In 2025, the UF Health Cancer Institute continued its upward trajectory, prioritizing high-quality science that leads to meaningful improvements for those facing cancer through research, education and community outreach.
By expanding our membership to draw researchers from all 16 UF colleges, we reached a major milestone: elevation to institute status at UF. We also reached a high-water mark in funding, with $57.4 million in total cancer grants, with $33 million in NIH/NCI direct costs. We had 990 accruals to interventional cancer clinical trials.
Interim Director’s Welcome
In 2025, we expanded our membership to draw researchers from all 16 UF colleges. This led us to achieve a strategic goal and reach a major milestone: elevation to institute status at UF. Designation as an institute recognizes that the UF Health Cancer Institute has successfully engaged researchers across all disciplines at our flagship university to address the problem of cancer.
Our world-class cancer research received national attention for studies on mRNA therapeutics, the role of diet in lung cancer, the effects of weight loss drugs on cancer risk, new glioblastoma treatments and more. We prioritized the translation of novel discoveries from the lab directly to patients by launching a Translational Research Council, creating a program to use advanced drug screening technology available only at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology and implementing a new biospecimens service for members.
We enriched our novel community outreach activities, working closely with UF Health to begin offering 3D mammograms on our Mobile Cancer Screening Connector vehicle and teaming up with national organizations to raise awareness of
cancer prevention and early detection.
We achieved national excellence in clinical care, ranking in the nation’s top 50 hospitals for cancer care, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Our members are working tirelessly according to the four pillars of our institute, first engaging with our community to understand the needs of the more than 3.4 million people living in the largely rural area we serve in North Central Florida. Next, they are making fundamental cancer research discoveries, from tumor virology to health communication to the microbiome.
We then focus on translating these from theory to practice on behalf of our patients and community members, with a strong focus on developing and leading high-quality, investigator-initiated clinical trials. Throughout this process, we prepare and educate the next generation of the cancer research workforce, training them to be leaders in the field.
Today, we have more than $57 million in total cancer grants, with more than $33 million in NIH/NCI direct cost funding. Our clinical trial enrollment is strong, with 990 interventional accruals in 2025.
As we pursue our long-term goal of achieving comprehensive designation from the NCI over the next decade, we plan to lean into our “uniquely UF” strengths, including our robust, multidisciplinary membership; data science and information technologies; facilities and expertise at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute; novel immunotherapeutics and on-campus manufacturing capabilities; expertise to foster precision prevention strategies; longstanding partnerships with the UF/IFAS Extension; and statewide partnerships.
It’s thanks to the daily hard work and commitment of our members, staff and trainees that we’re on such a strong upward trajectory as we remain dedicated to our mission of preventing, detecting, treating and ultimately curing cancer.
Thomas George, M.D., FACP, FASCO
Interim Director
UF Health Cancer Institute
Accelerate: UF Health Cancer Institute 2023-2033
2023
The UF Health Cancer Institute receives NCI designation
2024
Strategic plan revised: Accelerate 2030
2025
UF Health Shands Hospital ranked a top 50 cancer hospital in U.S.
2025
External Advisory Board meets
2025
Membership retreat held
2025
Elevation to UF Health Cancer Institute
2028
Renewal of Cancer Center Support Grant
2033
Achieve goal of comprehensive NCI designation
Uniquely UF
Investing in our strengths to turn innovation into impact
This fall, the University of Florida conferred the prestigious title of institute to the UF Health Cancer Center, a reflection of its prominence in cancer research at UF and as one of the country’s top institutions for cancer care and research. Institute designation is reserved for units that provide a broad array of university services across multiple colleges and requires approval from its top leadership and the state Board of Governors. The UF elevation recognizes that the UF Health Cancer Institute has engaged not only researchers in the health science colleges, but researchers across all 16 colleges at the state’s flagship university, from Agricultural and Life Sciences to Engineering to Medicine to Veterinary Medicine.
Becoming an institute provides us an opportunity to harness Uniquely UF strengths. Uniquely UF is made possible because of the institute’s members, staff and partners. It offers an opportunity to emphasize cancer research not being done elsewhere, as we foster a premier cancer research and clinical system and accelerate our mission. These Uniquely UF resources, facilities, infrastructure and opportunities include:
- A robust membership from all 16 UF colleges that enables innovative team science collaborations and infuses more expertise and new dimensions into our cancer research
- Data science and information technologies that are best in class
- Faculty, facilities and expertise at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology
- Novel immunotherapeutics, our ability to manufacture therapeutics on campus and microbiome manipulations that augment immune function
- Pharmacogenomic, transcriptomic and precision medicine expertise that can combine with biobehavioral and lifestyle modifications to foster precision prevention strategies
- Longstanding partnerships as a land grant university with the UF/IFAS Extension supporting statewide engagement, rural outreach and expansion of mobile services
- State investments and partnerships through the Florida Academic Cancer Center Alliance, with the opportunity to create a statewide research network inclusive of fundamental, population, data and clinical research
- Access to other world-class UF institutes leveraging their own expertise to cross-collaborate with our cancer research mission
- Further investment in these Uniquely UF strengths will not only enhance our success with NCI renewal, but position us well to achieve our long-term goal of comprehensive NCI designation. Such strategic investments in specific cancer programming and research-enabling infrastructure will foster more alignment so we can accelerate discoveries. Our pace of scientific discovery must exceed the needs of our patients.
Engage
Community Outreach and Engagement
Engage
The UF Health Cancer Institute serves more than 3.4 million residents across 26 counties of North Central Florida, spanning the size of southern New England. Most of the counties (17) are rural and all are classified as medically underserved or as having medically underserved areas. The population includes people who are Black (15%) and Hispanic (11%). It has the highest fraction (24%) of residents ages 65 and older in Florida.
Statistics
529 Community members who received navigation services for medical and/or social services
127 Community members who received navigation services to research studies
288 Mobile breast cancer screenings completed
216 Mobile colorectal cancer screenings completed
Discover
Finding Tomorrow's Answers For Today's Patients
Discover
The overarching goal of the UF Health Cancer Institute is to improve cancer outcomes. We aim to accomplish this, in part, by promoting research in cancer mechanisms, developing and conducting interventional clinical trials addressing the most prevalent cancers that affect our patients, and improving our understanding of the determinants of cancer outcomes in rural, underserved and older adult patients. We are committed to interdisciplinary basic discovery and translational research, and the pursuit of scientific endeavors that have near-term clinical applications.
Key Statistics
91,608 Square feet of research space
36 U.S. patents issued related to cancer
$33.2 million NIH/NCI direct cost funding
$57.4 million Total cancer grants
$3.4 million Across 32 research training awards
871 Scientific publications
268 Active cancer-relevant projects
Research Headlines
Study finds COVID-19 mRNA vaccine sparks immune response to fight cancer
Link found between diet, lung cancer
Scientists wipe out aggressive brain cancer tumors by targeting cellular ‘motors’
UF researchers aim to improve nutrition for cancer patients
Frail patients with breast cancer at risk for heart disease
Florida financial relief incentive increased colorectal cancer screening
Weight loss medications linked to lower cancer risk
Hidden blood mutations spark obesity, diabetes and liver disease
Most cancer patients exposed to misinformation
AI tool speeds AML diagnosis
UF researchers get closer to saliva test for breast cancer
UF team develops AI tool to make genetic research more comprehensive
Translate
From Discovery To Care
Translate
UF Health’s clinical enterprise uses a comprehensive care model, with multidisciplinary cancer programs offering advanced treatment options, such as minimally invasive and robotic surgery, proton and intensity modulated radiotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy in conjunction with the Precision Cancer Care Program, as well as access to clinical trials with limited availability elsewhere.
A team approach to cancer treatment
- The UF Health Cancer Institute is a state-designated Cancer Center of Excellence. The designation by the Florida Legislature recognizes hospitals and treatment centers that demonstrate excellence in patient-centered coordinated care for people undergoing cancer treatment and chemotherapy.
- UF Health Shands Hospital is ranked among the country’s top 50 hospitals for cancer treatment, according to the 2025-26 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” report. In addition, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital is the top-ranked hospital in Florida and among the nation’s best hospitals for pediatric cancer care, with the specialty ranked #36 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
- UF Health is designated as a Center of Excellence for myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, and pancreatic cancers.
- The UF Health Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program is one of 20 core centers nationwide that comprise the NHLBI/NCI Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network.
- The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is one of the few proton facilities in the country that have achieved accreditation by the American College of Radiology. It is internationally recognized as a cancer care destination for pediatric radiation oncology patients.
- The UF Health Breast Center is accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and is the first in the state to offer intraoperative radiation therapy using Intrabeam®.
- The UF Health GI Oncology Program is accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer by the American College of Surgeons and offers accelerated radiation treatments for patients as part of total neoadjuvant therapy.
Key Statistics
233 Active trials (180 interventional; 157 treatment)
85% Of interventional enrollments were to investigator-initiated trials
78 New trials
990 Interventional trial accruals
519 Treatment trial accruals
40 Disease sites studied
Educate
Cancer Training and Education Program
Educate
The UF Health Cancer Institute’s Cancer Training and Education Program seeks to enhance and integrate cancer education, research training and career development activities at all student, trainee and faculty levels. The program incorporates opportunities in basic sciences, population sciences, and clinical and translational research. Our goal is to provide environments that stimulate interest, offer mentorship and nurture the development of future researchers and practitioners through a portfolio of opportunities at every stage of the career continuum.
Programs
Research Symposium for High School Students
Cancer Research Conference for Science Teachers
Advanced Concentration in Cancer Biology
M.D.-Ph.D. Program
Public Service Internship
University Scholars Program
STRONGER Program
Predoctoral Awards
Research Showcase
Team-Based Interdisciplinary Cancer Research Training Program
