Meet our 2024-25 Scholars

Eleven students were selected for the 2024-25 UF Health Cancer Institute University Scholars Program.


Headshot of Harold Bishop.

Harold Bishop

  • Major: Biochemistry
  • College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
  • Mentor: Jennifer LeLaurin, Ph.D.
  • Mentor Research Program: Cancer Control and Population Sciences
  • Project Title: Perceived Relative Advantage of Mobile Health Smoking Cessation Treatments: An Analysis of Care Team Perspectives in a Comparative Effectiveness Trial

Headshot of Madison Cavanaugh.

Madison Cavanaugh

  • Major: Nutritional Sciences; Minor: Economics
  • College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
  • Mentor: Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.
  • Mentor Research Program: Immuno-Oncology and Microenvironment
  • Project Title: Enhancing mRNA-based immunotherapy exploring polyadenylation and silencing of mRNA nucleosides to evaluate the effects on expression (GFP mRNA) and immune response (gp100)

Headshot of Rishika Cherukuru.

Rishika Cherukuru

  • Major: Biology (Pre-Professional Emphases) | Economics
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Mentor: Jonathan Licht, M.D.
  • Mentor Research Program: Mechanisms of Oncogenesis
  • Project Title: Impact of Histone H2A Mutation on Cell Biological Properties Related to Cancer

Headshot of Kaitlyn Drew.

Kaitlyn Drew

  • Major: Biology
  • College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
  • Mentor: Lizi Wu, Ph.D.
  • Mentor Research Program: Mechanisms of Oncogenesis
  • Project Title: Roles of CRTC1-MAML2 Nuclear Condensates in Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma (MEC)

Headshot of Erica Hengartner.

Erica Hengartner

  • Major: Biochemistry; Minor: Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Mentor: Xin Tang, Ph.D.
  • Mentor Research Program: Mechanisms of Oncogenesis
  • Project Title: Interrogation of Spatial-Temporal Calcium Signaling in Colon Cancer Progression

Headshot of Ania Kelegama.

Ania Kelegama

  • Major: Health Science; Minor: East Asian Language and Literature-Chinese
  • College of Public Health and Health Professions
  • Mentor: Brian Law, Ph.D.
  • Mentor Research Program: Cancer Targeting and Therapeutics
  • Project Title: Blocking the Oncogenic Wnt Signaling Pathway for Cancer Therapy Using a Novel Small Molecule

Headshot of Jeremy Kleberg.

Jeremy Kleberg

  • Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Minor: Education Studies
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Mentor: Ryan Kolb, Ph.D.
  • Mentor Research Program: Mechanisms of Oncogenesis
  • Project Title: Angiopoietin-like 4 as a potential therapeutic target for clear cell renal carcinoma

Headshot of Sydney Miller.

Sydney Miller


Headshot of Ankitha Nath.

Ankitha Nath


Headshot of Cathleen Rabideau.

Cathleen Rabideau


Headshot of Jaclyn Shaw.

Jaclyn Shaw

  • Major: Biochemistry; Minor: Bioinformatics
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Mentor: Rene Opavsky, Ph.D.
  • Mentor Research Program: Mechanisms of Oncogenesis
  • Project Title: C17ORF58 is Critical for the Maintenance of B-cell Lymphomas and Myeloid Leukemias

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