Cancer patients who could benefit from participating in clinical trials may never hear about such opportunities. To overcome this silence, researchers are creating a new chapter for a training program that teaches physicians how to communicate with cancer patients about the value of controlled cancer studies.
University of Florida health researchers are expanding collaboration with Mount Kenya University (MKU), one of the largest private universities in Africa.
An undergraduate could get lost in the graduate student atmosphere on the top floor of Malachowsky Hall for Data Science and Information Technology, but that’s not the case for senior Harold Bishop. He has leapfrogged with ease into the mature world of graduate-level research and steady employment.
“We play a key role in responding to the cancer plan in the state of Florida, especially given the disproportionate burden in our region.” — Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D.
Nine UF Health Cancer Institute researchers have been awarded pilot funding for innovative cancer research projects that aim to advance our understanding of how cancer develops and resists treatment, as well develop novel strategies for preventing cancer and personalizing treatment.
A member of the UF Health Cancer Institute, he is a co-principal investigator with Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D., on the Promote Up study, a five-year comparative effectiveness trial funded by Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
In February, two members of UF Health Cancer Institute will begin their 10-month training program with INCITE (INcreasing Caregiver support Implementation through Training and Education). Carla L. Fisher, Ph.D. a behavioral scientist with a clinical social work background, has teamed with Deidre B. Pereira, Ph.D., a psycho-oncologist.
"Now that I’m five years into the program, it’s hard to imagine going through this journey anywhere else. And thanks to that support, I have been able to develop research projects that are both exciting academically and meaningful to patients."
At last year’s event, HOBI postdoctoral associate Rola Zeidan, Ph.D., won a community health award for the research poster “Iron levels in Postmenopausal Women.”
At-home kits that allow women to collect their own samples for HPV testing have been shown to improve cervical cancer screening rates. But some women lack confidence in their ability to complete the collection themselves.
