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Cancer Institute
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Research Overview

Cancer Control and Population Sciences

Mark your calendar

Program Meeting

Fourth Monday of every month | 3-4:30 p.m. | CGRC-133 & Zoom ResearchDevelopment@cancer.ufl.edu

Mission

The goal of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences (CCPS) research program is to reduce the cancer burden in the UF Health Cancer Institute's catchment area and beyond.

Two people smile and speak to each other at the retreat.

The catchment area is characterized by disproportionately higher cancer incidence and mortality rates than other regions in Florida. The catchment area includes 26 counties in North, Central and East 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%) and has the highest fraction (24%) of residents ages 65 and older in Florida.

These hallmarks of the catchment area inform program science, which is unified by five CCPS priorities: 1) social determinants and cancer disparities; 2) smoking and other tobacco use; 3) molecular and imaging markers for screening and early detection; 4) obesity, energy balance and cancer; and 5) the intersection of cancer and aging. To capture the research strengths at UF, CCPS features 48 members from 20 departments and 10 of the 16 UF colleges (Liberal Arts and Sciences, Agricultural & Life Sciences, Engineering, Journalism & Communications, Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Health & Human Performance, Nursing, and Public Health & Health Professions).

CCPS research has expanded in the areas of cancer etiology, survivorship, aging and implementation science; addressed the needs of the catchment area and UF Health Cancer Institute priority cancers (e.g., lung, breast, colorectal, HPV-related cancers); and impacted state policy, clinical practice and national guidelines. Collaborations with the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement have led to new funding and impactful publications. CCPS programmatic aims reflect the goal to translate observational discovery science into interventions and larger-scale dissemination and implementation. New extramural funding includes one team science grant (U01), 9 R01s, and a PCORI grant addressing the cancer burden in the catchment area.

Aims

The specific aims capitalize on advances in -omics, cancer biology, and cancer imaging to further the development, testing, and implementation of primary, secondary, and tertiary cancer prevention strategies in diverse populations:

A woman speaks at the Cardio-Oncology Symposium.
  • Aim 1. Advance understanding of the biological, behavioral, environmental and geospatial determinants that shape cancer risk, progression and survivorship.

We aim to provide insights into how biological mechanisms, individual behaviors, environmental exposures and geospatial contexts interact to influence cancer risk, disease progression and survivorship outcomes, thereby identifying actionable pathways to reduce cancer burden across all populations.

  • Aim 2. Develop, implement, and rigorously evaluate evidence-based interventions that improve outcomes across the cancer control continuum from prevention through detection, diagnosis and survivorship.

We aim to develop, implement and rigorously evaluate evidence-based interventions that improve outcomes across the cancer control continuum. By generating scalable and sustainable strategies, this research directly accelerates translation of research into measurable population impact.

Program Co-leaders

Sulma Mohammed

Sulma Mohammed

Professor
Department: Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Email: smohammed2@ufl.edu
Physical Address:
Publications:
Grants:
  • Dec 2024 ACTIVE
    Point-of-care screening test for early cervical cancer detection
    PURDUE UNIV · Principal Investigator
  • Sep 2023 ACTIVE
    2/3 Florida-California Cancer Research, Education & Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Other
  • Jun 2023 ACTIVE
    UF Health Cancer Center Support Grant
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Other
Education:
  • 1990
    PhD
    Purdue University
  • 1982
    MS
    Cornell Univesity
  • 1977
    DVM
    Khatroum University
Full Profile
Stephanie Staras

Stephanie Staras Ph.D.

Professor and Associate Chair Of Faculty Development
Department: MD-HOBI-GENERAL
Phone: (352) 294-8299
Email: sstaras@mail.ufl.edu
CV: View Curriculum Vitae:
Mailing Address:
Physical Address:

Stephanie A. S. Staras, M.S.P.H., Ph.D., is a professor and Associate Chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics. She is also the Associate Director of the Institute for Child Health Policy and co-lead for the UFHealth Cancer Center’s Cancer Control and Population Science Program.

Dr. Staras is an expert in rigorous and impactful research in prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers and using implementation science methods to increase health equity. She focuses on improving the clinical recommendations for, parent receptiveness to, and access to HPV vaccines among adolescents within Florida. She has served as Principal Investigator on investigator-initiated National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded and foundation grants with total PI funding of over $11 million. Her large, high-enrolling projects contributed critically to the UF Cancer Center NCI designation by demonstrating the necessary impact in the catchment area and comprising 40% of UF’s clinical trial accruals in the past three years.

Dr. Staras is a recognized expert in implementation science research methods. Having graduated from the NCI-sponsored training program entitled “Mentored Training in Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer,” she applies her expertise to a broad range of research aimed to improve health equity. She has led and co-led implementation in a variety of areas: uptake of Meningitis B vaccination among high school and college students, developing an acceptable decision support tool to aid primary care physicians in preventing opioid overdose, increased enrollment of underrepresented populations in cancer clinical trials, understanding the role of dental practitioners in health risk assessments, and improving hypertension treatment with precision-based solutions.

Accomplishments:
  • University of Florida Term Professorship
    2018-2019 · University of Florida
  • University of Florida Exemplary Teaching Award
    2018 · University of Florida
  • Fellow in the National Cancer Institute’s Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer
    2016-2018 · Washington University in St. Louis
  • Health Disparities Research Loan Repayment Program Recipient. Research project entitled: “Development of an Alcohol-Related HIV preventive intervention among African American and Hispanic adolescent women.”
    2012-2014 · National Institutes of Health
  • 18th Annual Summer Course: Principles of STD / HIV Research Scholarship
    2010 · University of Washington Center for AIDS and STD’s
  • Travel Grant Recipient
    2007 · promising new investigators to the 17th International Society of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research Meeting
  • Co-recipient of the Award for Excellence in International Health
    2001 · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
  • Best Epidemiologist in the Workforce of Tomorrow Award
    2000 · Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist
  • 1999 Charles C. Shepard Award for Excellence in Research-– presented to the graduating student who is deemed by the faculty to have prepared the most scholarly research thesis.
    1999 · Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Publications:
Grants:
  • Sep 2025 ACTIVE
    AI-Enabled ComPLETE Model for Better Prediction of CLTI Revascularization Outcomes
    NATL INST OF HLTH NHLBI · Co-Investigator
  • Sep 2025 ACTIVE
    ReMARk: A multi-level strategy to address disparities in rural HPV-related cancer prevention
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Jul 2025 ACTIVE
    Dissemination of a Cancer Clinical Trials Communication Skills Workshop for Medical Oncology Fellows
    BLOOD CANCER UNITED · Co-Investigator
  • Sep 2024 ACTIVE
    Preventing Cervical Cancer through HPV Self-collection and Patient Navigation among Women Living with Chronic Conditions and Social Vulnerability
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Other
  • Jul 2024 ACTIVE
    Text and Talk: A multi-level intervention to increase provider HPV vaccine recommendation effectiveness
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Jul 2024 ACTIVE
    Enhancing Connection and Communication with Community-Based Oncology Practices to Improve Cancer Clinical Trial Recruitment: The ECCO Study
    BLOOD CANCER UNITED · Principal Investigator
  • Nov 2023 ACTIVE
    Developing and Evaluating a Machine-Learning Opioid Prediction & Risk-Stratification E-Platform (DEMONSTRATE)
    UNIV OF PITTSBURGH · Co-Investigator
  • Aug 2023 ACTIVE
    Implementation of a Cancer Clinical Trials (CCT) Communication Skills Education Program for Medical Oncology Fellows
    BLOOD CANCER UNITED · Co-Investigator
  • Aug 2023 ACTIVE
    Incentive funds for Graduate Medical Education Trainees
    BLOOD CANCER UNITED · Co-Investigator
  • Jul 2023 – Jun 2025
    Together: Transforming and Translating Discovery to Improve Health
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCATS · Project Manager
  • Jun 2023 ACTIVE
    UF Health Cancer Center Support Grant
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Other
  • Feb 2023 – Jun 2024
    Clinical Trials Education in GME: A Needs Assessment
    BLOOD CANCER UNITED · Co-Investigator
  • Sep 2022 – Aug 2025
    ReMARk: A multi-level strategy to address disparities in rural HPV-related cancer prevention
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Sep 2021 ACTIVE
    Multi-Stakeholder Engagement for Interdisciplinary Telehealth in Lewy Body Dementia
    NATL INST OF HLTH NIA · Other
  • Jul 2021 – Oct 2023
    Developing and Evaluating a Machine-Learning Opioid Prediction & Risk-Stratification E-Platform (DEMONSTRATE)
    NATL INST OF HLTH NIDA · Co-Investigator
  • Jul 2021 – May 2024
    Together: Transforming and Translating Discovery to Improve Health
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCATS · Other
  • Jul 2019 – Jun 2024
    Text and Talk: A multi-level intervention to increase provider HPV vaccine recommendation effectiveness
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Apr 2018 – Oct 2018
    Stakeholder Engagement and Multi-Risk Assessment in Dental Care Settings
    UNIV OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM · Co-Investigator
  • Apr 2017 – Mar 2018
    The National Dental PBRN FY18
    UNIV OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM · Co-Investigator
  • Dec 2016 – Jul 2019
    Establishing and Evaluating a School and University Campus-Based Approach to Implementing Serogroup B Meningococcal (MenB) Disease Recommendations in Older Adolescents and Young Adults.
    PFIZER INC · Co-Project Director/Principal Investigator
  • Feb 2016 – Jan 2020
    Maximizing HPV vaccination: Real-time Reminders, Guidance, and Recommendations
    NATL INST OF HLTH NCI · Principal Investigator
  • Dec 2015 – Oct 2016
    Staras HPV R01 Pilot – Miscellaneous Donors
    MISCELLANEOUS DONORS · Principal Investigator
  • Jul 2015 – Jun 2024
    Florida Academic Cancer Center Alliance Seed Grants
    UF HEALTH SHANDS HOSPITAL · Project Manager
  • Feb 2015 – Oct 2023
    UF Health Cancer Center Pilot Project Grants funded through the Florida Consortium of National Cancer Institute Centers Program
    UF HEALTH SHANDS HOSPITAL · Project Manager
  • Jun 2014 – Dec 2017
    OneFlorida Cancer Control Network
    FL DEPT OF HLTH BIOMED RES PGM/J&E KING · Project Manager
  • Jul 2006 – Dec 2020
    21st Century Research & Economic Development Investment Program (REDIP)
    STATE UNIV SYS OF FL BOARD OF GOVERNORS · Project Manager
Education:
  • 2016-2018
    Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer Fellowship
    Washington University, St. Louis
  • 2006
    Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Epidemiology
    Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Emory University
  • 2000
    Master of Science of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
    Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
  • 1998
    Bachelor of Science, Department of Biology
    Bucknell University
  • 1998
    Bachelor of Science , Department of Mathematics
    Bucknell University
Full Profile

Program Members

To request an update, please email ResearchDevelopment@cancer.ufl.edu.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 129

Gonzalo J. Acosta Garcia

Gonzalo J. Acosta Garcia, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor

Department of Medicine, College of Medicine

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Cancer Genetics
  • Cancer Surveillance
  • Targeted Cancer Therapy
  • Thyroid

Caterina Alacevich

Caterina Alacevich, PHD

Research Assistant Professor

Department of Health Outcomes and Bioinformatics, College of Medicine

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Behavioral Determinants of Cancer
  • Cancer Prevention
  • Health Disparities

Jeanette Andrade

Jeanette Andrade, BS,MS,PHD

Associate Professor

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Kidney
  • Nutrition
  • Nutrition, Dietary Supplements & Cancer

Stephen D Anton

Stephen D Anton, BA,MS,PHD

Professor

Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Anesthesiology/Pain Management
  • Behavioral Determinants of Cancer
  • Cancer Prevention
  • Cell Signaling Pathways
  • Environmental Factors
  • Health Disparities
  • Integrative Medicine
  • Nutrition, Dietary Supplements & Cancer
  • Quality of Life Issues

Jason Dean Arnold

Jason Dean Arnold,

DIR, Operations

Distance Learning, College of Education

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Cancer Communications

Sanaa Badour

Sanaa Badour, BS,BS,MD,MS

Clinical Assistant Professor

Department of Medicine, College of Medicine

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Biostatistics
  • Breast
  • Cancer Survivorship
  • Epidemiology

Cora M Best

Cora M Best, BA,BA,MHS,PHD

Assistant Professor

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Behavioral Determinants of Cancer
  • Cancer Prevention
  • Cancer Survivorship
  • Nutrition
  • Quality of Life Issues

Susan Barbara Bluck

Susan Barbara Bluck, BA,PHD

Professor

Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Cancer Communications
  • Palliative Care

Wesley E Bolch

Wesley E Bolch, BS,ME,PHD

Distinguished Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Radiation Oncology

Staja Booker

Staja Booker, BSN,MS,PHD

Associate Professor

Department of Biobehvioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing

Program: CCPS

Research Interests:

  • Anesthesiology/Pain Management
  • Behavioral Determinants of Cancer
  • Cancer Survivorship
  • Health Disparities
  • Integrative Medicine
  • Pain Management
  • Quality of Life Issues
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