UF College of Medicine’s 2024 NIH-funded research makes an impact in neurological disease, cancer, diabetes and more
Investigators administered more than 340 medical research projects
March 4, 2025 — Thanks to funding from the National Institutes of Health, researchers at the University of Florida College of Medicine have contributed significant projects to improve the lives of current and future patients impacted by a wide range of medical conditions.
In 2024, investigators initiated and continued multiyear federally funded projects that may soon lead to new treatments for conditions ranging from antibiotic resistant infections and diabetes to pediatric cancer and dementia.
“Every day, UF College of Medicine researchers — from our principal investigators, trainees and techs alike — use their passion and talents for science to solve problems impacting our patients,” said Azra Bihorac, M.D., M.S., senior associate dean for the UF Medicine office of research. “We are grateful to the NIH for enabling our researchers to fulfill the college’s mission of improving quality of life for all.”
The UF College of Medicine received more than $166 million in NIH funding during fiscal year 2024, which supported over 340 research projects. Some of these include:
- The development of new treatments for melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer
- An investigation into the role of RNA modifications in non-small cell lung cancer, which may inhibit lung cancer cell growth
- Continuation of a network of clinical trials dedicated to the study, prevention and early treatment of Type 1 diabetes, which has so far screened more than 200,000 people for disease risk
- Identifying the best prevention for the most common type of stroke, affecting 80,000 Americans each year
Better diagnosis and development of new therapies
Neuroscience/neurology and neurosurgery research at Florida ranked No. 2 in NIH funding among all public universities in the U.S. in fiscal year 2024.
The Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery received a total of $12.7 million in NIH funding, which department chair Brian Hoh, M.D., M.B.A., said is the result of decades of hard work by faculty and investigators.
“The goal has always been to take better care of our patients — to find better treatments to not only extend their length of life, but preserve its quality, too,” Hoh said.
Across UF, neuroscience, neurology and neurosurgery researchers are investigating mechanisms of disease, better methods of diagnosis and potential new therapies in a variety of disorders. These range from stroke and traumatic brain injury to developmental and neuropsychiatric disorders to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and more.
Pushing medicine’s boundaries with AI
Florida researchers are continuing to increase the scope of their investigations through innovative technologies and leading-edge techniques.
The College of Medicine received $550,000 in funding from the UF President’s office and will receive $2.5 million over the next five years from NIH for its Artificial Intelligence Passport for Biomedical Research project — a nationwide, agile training program designed to help health care professionals and researchers in biomedical and clinical sciences acquire the skills necessary to integrate AI into their research through accessible learning modules, applied AI learner-led activities and peer feedback.
Upon completing the program, participants earn a digital AI Passport certificate that they can include in their credentials. More importantly, they acquire knowledge of foundational AI concepts, tools and approaches needed to thrive in the evolving health care landscape.
The project addresses the unique needs of a biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce that has no previous training in Al. In addition to providing a foundational understanding of AI concepts and teaching AI skills, the courses train participants in its ethical and responsible use.
