We’re excited to launch a new series of periodic shout‑outs celebrating the incredible work happening across our MGM community. These updates will spotlight recent research, scholarly activities, awards, and other forms of recognition earned by our faculty, staff, and students.
So much meaningful and impactful work is happening every day, and we want to help share those successes. If you—or one of your more humble colleagues—have an accomplishment you’d like highlighted in a future post, please send it our way.
Below are just a few of the exciting highlights from the past couple of months.
Maury Swanson, Ph.D. received the 2026 UF College of Medicine Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna Distinguished Research Mentoring Award!
This award is named after the late Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) whose world-renowned work on the structure of viruses led to advances in gene therapy treatments for a variety of diseases. Dr. Agbandje-McKenna was extremely passionate about training the next generation of scientists. Her commitment to mentoring undergraduate researchers was felt throughout the Department and the College of Medicine. The BMB Undergraduate Poster Symposium was an event that Dr. Agbandje-McKenna always looked forward to, and we are honored to remember her legacy through this award.
The recipient of the Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna Undergraduate Poster Award will receive a cash prize funded by the Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, Ph.D., Scholarship Fund. Additionally, the recipient’s name will be inscribed on a trophy which will be on permanent display in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Academic Research Building.
Maury will be honored at the COM’s Celebration of Excellence in Education at the UF Hilton on April 2 at 5:30 pm.
Watch UF College of Medicine Research Spotlight: Maurice Swanson, PhD
Rolf Renne, Ph.D. received the 2025-2026 COM Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Award!
This award recognizes and rewards excellence, innovation and effectiveness in mentoring doctoral students through their final dissertation project. Faculty are nominated by students and/or faculty and the awardees are determined by the Graduate Dissertation Awards Committee. The COM’s two finalists go forward to the university-wide UF Graduate School’s Annual Doctoral Mentoring Award competition.
Rolf will be honored at the COM’s Celebration of Excellence in Education at the UF Hilton on April 2 at 5:30 pm.
Eric Wang, Ph.D. received the UF Innovator of the Year Award!
Dr. Eric Wang’s research focuses on all aspects of neuromuscular and neurological diseases, aswell as RNA biology. Specifically his lab in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiologyand the Center for NeuroGenetics focuses on myotonic dystrophy, a disease caused by genetic mutation, and how the mutation causes problems in muscles, the heart, and the brain.
“My lab is really focused on drawing a more defined path between basic understanding of disease mechanisms and how we’re actually going to treat them,” said Wang
In addition to being a dedicated scientist, Dr. Wang is also an entrepreneur. He is the co-founder ofKate Therapeutics, a UF biotechnology company that developed AAV-based gene therapies forMuscle and heart diseases. In November 24, Kate Therapeutics ws acquired by Novartis for $1.2 billion—UFRF had a significant equity position, resulting in excellent financial returns to the University of Florida.
When selecting the Innovator of the Year, UF Innovate considers a researcher’s body of work and selects someone who has made significant contributions that have been licensed and taken toThe marketplace, sometimes by the researcher launching a start-up based on discoveries.
Lizi Wu, Ph.D. received the renewal of her long-standing R01 from the NIH:
Signaling and Targeting of CRTC-MAML2 Fusion Oncoprotein in Salivary Gland Tumors
Karl Ensberg, B.S. received a UF Health Cancer Institute Predoctoral Award
Mentor: Scott Tibbetts, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Dissecting the molecular heterogeneity and proliferative drivers of MHV68-induced lymphomas
Kyle Scheller, B.S. received a UF Health Cancer Institute Predoctoral Award
Mentor: Lizi Wu, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Roles of CRTC1-MAML2 transcriptional condensates in mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC)