Monthly HAAs
Honors, Awards + Achievements
Congratulations
William M. Mendenhall, M.D.
William M. Mendenhall, M.D., has been selected to receive the 2020 UF College of Medicine Faculty Council Lifetime Achievement Award. To read more about this honor, click here.
Nancy Mendenhall, M.D., FASTRO
Nancy Mendenhall, M.D., FASTRO, was chosen as the recipient of the 2020 David A. Paulus Award for Clinical Excellence.
Merry-Jennifer Markham, M.D., FACP, FASCO
Merry-Jennifer Markham, M.D., FACP, FASCO, was honored as a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO). The title of FASCO is a recognition bestowed upon ASCO members who have shown extraordinary dedication for their voluntary efforts that benefit the Society, the specialty of oncology, and most importantly, the patients whom we serve.
Dr. Markham was also invited to join the Cancer.Net Editorial Board in the role of Associate Editor of the Gynecologic Cancers Panel.
Chengguo (Chris) Xing, Ph.D.
Chengguo (Chris) Xing’s, Ph.D., study titled “The Impact of One-week Dietary Supplementation with Kava on Biomarkers of Tobacco Use and Nitrosamine-based Carcinogenesis Risk among Active Smokers” was chosen to be featured as the cover of Cancer Prevention Research, May 2020.
Christopher Cogle, M.D.
Christopher Cogle, M.D., was named one of the 2020 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholars.
Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D.
Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D., received a grant from Live Like Bella for his study titled “Metabolomic Signature of PN Symptoms in Breast Cancer Over the First Year of Treatment and Survivorship” and a grant from CureSearch for Children’s Cancer for his study titled “RNA-nanoparticle vaccines for pediatric high-grade glioma.”
Naykky Singh Ospina, M.D.
Naykky Singh Ospina, M.D., was award a K08 grant from NCI for her study titled “Adequate selection of patients for thyroid biopsy: evaluation of a shared decision making conversation aid.”
David Tran, M.D., Ph.D.
David Tran, M.D., Ph.D., received an NCI R01 grant for his study titled “Novel Methods of Chemo-sensitizing Low-proliferative Disseminated Tumor Cells in Triple Negative Breast Cancer” and a grant from AACR for his study titled “Molecular Mechanism of Resistance to Tumor Treating Fields in Glioblastoma.”
Guangrong Zheng, Ph.D., and Daohong Zhou, M.D.

Guangrong Zheng, Ph.D., and Daohong Zhou, M.D., received an NCI R01 CA241191 grant for their study titled “Inhibition of Bcl-xL by Targeted Degradation.”
David Ostrov, Ph.D.
David Ostrov, Ph.D., received a grant from Bankhead Coley for his study titled “Novel Cancer Drugs for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma and Acute Myeloid Leukemia.”
Mansour Mohamadzadeh, Ph.D., and Laurence Morel, Ph.D.

Mansour Mohamadzadeh, Ph.D., and Laurence Morel, Ph.D., received a NIAID R01 grant for their study titled “Determinants of follicular helper T cell expansion in Lupus.”
Loic Deleyrolle, Ph.D.
Loic Deleyrolle, Ph.D., received grants from Accelerated Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2) and the Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research (FCBTR) for his study titled “Potentiating T cell anti-tumor efficiency via metabolic reprogramming for adoptive cellular immunotherapy to treat brain cancer.”
Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D.
Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D., received a grant from Aetna Foundation for his study titled “Prevention of Vaping and Tobacco Product Use Among Rural Youth in Florida.”
Debra Lyon, Ph.D., R.N., FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN
Debra Lyon, Ph.D., R.N., FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN, received an NINR R21 NR018936 grant for her study titled “Metabolomic Signature of PN Symptoms in Breast Cancer Over the First Year of Treatment and Survivorship.”
Todd Manini, Ph.D.
Todd Manini, Ph.D., received an NIA T32 AG062728 grant for his study titled “Translation research on aging and mobility (TRAM) program.”
Margaret Wallace, Ph.D.
Margaret Wallace, Ph.D., received a grant from the Department of Defense for her study titled “Analysis of Clinical and Molecular Parameters in MPNST (malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor).”
Debra L Kelly, Ph.D., R.N., O.C.N., C.N.E., FAAN
Debra L Kelly, Ph.D., R.N., O.C.N., C.N.E., FAAN, was elected vice chair of the Biobehavioral Research Special Interest Group of the American Society of Transplant and Cellular Therapy.
Carma Bylund, Ph.D.
Carma Bylund, Ph.D., was appointed to associate editor for Patient Education and Counseling (PEC). PEC is an interdisciplinary, international journal for patient education and health promotion researchers, managers and clinicians.
Santanu Datta, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.S.
Santanu Datta, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.S., was chosen to represent the UF College of Public Health and Human Performance in the faculty senate starting in the fall semester.
Jordan Alpert, Ph.D.
Jordan Alpert, Ph.D., was name as one of the recipients of the 2020 UF Excellence Awards for Assistant Professors.
Linda Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Sara Jo Nixon, Ph.D.

With nearly $290M of new funding for seven years to research institutions around the country, including the University of Florida, the National Institutes of Health renewed its commitment to the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development℠ Study (ABCD Study®), the largest long-term study of brain development and child health ever conducted in the United States. Cancer Center members Linda Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Sara Jo Nixon, Ph.D., are co-principal investigators of the study at UF.
Zachary Sandoval

Zachary Sandoval, a UFHCC Spring cancer policy intern and a M.P.H. student in the Public Health Management and Policy concentration, was the recipient of the 2020 John Joseph Benton M.D. Humanitarian Award and Scholarship.
Kudos!
Change Maker Project

Joining the Change Maker Project, a part of UF HealthStreet, Ji-Hyun Lee, Dr.P.H., director of the Division of Quantitative Sciences at the UF Health Cancer Center, and students Sam Anyaso, Natalie DelRocco, and Meilin Jiang, went to a local middle school. At Howard Bishop Middle School, they gave a lecture entitled “What is statistics/data science” and conducted a mini project with the middle school students.