Cancer (see more articles like this)

“Unfortunately, cancer is a disease that almost everyone can relate to,” said Leslie Aldrich, administrator of the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute.  “The partnership between Florida Hospital and UCF benefits not only these two organizations but the community as a whole as we strive to further our research of cancer so that we one day might find a cure.” 

The endowment for cancer research was created when Florida Hospital donated $1 million from its annual Gala in 1994 to UCF which was then matched by $750,000 in state funds in 1995.  Through the partnership, Florida Hospital and UCF have jointly provided funds for 10 years to support oncology research in the community.  To date, funds have been awarded to 65 research projects.  The projects range from the study of how microparticles released from cancer cells affect blood clotting to the evaluation of patients’ responses to therapy for fatigue associated with breast cancer. 

“The endowment has been instrumental in ‘kick-starting’ many cancer research projects at Florida Hospital and UCF,” said John Francis, Ph.D., director of the Florida Hospital Institute of Translational Research.  “The major benefit is that the endowment provides funding to test an idea.”

Individual researchers from Florida Hospital or UCF can apply for grants up to $20,000.  In order to encourage the collaboration of researchers from different backgrounds and professions, researchers who conduct joint projects between the two organizations can receive grants of up to $45,000.

“The collaboration between UCF and one of the largest healthcare systems in the country is allowing us to further cancer research,” said Diane Andrews, Ph.D., RN, chairman of the Florida Hospital/UCF Endowment Oversight Committee.  “By encouraging cancer research within our community, we hope we can be a part of finding a cure.”

About Florida Hospital
Opened in 1908, Florida Hospital is one of the largest not-for-profit hospitals in the country, caring for more than a million patients per year – that’s more than any other hospital in the country, according to the American Hospital Association.  The nearly 1,900-bed system, comprised of seven hospitals and 16 Centra Care walk-in medical centers, has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best hospitals in the country for the past nine years.

About UCF
The University of Central Florida enrolls more than 47,000 students and has become an academic and research leader in fields such as the biomedical sciences, optics, modeling and simulation, nursing, education and hospitality management. UCF is in the process of opening a College of Medicine at Lake Nona that will enhance the community’s medical and research resources to the community.