The names Andria and Xuhong might not seem as memorable as “Helene” and “Milton”—the two hurricanes that hit Florida in the fall—yet looking back to the first two Grand Rounds’ speakers of 2024 may help us put the past year into perspective. There were many moments of growth and celebration alongside the winds of change, and we end the year with strength and momentum on our side.
With an abundance of awards, grants, presentations and publications, HOBI’s accomplishments are too numerous to list here. Instead, we take a brief look at some of the past year’s memorable moments and photogenic highlights.
In February, we introduced new interactive Design Studios with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Read more about them here: Researchers incubate ideas and welcome critiques at Design Studio sessions.
Photo Day
The people of HOBI got their close-up on February 7th when we hosted our first photo day in our still new home of Malachowsky Hall. Take a look at some of the outstanding shots from that day.
Two HOBI women were recognized in March: Brittney Roth Manning was named among those Honoring UF Medicine’s inspiring women, and Stephanie Staras earns Cancer Center’s Principal Investigator of the Year.
March 27 brought HOBI Education Day into Malachowsky Hall for the first time. Read more about it and see more photos in a gallery on this summary page.
Getting Social
On April 1 we launched HOBI’s first dedicated social media channel on LinkedIn.
Also in April, an opinion article by UF undergraduate Sionika Thayagabalu and HOBI’s Dominick Lemas, PhD., was published in Stat: Medicaid should cover donor breast milk for vulnerable infants.
In May, one graduate proved to be a super-gator: Triple Gator graduate Matthew Diller pursues his calling in biomedical informatics.
Students Stand Out
Many HOBI students published journal articles, presented at conferences, and acquired funding for their research. Doctoral candidate Miranda Reid became the Only student to win cancer moonshot award for implementation science from the National Cancer Institute.
Master’s student Aman Pathak, who graduated this December, became the First HOBI student to win award from International Center.
Oldie and Goldie
One faculty member turned his TV viewing habits into a platform to discuss aging issues. Christopher Kaufmann, Ph.D., earned attention from The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets for his comments on The Golden Bachelorette, a reality show that features a single woman over the age of 60 who is seeking companionship from men in her age bracket.
Loss and Appreciation
Near the end of the year, we lost a dear colleague and friend: In Memoriam: Shirley Bloodworth. Shirley led an inspirational life and remained very productive until the very end.
You are encouraged to read our stories in news posts, peruse media coverage, and see who graduated recently. The year that was 2024 brings inspiration and excitement about what could happen at HOBI in the coming year of 2025.