The NCAA March Madness basketball tournament is around the corner. But the scientific equivalent is already here – and you can vote for your favorite team!
Diana Azzam and her cancer research group at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work is one of 64 seeds in the annual STAT Madness, which brings together top teams from universities across the U.S.
Fans of scientific breakthroughs with the potential to positively impact the world can vote for the year's most innovative discoveries in health and medicine.
Teams in the bracket were selected by the editors of prominent health news site STAT, which runs the competition. Azzam and her group executed a scientific slam dunk last year with the publication in Nature Medicine of a study about groundbreaking personalized cancer treatment technology. The unique functional precision medicine approach developed by Azzam helped guide more effective treatments for children with hard-to-treat, relapsed cancers.
"As a scientist, it's a thrilling feeling to see our research recognized as a contender for STAT Madness," Azzam says. "Our approach has shown promising results, and I look forward to continuing this important work to help ensure cancer patients receive the right treatment at the right time."
Dean of FIU Stempel College Tomás R. Guilarte encourages everyone to cheer on FIU.
"This friendly competition helps bring awareness to the critical role research and health technology play on human health," he says. "I look forward to casting my vote for FIU. The work being done here by Dr. Azzam and her team is truly impactful. It's advancing science and bringing renewed hope to cancer patients and their families."
To vote for FIU — and bring the STAT Madness title to Florida this year — click here.
Ready to vote?
You can help FIU win this year's biggest health and medicine discovery!
Voting is now open. Like the NCAA basketball tornament, this single-elimination tournament pairs different teams against each other for several rounds. Vote daily to help FIU advance to the final championship matchup.
To vote, create an account (it takes a few seconds) and then click on FIU. (You can vote for just FIU or up to 32 teams in the first round.) The shot clock for first-round voting expires shortly after midnight on March 9.
