Mark your calendar
Program Meeting
Fourth Monday of every two months | 12-1 p.m. | Online via Zoom ResearchDevelopment@cancer.ufl.edu
Mission
The mission of the Mechanisms of Oncogenesis (MOO) program at the University of Florida Health Cancer Center is to understand how normal cells undergo complex changes leading to cancer.

The scientific objectives of the MOO program are to elucidate the deregulated genetic and epigenetic events that drive tumor initiation and progression and develop new cancer targeting strategies.
The research aims focus on identifying and characterizing genetic and epigenetic alterations, elucidating the role of noncoding RNAs in cancer, studying oncogenic mechanisms of DNA tumor viruses, and translating MOO discovery to novel therapeutic approaches.
Aims
The aims of the MOO program are to elucidate the role of genetic and epigenetic alterations in cancer; define the role of regulatory microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs in oncogenesis; and translate MOO discoveries into novel therapeutic approaches.
Program Co-leaders
Learn more about Lizi Wu, Ph.D., and Zhijian Qian, Ph.D.
Program Members
To request an update, please email ResearchDevelopment@cancer.ufl.edu.
Rhonda Bacher, PHD
Associate Professor
Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Bioinformatics, Biostatistics
Charles Baer, BS,MA,PHD
Professor
Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Evolutionary Biology, Population Genetics, Quantitative Genetics
Richard L Bennett, BA,PHD
Research Associate Professor
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Apoptosis & Cell Death Pathways, Cancer Genetics, Cell Signaling Pathways, Epigenetics, Hematologic Malignancies, Immunoregulation & Suppression, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulation, RNA Processing, Virology/Virus-Host Interactions
Sumita Bhaduri-Mcintosh, MD,PHD
Professor
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Cancer Genetics, Cell Signaling Pathways, DNA Damage & Repair, DNA Replication, Epigenetics, Hematologic Malignancies, Virology/Virus-Host Interactions
David C Bloom, BS,PHD
Professor
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Epigenetics, Oncolytic Viral Vectors, Virology/Virus-Host Interactions
Jason Orr Brant, BS,PHD
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Bioinformatics, Epigenetics
Jorg Bungert, BS,PHD
Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Epigenetics, Hematologic Malignancies
Jason M Butler, PHD
Professor
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Angiogenesis, Cell Signaling Pathways, Chemotherapy, DNA Damage & Repair, Hematologic Malignancies, Stem Cells, Vascular Targeting
Melike Caglayan, BS,MS,PHD
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Chemotherapy, DNA Damage & Repair, DNA Replication, Drug Design
Li Chen, PHD
Associate Professor
Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions
Program: MOO
Research Interests:
- Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Cancer Communications, Cancer Genetics, Epigenetics