UF alumnus to travel to England, research cancer

A UF alumnus is one of 36 U.S. citizens to earn a prestigious University of Cambridge scholarship.

Grant Simpson, who graduated from UF in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, said he found out he won the Gates Cambridge Scholarship on Feb. 1. In total, 800 people applied, he said.

In October, he will travel to the University of Cambridge, located in Cambridgeshire, England, to pursue a master’s in philosophy and chemistry while researching anti-cancer strategies.

“Everyone over there is at the top of their game, so it will be a chance to study at one of the best institutions in the world,” Simpson said.

His project, which he developed with a UF professor, aims to discover new ways to prevent cancer by attaching antibodies and cytoplasmic drugs, both of which target cancer cells, to a quadruple helical DNA, he said.

This is the third year in a row a UF alumnus was selected as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, according to a UF News press release.

Dr. Khan Ha, a former UF teaching associate and current resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, said he’s happy for his former student, who has applied for the Cambridge program before.

“I know that he has the qualified cations to do well, but at the same time he didn’t get it last year, so I was excited beyond a doubt,” Ha said.