Dr. Oz Visits Moffitt Cancer Center’s Research Kitchen and Laboratory
Key Takeaways:
- CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, toured Moffitt Cancer Center to learn about its cancer prevention and research efforts
- Oz visited PEARL, one of three such facilities nationwide, focused on advancing precision cancer interception
- Researchers highlighted work using biological and behavioral characteristics to improve cancer screening, prevention and treatment
Moffitt Cancer Center welcomed Mehmet Oz, MD, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator, for a behind-the-scenes tour to learn how the cancer center is contributing to the prevention and cure of cancer.
Oz was joined by U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee for a tour of Moffitt’s Population Engagement and Research Laboratory, known as PEARL. The facility is one of only three of its kind in the nation.
Moffitt President and CEO Patrick Hwu, MD, and Moffitt Physician in Chief Karen Lu, MD, welcomed Oz and Lee before they toured PEARL and sampled dishes prepared in the research kitchen. The menu included Mediterranean-inspired dishes focused on whole, unprocessed ingredients.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, and U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee join Moffitt leadership and researchers to learn more about cancer prevention and personalized medicine.
“We are honored to share how Moffitt is bringing together nutrition, research and prevention to improve the lives of our patients,” Hwu said. “Visits like this provide meaningful opportunities to demonstrate how innovative research can help us identify cancer risk earlier, improve outcomes and deliver the best care possible.”
Promoting Personalized Prevention
Opened in 2023, PEARL is a state-of-the-art facility with a goal of advancing precision cancer interception. This approach aims to stop cancer and its associated outcomes earlier in the process through personalized prevention, screening and treatment based on a person’s unique biological and behavioral characteristics.
Throughout the tour, researchers shared details about their work underway at PEARL and explained the impact it could have on more personalized approaches to cancer prevention and care.
The visit included a roundtable discussion with Moffitt experts about opportunities to advance cancer research and care.
Moffitt researchers who participated in the visit included Tiffany Carson, PhD, Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior research program lead, along with Greg Sawyer, PhD, Moffitt’s BioEngineering Department chair, and Sylvia Crowder, PhD, and Christine Vinci, PhD, researchers in the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior.
The visit concluded with a roundtable discussion that included Lary Robinson, MD, a surgeon in the Thoracic Oncology Department. Participants engaged in a meaningful discussion about Moffitt’s ongoing work and explored opportunities to further advance cancer prevention, research and patient care.
“Engagement with leaders at the state and federal levels is essential to advancing Moffitt’s mission and ensuring innovative cancer research continues to benefit our communities,” said Jamie Wilson, Moffitt’s vice president of Government Relations.
