Cancer Control and Population Sciences

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.

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:

• 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

Department: Small Animal Clinical Sciences

Sulma Mohammed

Professor

Email: smohammed2@ufl.edu

Department: MD-HOBI-GENERAL

Stephanie Staras Ph.D.

Professor and Associate Chair Of Faculty Development

Phone: (352) 294-8299

Email: sstaras@mail.ufl.edu

Program Members

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