2021 Predoctoral Awardees

Explore the UF Health Cancer Institute’s 2021 Predoctoral Award recipients, highlighting the students selected for their promising cancer research including their mentor and dissertation title.

MD-PhD Program

Natalie Atyeo, B.A.

Mentor: Bernadett Papp, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: “Forkhead factor regulation in oral oncovirus infection”

Headshot of Natalie Atyeo

Biomedical Sciences Program – Cancer Biology

Charlotte Kaestner, B.S.

Mentor: Jonathan Licht, M.D.
Dissertation Title: “Identifying Molecular Targets to Overcome Brain Infiltration in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”

Headshot of Charlotte Leonie Kaestner

Biomedical Sciences Program – Cancer Biology

Rachel Newsome, B.S.

Mentors: Christian Jobin, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: “The role of the gut microbiome in cancer immunotherapy”

Headshot of Rachel Newsome

Genetics & Genomics Program

Daniel Stribling, B.S.

Mentor: Rolf Renne, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: “Integrated Deep Neural Network and Experimental Approaches to Uncover the Role of Noncanoical miRNA Targeting in KSHV-Driven Tumorgenesis”

Headshot of Daniel Stribling

Biomedical Sciences Program – Cancer Biology

Xin Zhou, M.S.

Mentor: Lizi Wu, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: “Aberrant CRTC signaling in LKB1-inactivated lung cancers”

Headshot of Xin Zhou
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