cancer Research Seeking new solutions

Yi Guo, Ph.D., is part of a research team that received NIH funding for a five-year project: “Harnessing big data to understand the confluence of HIV and cancer stigma in the US Southeast.” The other two primary researchers are Mattia Prosperi, Ph.D., from the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Jessica Islam, Ph.D., from the Moffitt Cancer Center. They will apply AI to create models of HIV patients and their experiences.

Jennifer LeLaurin, Ph.D., is the principal investigator of a research project designed to help health systems to monitor and manage cancer patients’ symptoms. Funded by the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund in the Florida Department of Health, the project will develop user-friendly tools to collect feedback from cancer patients about their symptoms. The feedback, known as electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs), can empower patients and help clinical teams intervene quickly when problems arise. Project co-investigators are Megan Gregory, Ph.D., and Thomas George, M.D.

“The more I learned about how systems research and direct patient care could complement each other, the more I wanted to dive into a career where I could address both sides.”