Serendipity Z Rinonos, MD, PhD

Greetings, my name is Serendipity Zapanta Rinonos, MD, PhD. I am a board-certified neurologist and scientist, diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, specializing in neuro-oncology. My clinical practice is focused on providing innovative, compassionate care for adult patients with primary brain tumors. In addition, I am principal investigator of an independent laboratory, which is part of the Adam Michael Rosen Neuro-Oncology Laboratories at UF.

The mission statement of my laboratory is to harness epigenetics and molecular biological phenomena to develop innovative, targeted molecular therapeutics for malignant brain tumors. Clinically, my mission statement is to ensure my patients receive the most comprehensive, compassionate care possible, partnering with them to achieve the best possible outcomes. It is my passion to provide a “therapeutic educational experience” for my patients at every visit. This means that we specifically aim to meet every patient where they are conceptually, guiding them into a true understanding of their diagnosis and treatment options. The goal is to transform complex clinical concepts into accessible information, so that patients feel empowered to make truly informed decisions about their care.

Coming from a family of New Yorkers, I grew up in Manhattan, then moved to Richmond, Virginia, where I graduated from The Governor’s School for Government and International Studies. Returning to New York, I then completed my undergraduate studies in three years with honors from Cornell University as a Howard Hughes Research Scholar, completing my honors thesis research in the department of neurobiology. I received my doctor of medicine degree and doctor of philosophy degree in cell biology from the Medical Scientist Training Program at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. While at CWRU, I was also awarded an NIH T32 neuroscience predoctoral training grant.

Afterward, I moved back to Virginia to complete residency training in neurology at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals/VCU Health System, serving the city and community that fostered the initial launch of my professional career. During residency, I received multiple awards, including the American Academy of Neurology’s “Futures in Neurologic Research” award.

I then completed my clinical and research fellowship training in neuro-oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where I received two research grants/awards: the NIH T32 Tumor Biology Postdoctoral Research Award and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Postdoctoral Award. My neuro-oncology clinical mentors at UCLA were Dr. Timothy Cloughesy, Dr. Albert Lai and Dr. Leia Nghiemphu. While at UCLA, in the laboratory of Albert Lai, MD, PhD, together with senior scientist Tie Li, MD, PhD, I secured a provisional patent for our research developing targeted epigenetic editing as a novel therapeutic approach for malignant glioma. The goal is to ultimately translate this novel therapeutic strategy into clinical trials.

In my free time, I enjoy various modes of creative expression, including music, writing prose and poetry, drawing and painting, as well as playing musical duets and ensembles with family. I have been a lifelong concert violinist since the age of three, and my debut performance was at the United Nations Headquarters in New York at the age of four, with subsequent solo and orchestral performances throughout the U.S. and internationally. While in medical school, I also founded the Case Med String Quartet, a group of medical students and resident musicians performing for patients in hospitals and hospices in Cleveland. As a writer, I received several awards over the years, including the Cornell University Knight Institute Writing Prize for my essay, “The Violin Over Brain and Body,” integrating both neuroscience and musical passions.