Hematology & Oncology
Division of Hematology and Oncology
Hematologic Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplantation Program
The BMT Program is one of the 16 core centers that make up the NHLBI/NCI Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network and Dr. Wingard is a Past Chair of the Steering Committee of the Network and serves on Executive and Steering Committees of the Network. The BMT Program works closely with the UFSCC Stem Cell Biology Group to identify new applications for stem cell therapies and with the UF Diabetes Center to explore immunotherapies for diabetes. Together with the Cardiology division, we are one of 5 centers that are funded by NHLBI to evaluate cellular therapies of cardiovascular therapies. The team consists of members of several departments including Medicine, Pediatrics, Pathology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. Efforts of only the Medicine faculty members are included below.
Specific areas of investigations of members of this group include (1) new treatment strategies for lymphomas (Lynch), multiple myeloma (Moreb, Wirk), acute leukemia (Hsu), myelodysplastic syndromes (Cogle), (2) improving transplant outcomes by improving our understanding and enhancing immune reconstitution after transplant (Hsu), new immunosuppressive regimens (Wingard), use of cord blood in transplantation (Wingard), novel antimicrobial strategies (Wingard), and psychosocial adjustment to therapy (Wingard and Bishop), and (3) understanding the plasticity of stem cells into transdifferentiation to other tissues in humans and in experimental animal models (Cogle and Wingard). Resources of the group include a 20-bed dedicated inpatient unit (Wingard), a contiguous outpatient clinic (Wingard), stem cell laboratory (Moreb), cord blood tissue bank (Wingard), and stem cell collection facility (Wingard).
The goals of this program are to:
- Develop and test new therapeutic strategies for patients with hematologic malignancies;
- Optimize treatment outcomes of blood and marrow transplantation;
- Advance the understanding of the biology of hematologic malignancies and normal hematopoietic stem cell biology.
Faculty:
John Wingard, MD
Professor and Director of Bone Marrow Transplantation Programs
Deputy Director, University of Florida Shands Cancer Center
His broad research effort is in exploring various strategies to optimize hematopoietic stem cell
transplantation outcomes and explore new applications of stem cell transplantation. Areas of funded
research include 1) new antifungal therapies, 2) psychosocial adjustment after BMT, 3) conduct of phase III
clinical trials of transplant strategies, and 4) identification of fungal proteins that are virulence factors and
targets for vaccine development and new diagnostics.
W. Stratford May, Jr., MD, PhD
Professor
His laboratory is actively involved in basic and translational research focusing on the molecular mechanisms
by which IL-3 hematopoietic growth factors regulate cell growth and survival and involving four specific
areas: (1) post-translation mechanisms regulating the antiapoptotic molecule, Bcl2; (2) molecular studies
designed to determine how RAX (PKR Associated Gene X), the first cellular activator of the doublestranded
RNA dependent protein kinase (PKR), regulates PKR and protein synthesis; (3) determining how
JAZ (Just Another Zinc Finger Protein) that displays the unique property of preferentially binding dsRNA,
regulates cell growth; and (4) determining how KOS (Kinase of Stem Cells), a non-receptor protein tyrosine
kinase negatively regulates RAS activation and cell growth. RAX, JAZ and KOS were discovered by the
May lab. He is also a clinically active member of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Service,
with a research interest in stem cell biology and the role of stem cells in leukemogenesis.
Jan Moreb, MD
Professor
His areas of specialization in laboratory research are in drug resistance, gene expression and cell biology. His
research interests and activities have involved laboratory research focused on aldehyde dehydrogenases
(ALDH) isozymes and their role in drug resistance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) as well as cancer cells
and more recently as a possible marker for lung cancer stem cell. He is board certified in Internal Medicine
and in Hematology. Areas of specialization in clinical research and patient care have involved different
aspects of stem cell transplantation (SCT) including stem cell mobilization, engraftment, and the use of new
methods to improve outcomes after autologous SCT (ASCT) for myeloma and lymphoma patients. Tandem
transplants, post-transplant maintenance therapy, including adoptive immunotherapy and Phase II and Phase
III trials for Multiple Myeloma are his current areas of interest.
Christopher Cogle, MD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Cogle's clinical focus is on the myelodysplastic syndromes, acute leukemias and hematopoietic cell
transplantation. His research focus is on normal and malignant hematopoietic stem cells. Dr. Cogle has
published numerous articles on the hemangioblast activity and plasticity potential of normal and malignant
stem cells. Translating his research technology into the clinic, Dr. Cogle uses marrow from patients to
regenerate degenerative diseases including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Dr. Cogle also
discovered the vasculogenic potential of leukemia stem cells and conducts early phase clinical trials testing
novel anti-vascular therapies for leukemia. Dr. Cogle's translational laboratory has hosted several students,
residents and fellows who have co-authored publications with Dr. Cogle and have earned their own grant
funding.
Jack Hsu, MD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Hsu is board certified in medicine and hematology. He is involved in patient care in leukemia and stem
cell transplantation. He is interested in development of novel agents for the treatment of leukemia and
lymphoma as well as graft versus host disease (GVHD). He is also interested in how the immune system
affects cancer and is investigating the effect of chemotherapy on lymphocytes.
Baldeep Wirk, MD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Wirk is interested in advancing new therapeutic approaches to multiple myeloma and determining the
effect of comorbidities on transplant outcomes.
Michelle Bishop, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Bishop is a clinical health psychologist whose research interests lie primarily in the area of cancer
survivorship, with a particular focus on patients and families who have undergone hematopoietic cell
transplantation (HCT). Current research projects include quality of life, negative changes, and positive
growth in long-term HCT survivors and their spouse-caregivers, psycho-educational self-care intervention
for HCT caregivers, HCT-caregiver needs assessment, and telephone-based expressive writing interventions
with patients and caregivers. Additional research interests include health behaviors of survivors and spouses
following HCT. Dr. Bishop also serves as a liaison between the bone marrow transplant program and the
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, which conducts pre-transplant psychosocial evaluations and
offers clinical consultation services.
Gerard Madlambayan, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Madlambayan is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of
Hematology/Oncology. He obtained a Ph.D. degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters degree
form the University of Michigan in the areas of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Madlambayan is
recognized for his translational research efforts in the area of stem cell engineering with a specific emphasis
on elucidating the signaling mechanisms responsible for controlling stem cell fate decisions and bioprocess
design. Dr. Madlambayan has industry experience as the Senior Scientist and Laboratory Director of
Insception Biosciences, Canada’s leading stem cell research company. Dr. Madlambayan has developed and
patented a bioprocess for the growth of cord blood derived stem cells, which has been approved for use in
clinical trials. Dr. Madlambayan has authored peer reviewed original papers, review articles and a book
chapter in the areas of stem cell biology/engineering and has presented his research at several international
conferences.