RET Hosts 5th Annual Moffitt Innovators of Tomorrow
Research Education and Training hosted the 5th Moffitt Innovators of Tomorrow (MIOT) Symposium, a competitive, two-day career and networking event for advanced PhD student researchers interested in pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer research on January 12, 2026. Selected candidates presented their research, met one-on-one with faculty, attended networking events with current postdocs, and participated in professional development workshops.
The symposium began with a welcome session and a panel discussion featuring current Moffitt postdoctoral fellows, providing attendees with an inside look at postdoctoral life at Moffitt. After a networking lunch, participants engaged in a professional development workshop led by Dr. Leanna Smithberger, focused on effective communication and articulating professional identity. Day one concluded with a poster session and reception where the 11 attendees showcased their research and exchanged scientific ideas with the Moffitt research community.
On day two, MIOT participants had the opportunity to network through individual meetings with research faculty and current postdocs that highlighted the collaborative and translational environment at Moffitt, further strengthening connections and exploring potential collaborations.
The MIOT Symposium continues to serve as a vital platform for fostering the next generation of cancer researchers, and we look forward to welcoming the next cohort in January 2027. Interested students can learn more about the program.
The 2026 MIOT Cohort of Innovators
- Daniel Betancourt (Florida State University | PI: Robert J. Tomko, Jr. & Zucai Suo)
- "Unraveling the temporal and spatial regulation of proteasome biogenesis"
- Pipasha Biswas (Ohio State University | PI: Allison Bradbury)
- "A highly promising in vitro model uncovers retroviral driven early NF2-SWN disease mechanism towards tumorigenesis and new therapy"
- Robert Dawson (University of Florida | PI: Wesley E. Bolch)
- "TetraMorph: Whole-body, patient-specific mesh phantoms for medical radiation dosimetry"
- Courtney Hill (University of Washington | PI: Amanda Phipps)
- "From the neighborhood environment to the gut microbiome: Uncovering multilevel drivers of racial and ethnic colorectal cancer disparities"
- Carstyn Joiner (University of Wisconsin-Madison | PI: Wei Xu)
- "Modeling metastatic ER+ breast cancer driven by FGFR alterations in rats"
- Kathryn Kennedy (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill | PI: Melissa Gilkey)
- "Clinical champions as an implementation strategy to improve HPV vaccine communication: A randomized implementation trial"
- Kelsey Maslana (University of Utah PI: Adriana Coletta)
- “Lifestyle behaviors and functional status in cancer survivorship: Informing assessment and intervention strategies”
- Kelly Otakhor (University of Nebraska Medical Center | PI: Micah Schott)
- “Lipid metabolism as a driver of hepatocellular carcinoma growth”
- Ariana Sabzevari (University of Virginia | PI: Thomas Loughran)
- “Epigenetic and transcriptomic changes with Azacitidine and Cladribine in LGL leukemia”
- Joanna Yeung (Rockefeller University | PI: Viviana Risca)
- “CDK4/6 inhibition induces a DNA damage-independent senescence-associated secretory phenotype driven by delayed activation of NF-κB”
- Jibin Zhang (University of California San Diego | Enfu Hui
- “Mechanistic dissection of CTLA4 biology in CD8+ T Cells”
