than 40 hours of sorting, organizing and packing the 100+ boxes of clothes and shoes, diapers and formula as well as food, blankets, towels and pillows that were donated. We finished with five pallets wrapped and ready to be placed in a container with other relief materials to be shipped to Freeport. The donations will be received by a charitable organization on the ground there and distributed.
Shout out to the folks that made this happen – The Rock School, Millhopper Montessori School, the Alachua County Property Appraisers Office, the Department of Neurosurgery, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Office of Research, the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, the UF Health Transfer Center, UF Health Shands Compliance Services, Kim Foli and her scout troop, and Ken Brown and members of his church.
Pediatric cancer patient meets Coach Dan Mullen and delivers game ball
Florida Gators football head coach Dan Mullen came by to meet and talk with UF Health patient Mikah Phillips prior to the Tennessee game. Mikah teamed up with his UF Health caregivers to deliver the game ball. We’re all winners when we team up to fight pediatric cancer together!
Learn more about Mikah’s battle against a rare form of brain cancer.