UF College of Pharmacy trainees take home several awards at Cancer Center Research Day

The UF Health Cancer Center held its annual Research Day on Jan. 11 at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center, drawing a record number of submissions as the event returned to an in-person format for the first time in several years. The event provided an outstanding opportunity for trainees from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy to showcase their research and discuss ideas for future collaborations with their peers.

Research Day 2023 featured nearly 120 trainee posters, as well as 21 faculty and staff posters. The Cancer Center also presented six Predoctoral Awards at the event. These awards are intended to recognize and support outstanding predoctoral candidates who are conducting innovative cancer research. The graduate students selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants represent a range of departments across the University of Florida, reflecting the Cancer Center’s multidisciplinary approach to solving the problem of cancer. Predoctoral awardees gave three-minute presentations during Research Day.

UF Health Cancer Center Research Day 2023

The following UF College of Pharmacy trainees won awards at Research Day 2023:

Poster Winners

Pre-Collegiate, Undergraduate & Postbaccalaureate Student Category

Fernando Sckaff
Mentor: Jatinder Lamba, Ph.D., M.Sc.
An Epigenetic Signature Predicts Outcome in Pediatric AML Patients

Maria Serafim
Mentor: Mei He, Ph.D.
Nanographene Engineered Magnetic Particles for pH-responsive Capture of Bone Marrow Stem Cell Derived Regenerative Extracellular Vesicles Enabling Lung Cancer-Associated Fibrosis Treatment

Graduate & Predoctoral Student Category

Nam Nguyen
Mentor: Jatinder Lamba, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 Screen Identifies AraC-Daunorubicin-Etoposide (ADE) Response Modulators Associated with Clinical Outcomes in Pediatric AML

Corey Perkins
Mentor: Thomas Schmittgen, Ph.D.
Race Plays a Role on the Rate of Transdifferentation in Human Pancreatic Acinar Ductal Metaplasia and Its Drug Response

Postdoctoral Trainee Category

Mohammad Gbadamosi, Ph.D.
Mentor: Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.
A Genome-Wide Association Study Using HapMap Cell Lines Reveals Key Modulators of Response to Cyclophosphamide

UF Health Cancer Center Predoctoral Awardees

Nam Nguyen, Pharm.D.
MentorJatinder Lamba, Ph.D.
“CRISPR/Cas9 Screening to Identify Modulators of Chemotherapy Response in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)”