Congratulations to our graduates!
Explore the graduates from the Cancer Biology Concentration within UF’s Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences.
Julie Bray, Ph.D. (Graduated Oct. 2019)
Faculty Research Mentor: Thomas Schmittgen, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Exocrine Pancreas Plasticity During Injury: Implications for Cancer Development
Current Position: Associate Director, Grants Program, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Ozlem Calbay, Ph.D. (Graduated July 2022)
Faculty Research Mentor: Shuang Huang, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Inflammasome independent pyroptosis in ovarian cancer cells through translational augmentation of Caspase-1
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, AbbVie
Chandler Callaway, Ph.D. (Graduated June 2022)
Faculty Research Mentor: Andrew Judge, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: The Role of IL8 and CXCL1 in Muscle Atrophy during Pancreatic Cancer Cachexia
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow; University of Anschutz Medical Campus
Madison Carelock, Ph.D. (Graduated December 2025)
Faculty Research Mentor: Weizhou Zhang, Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Investigating the Use of BCL-XL/2-Targeting PROTACS for Modulation of Cancer Metastasis, Cachexia, and Immune Evasion
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow; University of Florida
Siddhi Chitre (Graduated Spring 2025)
Faculty Research Mentor: Christian Jobin, Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Campylobacter jejuni is the major risk factor for gastroenteritis over the world. Using a mouse model, Jobin’s lab recently demonstrated that C. jejuni has the potential to cause colorectal cancer. My research focuses explicitly on unraveling the mechanism underlying C. jejuni-mediated colorectal tumorigenesis.
Current Position: TBD
Anna DeVries (Graduated December 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Unraveling the cross-talk mechanisms between innate and adaptive immunity following systemic mRNA vaccination.
Current Position: TBD
Peter Dib, Ph.D. (Graduated November 2022)
Faculty Research Mentor: Maria Zajac-Kaye, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Testing and Identifying the Mechanism of Novel Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitors
Current Position: Field Application Scientist, Spectral Instruments Imaging, San Diego, California
Zuo Ding, Ph.D. (Graduated December 2021)
Faculty Research Mentor: Shuang Huang, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Study of Effects of MEK Inhibitors on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells
Current Position: Postdoc Associate, University of Florida College of Pharmacy
Michael Dougherty (Graduated May 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Christian Jobin, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Elucidating Colibactin Host Response Mechanisms
Current Position: Medical Writer, Indus MedTech Solutions
Laura Falceto Font (Graduated May 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Catherine Flores, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Genetic Engineering of Hematopoietic Stem Cells For Improvement of Immunotherapies
Current Position: Innovation Consultant, Catalyze Group
Henrietta Fasanya, Ph.D. (Graduated March 2020)
Faculty Research Mentor: Dietmar Siemann, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: The Role of Cathepsin Inhibition in Osteosarcoma Metastasis
Current Position: Pathology Resident, Houston Methodist Hospital
Amani Harrandah, Ph.D. (Graduated January 2019)
Faculty Research Mentor: Edward Chan, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Exploring the Roles of MicroRNA and Oral Bacteria in Oral Carcinogenesis
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Biology, Umm Alqura University
Yue Jiang, Ph.D. (Graduated April 2019)
Faculty Research Mentor: Frederic Kaye, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Myb-activated tumor models for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for adenoid cystic carcinoma treatment
Current Position: Board Observer, Regenacy Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Zeng Jin (Graduated August 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Ryan Kolb, M.D., Ph.D
Dissertation Project: Angiopoietin-like 4 as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma
Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, University of Florida
Charlotte Leonie Kaestner, Ph.D. (Graduated June 2023)
Faculty Research Mentor: Jonathan Licht, M.D., Ph.D
Dissertation Project: Targeting NSD2 in Hematologic Malignancies
Current Position: TBD
Patrick Kellish, Ph.D. (Graduated August 2021)
Faculty Research Mentor: Maria Zajac-Kaye, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Priming Immunity against Small-Cell Lung Cancer with Oncolytic Myxoma Virus
Current Position: Scientist, Analytical Development, Kincell Bio
Tianqi Li, Ph.D. (Graduated July 2023)
Faculty Research Mentor: Mingyi Xie, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Unveiling RNA-mediated Gene Regulation
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Florida
Mam Mboge, Ph.D. (Graduated October 2018)
Faculty Research Mentor: Susan Frost, Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: The Role of Carbonic Anhydrase in Breast Cancer Growth, Metabolism, & Motility
Current Position: Principal Scientist, Pfizer
Claudia Mercado Rodriguez (Graduated December 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Christian Jobin, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Defined Bacterial Consortium Highlights the Impact of the Microbiota on Intestinal DNA Methylation and Tumorigenesis
Current Position: Powell Gene Therapy Center
Rachel Newsome, Ph.D. (Graduated Oct. 2023)
Faculty Research Mentor: Christian Jobin, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Role of Gut Microbiota in Cancer Immunotherapy
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Jobin Laboratory, University of Florida
Rachel Nosacka, Ph.D. (Graduated Oct. 2019)
Faculty Research Mentor: Andrew Judge, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Molecular Mechanisms of Skeletal Muscle Wasting in Cancer Cachexia
Current Position: Scientist, Powell Gene Therapy Center, University of Florida
Kimberly Pereira (Graduated May 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Jonathan Licht, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Histone Mutant H2B-E76K Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition And Deregulates Gene Expression In Lung Cells
Current Position: Scientific Writer, PRISMAP Licht Laboratory, University of Florida
Gabriel Prado, Ph.D. (Graduated November 2022)
Faculty Research Mentor: Jonathan Licht,M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Loss of Kmt2c Cooperates with Oncogenic Signaling in Cancer
Current Position: Biomedical Scientist (Molecular & Cancer Biology, University of Florida
Xzaviar Solone
Faculty Research Mentor: Lizi Wu, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Characterizing Mechanisms That Mediate LKB1 Tumor Suppression In Lung Cancer
Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Henry Ford Health
Varsha Sundaresan, Ph.D. (Graduated November 2018)
Faculty Research Mentor: Lei Zhou,M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Significantly Mutated Genes in Small Cell Lung Cancer & Comparative Analysis of p53 Binding
Current Position: Associate Director, Precision and Translational Medicine, Takeda
Gregory Takacs (Graduated May 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Jeffrey Harrison,M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Investigating Mechanisms of M-MDSC Immune Suppression in Glioblastoma
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Precision Medicine Translational Oncology, AbbVie
Mai Tanaka, Ph.D. (Graduated December 2021)
Faculty Research Mentor: Dietmar Siemann, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: The Role of Axl Pathway in Cancer Metastasis
Current Position: Associate Director, Corporate Development, Avalyn Pharma
Vrunda Trivedi, Ph.D. (Graduated December 2022)
Faculty Research Mentor: Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Novel RNA therapeutics for precision antigen-specific brain cancer treatment
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow; Stanford University
Kartika Venugopal, Ph.D. (Graduated 2020)
Faculty Research Mentor: Olga Guraynova, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Leukemia-associated Mutations in DNMT3A Mediate Sensitivity to Replication Stress
Current Position: Scientist II in Translational Sciences, Tessera Therapeutics
Beatriz Veronese (Graduated December 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Zhe Ma, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: ORF48 is required for optimal lytic replication of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus
Current Position: TBD
Vindhya Vijay, Ph.D. (Graduated June 2019)
Faculty Research Mentor: Christopher Cogle, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Splicing repressor hnRNPC is an indispensable and ‘druggable’ target in acute myeloid leukemia
Current Position: Postdoc Fellow, Harvard University
Aaron Waddell, Ph.D. (Graduated May 2021)
Faculty Research Mentor: Daiqing Liao, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Targeting CBP/p300 for Treatment of Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer
Current Position: Expert Consultant, Clinical Data Scientist, DRT Strategies
Zachary Wakefield, Ph.D. (Graduated August 2021)
Faculty Research Mentor: Dietmar Siemann, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: The Therapeutic Potential of Aerobic Exercise in Preclinical Breast Cancer Models
Current Position: Candidate for Juris Doctor, Boston University School of Law
Mu Yu (Graduated December 2024)
Faculty Research Mentor: Lizi Wu, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Characterization of LKB1-Regulated Secreted Factors in Lung Cancers
Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, UF Health Cancer Institute
Qin Yu, Ph.D. (Graduated August 2021)
Faculty Research Mentor: Christian Jobin, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: The Role of Natural Killer Cells in Gut Microbiota Mediated Pancreatic Cancer Progression
Current Position: Scientist, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Xin Zhou, Ph.D. (Graduated July 2022)
Faculty Research Mentor: Lizi Wu, M.D., Ph.D.
Dissertation Project: Aberrant CRTC-CREB Activation in LKB1-Inactivated Lung Cancer
Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate at UF Health Cancer Institute
