The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute

11/06/2025

WATCH: Neuroscientist Courtney Miller, Ph.D. is interviewed about the launch of human clinical trials for her drug candidate, MT-125, by Tiffany Kenney of WPBF 25 News.

In 2022 Professor Miller was recognized with BioFlorida's Weaver H. Gaines Entrepreneur of the Year Award for her commitment to developing first-in-class therapies for treatment of cancer and conditions. Miller launched a spin-off company, Myosin Therapeutics, with her colleagues at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, Patrick Griffin, Ph.D., and Ted Kamenecka, Ph.D., to accelerate this new potential treatment’s path to patients. With support from
UF Innovate their advance is moving quickly to the clinic.

https://www.wpbf.com/article/local-team-neuroscientists-reaches-major-milestone-brain-cancer-research/69238830

11/06/2025

Thank you, !

This week, The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute joins biotech innovators, investors and industry leaders at BioFlorida's Annual Conference to explore Florida’s expanding role in biomedical research and development.

From designing RNA-targeting therapies to unlocking the chemistry of new medicines, our scientists are tackling some of medicine’s toughest challenges, right here in South Florida.

Gogce Crynen, Ph.D., director of our Shared Services Core, is on site to share how our scientific services can help accelerate your next discovery.

Learn more about our available resources:
https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/cores-and-technologies/

10/31/2025

Congratulations to RNA biochemist Matthew D. Disney, Ph.D., on your recognition as the world's 5th most productive published author in your field.

Dr. Disney pioneered the once-unthinkable idea that medicines could target RNA. His discoveries have opened the door to new treatments for advanced cancers, Parkinson's, myotonic dystrophy, RNA viruses, ALS and frontotemporal dementia.

Learn more about his groundbreaking work: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/departments/centers-and-specialties/rnamedicine/

10/29/2025

Florida’s former CFO, Sen. Jeff Atwater, will chair the new Ambassador Council of The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, joining Vice Chair Marti LaTour, Chelsea Reed, and eight other leaders in business, law, philanthropy, patient advocacy and more. Their goal? Furthering the institute’s mission of scientific research and education through philanthropy.
We're so grateful for the wisdom and support of these great community-minded leaders! See the Ambassador Council members at the link: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/about-ufscripps/the-wertheim-uf-scripps-ambassador-council/
UF Research UF Health Chelsea Reed City Council/Former Mayor City of Palm Beach Gardens

10/22/2025

Check out this thoughtful news coverage on an antiviral discovery from the lab of Professor Susana Valente of The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, in Jupiter, Florida.

Thanks to Francesca Abarca of The Palm Beach Post for in depth coverage of this innovative science.

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/jupiter/2025/10/02/jupiters-scripps-institutes-latest-hiv-drug-offers-hope-for-cure/85740813007/

UF Health

A federal grant for HIV research is part of $15.7 million the National Institutes for Health awarded to the Wertheim UF Scripps Institute in Jupiter.

10/13/2025

Wondering what it’s like to be a graduate student at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute?

Our Ph.D. program offers more than just training, it offers a supportive environment where students collaborate on research with real-world impact.

Register now for a Virtual Open House on Oct. 23 to hear directly from faculty mentors and program leaders about our graduate program, admissions process, student life and how to apply: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/education/graduate-studies-at-uf-scripps/

10/06/2025

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is so tiny it would take 1,000 of them lined end-to-end to equal the width of a typical human hair. Still, the string-like genome packs instructions for tricking infected cells into making 27 different proteins.

One of them, called the frameshift element, enables efficient use of the tight viral real estate by letting the same strand make different proteins.

The element is in every variant, which is why it is the target of a potential new antiviral drug from the lab of Matthew Disney, Ph.D., at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute.

Read more about this fascinating work, the result of a collaboration with Arnab Chatterjee and Sumit Chanda at Scripps Research here: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/2025/10/06/scientists-blaze-new-path-to-fighting-viral-diseases/

Congratulations to co-first authors Sandra Kovachka, Ph.D., and Amirhossein Taghavi, Ph.D., of The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, and Jielei Wang, a graduate student in Disney’s lab.

This collaboration was made possible thanks to grants from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Muscular Dystrophy Association

10/03/2025

Dreaming of earning a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences?

Discover how you can launch your research career at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute in Jupiter, Florida, where students work alongside leading scientists using cutting-edge technology to prepare for careers in biotech, pharma, academia and more.

Join a Virtual Open House on Oct. 23 to hear from Associate Dean Laura Solt, Ph.D., and neuroscientist Sathya Puthanveettil, Ph.D.

You’ll learn how our collaborative, research-driven environment empowers students to pursue bold ideas and address urgent biomedical challenges.

Register today: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/education/graduate-studies-at-uf-scripps/

09/26/2025

From rainforest plants to ocean microbes, nature has played a role in inspiring more than one-third of today's FDA-approved drugs.

The Natural Products Discovery Center at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute serves as a national resource for scientists. The center's scientists have built a shared, state-of-the-art strain collection and resource hub to advance research and the development of natural products and their applications.

The 125,000-plus specimens housed there could hold the key to the next generation of antibiotics, cancer therapies and solutions to agricultural challenges.

Learn how these discoveries are driving innovation at the Outsmarting Cancer Public Lecture 2026 on Feb. 5, 2026:

Where scientists push the boundaries of human knowledge to solve humanity’s most pressing health challenges. Unique drug discovery tools enable researchers to go further, and seek potential treatments for diseases with unmet needs.

09/23/2025

Happy Tech Tuesday! Featured here is scientist Donna Zhang, Ph.D., who studies a system our bodies use to protect us from toxins and oxidative stress. It also plays a role in cancer, she's discovered.

09/16/2025

We’re proud celebrate the 16th annual National Postdoc Appreciation Week. This year’s theme, “Communicating Your Science and Research,” highlights the vital role postdoctoral researchers play in not only making discoveries, but making them accessible to multiple audiences, including other scientists and the public. Here at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute we started the week with an ice cream social to recognize and thank our postdocs for their invaluable contributions. Today, we’re enjoying a seminar led by Ann Searight Christiano, Director of the Center for Public Interest Communications University of Florida.

09/12/2025

The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute scientists focused on preventing cancer relapse, protecting children from HIV and understanding how brain cells communicate have been awarded state and federal grants worth up to $15.7 million over the next five years.

“Our focus is on bringing innovative new solutions to some of medicine’s most difficult challenges. These grants will ultimately benefit patients awaiting better options,” said Patrick Griffin, Ph.D.

Learn how these scientists hope to use their new awards to transform the future of medicine:

Wertheim UF Scripps Institute Research Garners $15.7 Million in New Awards Published On September 10, 2025 Social Media Facebook Twitter LinkedIn JUPITER, Fla. — Scientists at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology who research a wide range of diseases have been a...