2026
June 2026
- Dr. Joe G.N. Garcia presents “Dysregulated Innate Immunity Drives Acute and Chronic Lung Disease” at the XXIV Brazilian Congress of Toxicology (CBTOX 2026) in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Ben Stansfield defends his PhD titled “Molecular Determinants of Mutational Bias in the HLRCC Genome”
Advisor: Aikseng Ooi, PhD - Dr Joe GN Garcia publishes “Early Safety/Therapeutic Results of ALT-100 eNAMPT mAb Impact in the PUERTA Phase 2A ARDS Trial” in the American Journal of Respiratory Medicine.
- Article “ARDS patients improve with experimental treatment” on published paper
- Xiaoyi Zhu defends his PhD titled “Discovery of HSP70 Selective Inhibitors from a Direct-to-Biology Strategy”
Advisor: Eli Chapman, PhD
May 2026
April 2026
- Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis Symposium kicks off, bringing leading researchers and clinicians to Wertheim UF Scripps Institute to discuss emerging science, clinical challenges, and therapeutic opportunities in inflammatory lung diseases. International experts from Brown University, Yale University, Weill Cornell Medicine, the University of Virginia, Baylor College of Medicine, and other institutions participate in the inaugural symposium.
2025
Faculty Expansion
- CISSM expanded its expertise in cancer biology and precision medicine with the recruitment of Dr. Aikseng Ooi, whose internationally recognized research focuses on the molecular drivers of cancer and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
Research Highlights
- CISSM investigators identified inflammatory biomarkers associated with increased risk and severity of lung disease, advancing efforts to improve early diagnosis, patient stratification, and precision medicine approaches for pulmonary disorders.
- CISSM researchers demonstrated that the inflammation-targeting monoclonal antibody ALT-100 improved outcomes in preclinical models of preterm birth and obesity related liver disease, supporting eNAMPT as a promising therapeutic target for a broad range of inflammatory disorders.
2024
Faculty Expansion Strengthens CISSM’s Research Mission
- Faculty Expansion Strengthens CISSM’s Research Mission
- In 2024, the Center for Inflammation Sciences and Systems Medicine welcomed four distinguished investigators whose expertise significantly expanded the Center’s scientific breadth and collaborative research environment. Together, these accomplished investigators enhanced CISSM’s ability to advance innovative research across inflammation, vascular disease, pulmonary medicine, cancer, and translational therapeutics while fostering new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration throughout the University of Florida research community.
- Dr. Donna D. Zhang joined CISSM with an internationally recognized research program focused on oxidative stress, NRF2 signaling, environmental toxicology, and cancer biology.
- Dr. Jason X.J. Yuan brought global leadership in pulmonary vascular disease, pulmonary hypertension, and translational lung research.
- Dr. Ayako Makino strengthened the Center’s expertise in vascular biology and cardiovascular disease, with a focus on microvascular dysfunction and metabolic disease.
- Dr. Eli Chapman added nationally recognized strengths in chemical biology, drug discovery, and therapeutic development.
- Research led by Dr. Donna D. Zhang advanced understanding of NRF2, the cell’s master regulator of stress responses, demonstrating its potential as a promising target for cancer prevention and treatment while opening new avenues for precision oncology therapies.
2023
Research Spotlight
Center Launch
- Dr. Joe G.N. Garcia joins the University of Florida as Associate Vice President for Research at UF Health and founding director of the Center for Inflammation Science and Systems Medicine.
- CISSM is established to advance interdisciplinary research at the intersection of immunology, vascular biology, drug discovery, systems medicine, and data science.