Sylvester faculty and programs earned national recognition for advancing cancer research, prevention and care during 2025:
National Honors
Jonathan Trent, M.D., Ph.D., associate director for clinical research, and Mikkael Sekeres, M.D., M.S., chief of hematology, earned the prestigious Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO) designation, one of ASCO’s highest honors. Dr. Sekeres also became host of ASCO’s Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology podcast and was elected to a four-year role on the American Society of Hematology Executive Committee.
The Next Generation
Neuro-oncologist Juan Blaquier, M.D., earned the inaugural Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO) Emerging Oncology Leaders Research Grant to study glioma resistance to IDH inhibitors.
Hematology-oncology fellow Chinmay Jani, M.D., received an ASCO Merit Award for his abstract presented at the organization’s annual meeting.
Taking Prevention Forward
Tracy Crane, Ph.D., RDN, co-leader of Sylvester’s Cancer Control Program and director of lifestyle medicine, prevention and digital health is redefining survivorship through lifestyle medicine, was named chair of NRG Oncology’s NCI Community Oncology Research Program Cancer Prevention and Control Committee, reflecting her leadership in lifestyle medicine and digital health.
Investing in Discovery
Four Sylvester investigators received institutional research grants from the American Cancer Society to fuel their innovative research:
- Nicholas Borja, M.D.: Genetic factors in hereditary cancer
- Mariana Cooke, M.D., Ph.D.: Targeting triple-negative breast cancer pathways
- Noa Geifman Holtzman, M.D.: Improving outcomes for acute lymphoblastic leukemia post-transplant
- Stefan Kurtenbach, Ph.D.: Molecular drivers of uveal melanoma
Further Recognition
- Justin Taylor, M.D., associate professor of hematology, was inducted into the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
- Sanoj Punnen, M.D., became co-lead of Sylvester’s Cancer Control Program.
- Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., was appointed chair of the Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council.
- Sylvester’s Radiation Oncology Department earned North America’s first International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS) Certification for brain radiosurgery
- Macarena de la Fuente, M.D., received the Women in Neuro-Oncology Mid-Career Exemplary Physician Award.