The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute

01/13/2026

Every cure begins with understanding.

The future of cancer treatment unfolds in the labs of The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology. Here, scientists are discovering hope through science.

Patients with hormone-sensitive cancers have a champion in structural biologist Kendall Nettles, Ph.D. Nettles is learning how hormones in our bodies and the environment affect cancer's growth and spread. His goal is to make safer, more effective medications for cancer patients everywhere.

Meet Nettles and other cancer researchers on Thursday, Feb. 5, for a special lecture, Outsmarting Cancer: Lessons from Nature, to learn how our scientists draw inspiration from nature to create treatments that work with the body, right here in Jupiter, Florida.

Reserve your seat today: wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/institute-news/outsmarting-cancer/

01/09/2026

When new diseases emerge, science must move fast.

At The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, scientists use advanced robotics and biochemistry to unearth potential treatments for a wide range of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and various cancers.

Led by Timothy Spicer, Ph.D., and Louis Scampavia, Ph.D., the High-Throughput Molecular Screening Center deploys industrial-style robots to screen hundreds of thousands of compounds in a matter of hours.

Learn more about how the institute's experts are inventing tomorrow's treatments for today's incurable diseases: https://bit.ly/49vj7e7

01/08/2026

A group of otherwise effective drugs for Type 2 diabetes called glitazones have black-box warnings from the FDA due to harmful side effects. Scientists from The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute harnessed computational simulations on the University of Florida supercomputer, HiPerGator, to accelerate design of a new generation of related medications engineered to avoid those pitfalls. They are working to move them to the clinic. Read more about their progress here: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/2026/01/08/hipergator-supercomputer-accelerates-diabetes-drug-discovery/

12/31/2025

Happy New Year from The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute!

As we enter 2026, we remain inspired by the breakthrough science happening every day in our labs. We are grateful for the dedicated researchers, students and supporters who help us discover hope through science.

Looking forward to another year of tackling the toughest challenges in medicine, together.

12/26/2025

Every brain holds memories — some joyful and some painful.

For those living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction and memory disorders, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology is discovering hope through science.

Our researchers are pioneering drug discoveries by targeting a vital family of motor proteins called myosins. These proteins help shape memory and control how cells grow, but they also play a central role in serious conditions like glioblastoma and PTSD.

By developing precision treatments that target myosin motor activity, we are working to reshape how cells behave to weaken traumatic memories or even stop a tumor in its tracks.

Read more on how we are tackling the toughest challenges in medicine: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/the-machinery-of-disease-scientist-invents-a-molecular-wrench-that-thwarts-cancer/

12/19/2025

Discovering hope through science.

People with rare diseases like ALS, muscular dystrophy and glioblastoma need cures. Scientists at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute use advanced tools and expertise to investigate rare genetic diseases and invent new medicines. They target the root causes of disease, not just their symptoms.

Learn more about how the institute's experts invent tomorrow's treatments for today's incurable diseases, and forge collaborations to bring the discoveries to patients: https://bit.ly/4540cWb

12/15/2025

In Memoriam: Recalling the Wit and Wisdom of Molecular Biologist Charles Weissmann, M.D., Ph.D., founder of our institute's infectious disease research program.

He was also a co-founder of one of the world's first biotechnology companies, Biogen; invented cloning methods for interferon-alpha 2, long used to treat hepatitis C and some cancers; contributed to the discovery of the infectious nature of prion diseases such as scrapie and "mad cow disease," and developed phage-based methods for creating genetic mutations, long before CRISPR-Cas-9 existed.

Read more about his fascinating life of discovery and invention here: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/2025/12/15/in-memoriam-recalling-the-wit-and-wisdom-of-inventive-scientist-dr-charles-weissmann-m-d-ph-d/

12/11/2025

Matthew Disney, Ph.D., chemistry department chair and director of the Center for RNA Genomic Medicine at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, opened the North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce’s December Business Before Hours event with a powerful reminder: AI is not just about productivity, it’s about the potential to improve lives.

Disney shared how researchers at the institute are using tools like Google’s AlphaFold and UF’s HiPerGator supercomputer to accelerate drug discovery, particularly for diseases driven by faulty RNA. His lab’s work is helping to shape a future where conditions like ALS, Parkinson’s and certain cancers can be treated at the molecular level.

With more than 130 million Americans living with chronic or incurable diseases, the urgency for new approaches is clear, and it’s happening right here in South Florida.

Learn more about Disney's novel treatments: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/from-incurable-to-treatable/

12/11/2025

Every cure begins with understanding.

At The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, scientists explore life at the molecular level to uncover tomorrow’s treatments. Brain conditions, aggressive cancers and rare genetic diseases — our research tackles the toughest challenges in medicine.

Learn how this work is transforming lives, and how it’s happening right here in South Florida: https://bit.ly/48zpi1u

12/03/2025

HIV medicines keep the virus under control but are not a cure. If treatment stops, HIV can come roaring back. An FDA‑approved diuretic may be a useful add-on to antiretroviral therapy, a new study finds.

JUPITER, Fla. — An FDA‑approved medication called spironolactone, often prescribed as a diuretic, or water pill, for heart and blood pressure conditions, may…

12/02/2025

HIV medicines keep the virus under control but are not a cure. If treatment stops, HIV can come roaring back. An FDA approved diuretic may be a useful add-on to antiretroviral therapy, a new study from professor Susana Valente, Ph.D., and colleagues finds.

Read more: https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/2025/12/01/common-water-pill-spironolactone-may-help-hiv-medicines-work-faster-and-reduce-inflammation-early-study-suggests/

12/01/2025

Tick tock, Future Scientists!
December 1st waits for no one! Today is the final day to submit applications to the two bioscience doctoral programs based at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Graduate studies are delivered through two programs: the Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences at Scripps Research, based in La Jolla, California, and the University of Florida's Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences. Both PhD programs have distinct application processes, both pay a nice stipend, and both have a December 1 deadline.
Time to hit submit!. Your future self will thank you.

https://wertheim.scripps.ufl.edu/education/graduate-studies/