UF Health Cancer Institute members and staff gathered on Jan. 16 at the Evans Champions Club at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to celebrate the achievements in 2025 and toast to the opportunities and doubtless successes to come in 2026. The annual event included an awards presentation to highlight members of the UF Health Cancer Institute community for their outstanding contributions over the last year.
“The awards recognize the individuals and teams whose work advances our mission, strengthens our community and improves the lives of our patients and families,” said Thomas George, M.D., FACP, FASCO, the institute’s interim director. “Many of these awards, importantly, were brought forward by nominations by you, our members and staff.”
In 2025, the UF Health Cancer Institute reached several major milestones. The institute strategically sought new collaborations and successfully engaged a robust membership of more than 350 researchers from all 16 UF colleges to bring forward new expertise and innovations to address the problem of cancer. These efforts secured the university and Board of Governors’ approval to be elevated to the UF Health Cancer Institute, a title conferred only upon UF units engaging in campuswide collaborations.
The institute’s world-class cancer research continued to receive national and international attention for impactful studies on mRNA therapeutics, the role of diet in lung cancer, new glioblastoma treatments, the effect of GLP-1 weight loss drugs on cancer risk and mortality, and more. The institute ended the year with more than $57 million in total cancer-related funding, a strong testament to its remarkable growth over the past decade.
In 2026, the institute plans to focus on “uniquely UF” strengths, which are made possible by members and staff. “These uniquely UF attributes revolve around you, our members, and the facilities and expertise that’s available here and only here,” George said. “These are opportunities to do the kind of work that can’t be done elsewhere or won’t be done elsewhere and allow us to contribute to the national cancer agenda. We’re going to be heavily leaning into these as we move forward with NCI renewal and ultimately our drive toward comprehensive NCI designation.”
Awards
Community Outreach Award:
Jeff Feller, Co-Chair, Community Advisory Board
Nurse of the Year Award:
Jamie Dees, M.S.N., RN, CNL, BMT Nurse Manager
Advanced Practice Provider of the Year
Constance Alford, ARNP, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Physician of the Year Award:
Jordan Milner, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Basic Science Research Staff Member of the Year Award:
Heather Kates, Ph.D., Bioinformatician
Clinical Research Staff Members of the Year Award:
Audrianna Macchia and Pravalika Manda, Clinical Research Coordinators
Population Sciences Research Staff Member of the Year Award:
Isabella Waldorff, Clinical Research Coordinator
Administration Staff Member of the Year Award:
Dalmay Weaver, Office Assistant
Rising Star of the Year Awards: CCPS
Erin Mobley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville
Rising Star of the Year Awards: CTT
Tarik Benidir, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Urology
Rising Star of the Year Awards: IOM
Christina von Roemeling, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery
Rising Star of the Year Awards: MOO
Zhipeng Li, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Top Investigator Award:
Jesse Dallery, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology
Top Influencer Award:
Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery
Golden Gator Award:
Dietmar Siemann, Ph.D., Associate Director for Education and Training, UF Health Cancer Institute
Photos
