Nci Grant Funds Study of Cancer Cachexia

Sarah Judge, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, has received a $2.4 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute to study the role of a key protein in driving cancer cachexia.

Cancer cachexia, which is highly prevalent in cancers of the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract, is a frequent complication of cancer involving muscle wasting and weakness. The breakdown of muscle tissue reduces patients’ physical function and worsens their quality of life. It also often negatively impacts their ability to withstand aggressive conventional cancer treatments and contributes to decreased survival. There are no known effective therapies to preserve or reverse the loss of muscle mass in patients with cancer.

Scientists Train AI To Illuminate Drugs’ Impact on Cellular Targets

An ideal medicine for one person may prove ineffective or harmful for someone else, and predicting who could benefit from a given drug has been difficult. Now, an international team led by neuroscientist Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D., based at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, is training artificial intelligence to assist.

A New Way To Capture Cancer Cells’ Symphony

A team of UF researchers has shed new light on the functional mechanisms of spontaneous calcium waves in human colon and prostate cancer cells. These findings could contribute to the development of innovative therapies for tumor suppression.

UF Health Cancer Center Hosts 3rd Annual AI Day

The UF Health Cancer Center hosted its 3rd Annual AI Day in Cancer Research, drawing speakers and attendees from a range of disciplines, such as engineering, public health, data science, and radiology, to learn more about the role of AI in cancer research.

Shakira Henderson Named UF College of Nursing Dean

Shakira Henderson joins UF on Jan. 29, as the UF College of Nursing dean and the associate vice president for nursing education, practice, and research — or System Chief Nurse Executive — for UF Health. She has a distinguished leadership record that spans health care operations and academia.