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University of Florida researcher Erika Moore, Ph.D., was recently named to Forbes magazine鈥檚 30 Under 30 health care experts to watch in 2021. The 10th annual list recognizes 600 entrepreneurs, scientists, activists and entertainers who are changing the world.

The honor came as a surprise to Moore, 29, the Rhines Rising Star Larry Hench assistant professor of materials science & engineering in UF鈥檚 Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Moore is also a KL2 scholar in the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute. She celebrated with a quick call to her family and a tweet, then it was back to work.

Forbes noted Moore鈥檚 unique research on a form of lupus that primarily affects Black women. Her findings could be applied to any number of population segments based on race, age or gender.

Moore鈥檚 achievements, chosen by Forbes鈥� editors and industry judges from thousands of nominations, places her among the world鈥檚 most impactful young entrepreneurs and game-changers. Check here: for the full list.

Moore answered a few questions recently about this important recognition and her work.

Question: Why has an engineer鈥檚 perspective on human cells attracted so much interest?

Answer: My background is in immunology and biomaterials 鈥� looking at how our immune system responds and recognizes biomaterials in our bodies 鈥� within the context of regenerative medicine. I鈥檓 investigating how we might get the immune system to help us recover better after injury. This becomes really critical as we age and as we develop other malignancies, such as cancer. But one large aspect of this research that is overlooked is the fact that personalized medicine plays a huge role in how each person鈥檚 body responds. The consideration of race, sex and age will help us understand diseases better and build better biomaterials for clinical applications.

Q: Why are you developing many different drug and therapy models with a variety of human cells? Aren鈥檛 all human cells basically the same?

A: Many researchers only really consider one sex, one ethnicity in their models, and that鈥檚 a really limited perspective. We know clinically that different populations respond differently, even if it鈥檚 the same drug or treatment. Take redheads for instance: They respond differently to pain medications. So, metabolically they are different. These differences must be considered. In fact, the National Institutes of Health mandate the consideration of sex.

Q: What motivated you to focus on lupus?

A: The idea came when I was talking to (a Johns Hopkins colleague) at the gym one day about the contribution of sex, age and ethnicity or ancestry to our work. Since I鈥檝e been at UF, it鈥檚 become a fascinating aspect of my group鈥檚 work. We started with lupus because systemic lupus erythematosus is one of the most disparate forms you can find. It鈥檚 like night and day differences between women who are minorities who get it and women who identify as Caucasian. Of 100 people who get it, 90 are women, and 76 of those 90 are going to be women of color.

Q: Has UF鈥檚 community helped your research?

A: Oh, yes. Before I moved here, I reached out to UF lupus expert Dr. Laurence Morel, (Laurence Morel, Ph.D., a professor in the UF department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine) who is now one of my mentors. I emailed her out of the blue, 鈥淒o you want to work with me on this?鈥� and she responded, 鈥淎bsolutely!鈥� Through our conversations, we鈥檝e combined my passion with her expertise. Since then, I鈥檝e gained collaborators in the UF College of Medicine鈥檚 lupus clinic and faculty in UF鈥檚 Institute on Aging (including Mark Segal, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of medicine; Thomas Pearson, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the college鈥檚 M.D.-Ph.D. program; and Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., a professor in the department of aging and geriatric research). This is just another reason why UF is such fertile ground for me and my team.

Q: What will your team鈥檚 work mean for health care?

A: We鈥檙e trying to close the loop between translational medicine at the (lab) bench and clinical data in the hospitals. We鈥檙e trying to connect that personalized medicine aspect with the consideration of age, sex and ethnicity to the models that we develop in the lab. Hopefully, this will help us learn more about the diseases we study and why certain populations respond divergently from others.

Q: Why did you come to UF?

A: Well, it was a combination of prayer and a visit that led me to believe, 鈥淚 could grow here.鈥� Both my chair, Michele Manuel, (Ph.D., and Rolf E. Hummel Professor of Electronic Materials), and my dean, Cammy Abernathy, (Ph.D., and a professor of materials science and engineering), are committed to diversity, whereas in general, academia really struggles with diversity in faculty. UF is a leader in this regard. The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering has more African American women in tenure-track roles than any other university in the United States. My chair is a Black woman who leads the No. 8materials science department in the country. And my dean is one of only about 70 female engineering deans or directors in the country.

Q: You recently participated in UF鈥檚 Black Voices in Research storytelling event. Why did you take part?

A: Through vulnerability we can change perspective on our own prejudices. We are all prejudiced, we all carry bias, but taking time to say, 鈥淭his is my experience,鈥� and then having other people respond with, 鈥淥h, wait! That resonates with me,鈥� allows us to see each other from a different context. It allows us to connect and build a network. Through these connections, we鈥檙e able to become better researchers and better scientists, and that鈥檚 the true mission.

Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?

A: When I was 10, I was obsessed with biology. I watched a PBS series on mold 鈥� so I decided I was going to grow some with a plastic container, some bread and water. I wiped my fingers in dust, put the dust on the bread, sealed the container and hid it in my mom鈥檚 dresser. I remember my mom finding the mold a week later 鈥� I was successful! From there, my love of biology grew.

Q: What do you like to do when you鈥檙e not researching?

A: Other passion projects, such as working out and being physically active, are an absolute requirement for me. My favorite is Zumba or dance fitness. I also enjoy reading and learning about personal finance. With COVID-19 limitations, I鈥檝e also enjoyed calls with friends and setting up different communities virtually.

Q: What was your reaction when you found out you were on the Forbes list?

A: I found out that morning when everything was already released. I鈥檓 the kind of person happier doing my work, planning and interacting with my students, or training them to do things and seeing their excitement. So, when I found out, I was kind of like, 鈥淥K.鈥� I let my family know and then I tweeted about it because I thought it was worth celebrating, but literally within the next 30 minutes I went back to my writing group and kept writing the rest of the day because I was trying to complete additional proposals.

Q: So, no celebration at all?

A: Yeah, well, I think I bought myself my favorite meal: chicken tenders and fries. I know it鈥檚 not the healthiest, but it鈥檚 really good every now and then.

Media contact: Ken Garcia at kdgarcia@ufl.edu or 352-273-9799.