Three UF Health Cancer Institute research teams have been awarded inaugural UF Health Cancer Institute Catalyst Awards for high-risk, high-reward cross-campus research projects that harness Uniquely UF assets to accelerate discovery.
“Food is Medicine for Cancer Care: A Feasibility Study of Medically Tailored Meals During Active Cancer Treatment”
Cora Best, Ph.D., R.D.N.
Assistant Professor, Nutritional Sciences, UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Research Program: Cancer Control and Population Sciences
“Harnessing Generative AI for Small-Molecule Inhibitor Design Targeting Oncogenic Protein–Protein Interactions”
Yanjun Li, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, UF College of Pharmacy
Research Program: Cancer Targeting and Therapeutics
“Discovery of Novel Cereblon Ligands for Targeted Protein Degradation in Cancer Therapy and Immunomodulation”
Xingui Liu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, UF College of Pharmacy
Research Program: Cancer Targeting and Therapeutics
This new seed grant mechanism was launched after the institute’s fall 2025 membership retreat to jumpstart innovative cancer research projects and foster cross-campus collaborations. Projects must align with at least two Uniquely UF themes of artificial intelligence, engineering, survivorship, precision oncology, lifestyle factors, immune modulation, and clinical outcomes and quality care.
The awardees will study the potential benefits of medically tailored meals during cancer treatment, use artificial intelligence to design novel small-molecule drugs and develop a new generation of safer drugs that help the immune system fight cancer. The projects are designed to be scientifically impactful and relevant across several types of cancer.
Two of the awards went to researchers in the institute’s Cancer Targeting and Therapeutics research program, Yanjun Li, Ph.D., and Xingui Liu, Ph.D., who are both faculty in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry in the UF College of Pharmacy.
“Both projects address the core foundation of what this program is all about,” said Timothy Spicer, Ph.D., and Jatinder Lamba, Ph.D., research program co-leaders. “Drs. Yanjun Li and Chenglong Li sit at the forefront of implementing AI-driven computational applications for small-molecule discovery, while Dr. Xingui Liu is driving precision therapeutics and immunomodulation using tailored drugs to help ward off unwanted side effects during cancer treatment. Our congratulations to these amazing investigators and we look forward to seeing where this goes from here.”
The third award went to Cora Best, Ph.D., a researcher in the institute’s Cancer Control and Population Sciences research program.
“Dr. Best’s study addresses a highly important and often overlooked aspect of cancer care,” said Sulma Mohammed, Ph.D., and Stephanie Staras, Ph.D., research program co-leaders. “Nutrition plays a critical role in how patients tolerate treatment, recover and maintain their quality of life, yet many patients struggle to receive the support they need during active therapy. This research on medically tailored meals is innovative, practical and directly aligned with our mission to improve clinical outcomes and tailor cancer care by supporting patients through evidence-based, patient-centered interventions.”
Congratulations to our Catalyst Award recipients!
Special thanks to our members who volunteer their time on this stringent review process and our research support staff for their hard work!
The UF Health Cancer Institute’s pilot funding programs receive crucial support from the state of Florida through the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Act (Fla. Stat. § 381.915).
