Newswise — Danny Reinberg, Ph.D., a world-renowned biochemistry and molecular mechanisms expert and the only Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator in Florida, has joined Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He brings decades of experience performing ground-breaking research in genetics, epigenetics and cellular processes. “Dr. Danny Reinberg is one of the most accomplished biomedical scientists in the world,” said Sylvester Director Stephen D. Nimer, M.D. “An icon in his field, he brings tremendous energy, expertise and commitment to the Department of Human Genetics that will further elevate our cancer research and its impact on our community.”
Sylvester Global Health Expert Strives to Extend Equitable Cancer Far Beyond South Florida
Gilberto Lopes, M.D., has a passion for equitable cancer care that extends far beyond his home base at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the South Florida region. Lopes serves as co-chair of the Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM) Coalition, a global health initiative established by the Union for International Cancer Control and partners such as Sylvester to reduce suffering and deaths from cancer in low- and lower middle-income countries by improving patient access to essential cancer medicine.
Research on New BRAF-Inhibitor Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Advanced, Inoperable Solid Tumors
New research led by Macarena de la Fuente, M.D., and colleagues at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center indicates that an experimental, targeted therapy shows promise for treating a wide range of tumors, including brain, colon, pancreatic, thyroid, ovarian, lung and skin cancers characterized by BRAF gene mutations. This phase 1/2a study included both adults and children with advanced, solid tumors that could not be surgically removed. de la Fuente presented the results at the recent American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago.
Sylvester Study Shows Clear Disparities in Federal Cancer Research Funding
A research team at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center compiled and analyzed statistics from federal cancer research funding sources and found that funds tend to be allocated more heavily toward cancers occurring more often in non-Hispanic white people than in other racial and ethnic groups. “The results are immediately actionable,” said Shria Kumar, M.D., a Sylvester gastroenterologist and senior author of the study, which appeared June 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. She and her research colleagues noted the need for agencies to “prioritize funding for cancers that disproportionately impact minorities to mitigate disparities and reduce cancer burden.”
Sylvester Surgeon Reflects on New, More Precise Treatments for Thyroid Cancer
Surgery has become a secondary treatment option for many thyroid cancer patients, with the emergence of more precise, targeted therapies and new medications. Zoukaa Sorgi, M.D., otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, reflected on this trend and other developments benefitting these patients as a participant in a panel discussion on thyroid cancer during the recent ASCO 2023 conference.
Sylvester’s Rojas Strives to Ensure Better Sexual Health for Women on Endocrine Therapy
Breast cancer treatments that can save a woman’s life can seriously harm her sexual health, says Kristin E. Rojas, M.D., a breast cancer surgeon at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center who’s leading efforts to preserve women’s sexuality, fertility and bone density while they receive endocrine therapy. Rojas, who spoke on this topic at ASCO 2023, created Sylvester’s Menopause Urogenital Sexual Health and Intimacy Clinic to address women’s sexual health after cancer treatment.
Sylvester Cancer Researcher Honored with Early Career Award at ASCO 2023
Shria Kumar, M.D., clinical epidemiologist and gastroenterologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and researcher with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, was presented a Conquer Cancer Career Development Award at ASCO 2023. The award is a three-year grant to fund researchers during the initial years of their faculty appointments to help them establish independent clinical research programs. Kumar’s research focuses on screening, detection and early management of GI cancers. She hopes to develop a risk estimator to better counsel patients on future cancer risk.
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World-Renowned Biochemist Joins Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
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