Undergraduate Research Day 2024

The Office of Research Education and Training (RET) at Moffitt Cancer Center hosted the annual Undergraduate Research Day on Aug. 7. The event celebrated the students of the SPARK (Summer Undergraduate Program to Advance Research Knowledge) and the ENCOURAGE-Diversity (Encouraging Cancer & Oncology Undergraduate Research Growth and Engagement) programs. These summer programs were generously supported by the Frank E Duckwall Foundation, the Glenn W. Bailey Foundation and the American Cancer Society.

Research Day included presentations from the students explaining their summer-long research projects. The event not only provided a platform for the students to present their work but also facilitated dialogue among peers, mentors and family members.

Following the presentations, students, their families, donors and mentors attended the reception where a presentation was delivered by Kerrijo Ellis, a PhD candidate at the University of South Florida in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies. Ellis shared her journey and advocacy work in the field of cancer awareness. In December 2021, Ellis was diagnosed with stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Despite this challenging diagnosis, she has become a prominent advocate for cancer awareness. Currently serving as an Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Ambassador and a member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) at Moffitt, Ellis is committed to supporting patients, survivors, caretakers and families affected by cancer.

Research Day concluded with a presentation of certificates to each of the students acknowledging their hard work and dedication throughout their internships. The Annual Undergraduate Research Day not only highlighted the students’ accomplishments but also the importance of continued cancer education, research, advocacy and innovation. We look forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come!

2024 SPARK Interns:

• Meghna Bukkapatnam

  • Mentor: Dr. Eric Haura

  • Supervisory Mentors: Dr. Anurima Majumder and Liznar Bridenstine

• Daniel Carvajal

  • Mentor: Dr. Steven Eschrich

  • Supervisory Mentor: Rodrigo Carvajal

• Sofia Cuello

  • Mentor: Dr. Natarajan Raghunand

• Kaleigh Delbridge

  • Mentor: Dr. Eric Padron

  • Supervisory Mentor: Marie Balasis

• Gina Dhillon

  • Mentor: Dr. Jong Park

  • Supervisory Mentor: Dr. Hyun Park

• Fadi Gouda

  • Mentor: Dr. Karen Mann

• Avery Hames

  • Mentor: Dr. Michael Dunne

• Leif Holmstrom

  • Mentor: Dr. Mark Alexandrow

  • Supervisory Mentor: Dr. Kevin Xiang

• Aaron Johnson

  • Mentor: Dr. Greg Sawyer

  • Supervisory Mentor: Dr. Diego Pedro

• Julia Lavrador

  • Mentor: Dr. Greg Sawyer

  • Supervisory Mentors: Dr. Alfonso Pepe and Athena Tsingelis

• Baasil Malik

  • Mentor: Dr. Conor Lynch

  • Supervisory Mentor: Mostafa Nasr

• Humberto Martinez

  • Mentor: Dr. Nick Lawrence

  • Supervisory Mentor: Briley Humphrey

• Alexander Miller

  • Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Wright

  • Supervisory Mentor: Dr. Erika Eksioglu

• Julia Miller

  • Mentor: Dr. Alex Jaeger

  • Supervisory Mentor: Dr. Andrew Deonarine

• Layla Scurry

  • Mentor: Dr. Alvaro Monteiro

  • Supervisory Mentor: Dr. Thales Da Costa Nepomuceno

• Diya Upadhyaya

  • Mentor: Dr. Renee Brady-Nicholls

2024 ENCOURAGE Interns:

• Kiana Antoine

  • Mentor: Dr. Tiffany Carson

  • Supervisory Mentor: Alissa Pena

• Johnathan Berroa

  • Mentor: Dr. Clement Gwede

  • Supervisory Mentor: Rania Abdulla

• Cayley McCloskey

  • Mentor: Dr. Elsa Flores

  • Supervisory Mentor: Dr. John Lockhart

• Sheila Rodriguez

  • Mentor: Dr. Paulo Rodriguez

  • Supervisory Mentor: Dr. Julio Vazquez Martinez