University of Florida Health Cancer Center Support Grant

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OVERALL: ABSTRACT In recognition of achievements in fostering transdisciplinary research, inclusive workforce development, community engagement, and ability to enhance its impact on the catchment area (CA), the University of Florida Health Cancer Center (UFHCC) seeks NCI-Designation. UFHCC is a matrix center that supports cancer research and career enhancement across all 6 UF health sciences colleges (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health & Health Professions, and Veterinary Med) and 5 other UF colleges (Agriculture, Engineering, Health & Human Performance, Journalism & Communications, and Liberal Arts & Sciences). Collaborative research is conducted by 147 members across 3 UFHCC scientific programs: Mechanisms of Oncogenesis, Cancer Therapeutics and Host Response, and Cancer Control and Population Sciences. The UFHCC provides access to state-of-the-art technologies and research expertise for its members through 3 shared resources: Biostatistics and Quantitative Sciences, Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy, and Next Generation Sequencing. The UFHCC CA includes 23 contiguous counties in North Central Florida spanning ~17,500 mi2, about the size of Southern New England. Most of the counties (16) are rural and every county is classified as a Medically Underserved Area. The CA population is 2.2M and includes people who are Black (16%), Hispanic (10%), and has the highest fraction (23%) of residents ≥65 years in Florida. Through community outreach, UFHCC supports efforts to increase health literacy, prevention, screening, and research engagement. The UFHCC Clinical Research Office coordinates all cancer-relevant clinical research at UF, which includes a state-wide clinical trial network. IITs are facilitated through disease site groups with an IIT Think Tank that fosters clinician collaboration with basic and population scientists. UFHCC innovations translated to the clinic include targeted therapies, novel immunotherapies, therapeutic modulation of the microbiome, and new strategies to communicate with patients. UFHCC Developmental Funds seed early-stage research, support recruitment of new faculty, and build transdisciplinary teams. UFHCC offers inclusive research career enhancement programs across the learner spectrum. Since 2016, the UFHCC recruited 58 new members (45 external, 39 early-stage) (45% women, 17% URM). Peer-reviewed funding increased from $21M in 2016 to $32.6M/yr in 2021 (up 55%); NCI $9.6M to $13.2M (up 37%). Accruals to all interventional trials rose from 515 in 2016 to 1,748 in 2021 (up 3.4-fold). Institutional support of a $32M/year budget over the next 5 years and 44,000ft2 of new research space will allow UFHCC to expand. The new UFHCC strategic plan, Momentum 2027, has 4 pillars: 1) conduct transdisciplinary research (RNA biology, microbiome); 2) translate UFHCC discoveries to trials (immunotherapy, small molecules, cancer communication); 3) address cancer burden (cancer and aging, cancer health disparities); and, 4) train a prepared and diverse cancer research workforce, including leadership development. UFHCC is poised to make a major impact on the cancer burden of the catchment area, Florida, and beyond.