Translational Oncology Training Program
Biography
Overview
Summary Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US, and many challenges still remain to discover novel and more effective approaches to cure this devastating disease, which requires strong effort in translating basic science knowledge into clinics. To accomplish this goal and further promote translational cancer research, it is imperative to establish a sustainable program to train and educate the next generation of scientists and clinicians, who must have broad knowledge and the ability to communicate and work with colleagues in both fields. The goal of the Translational Oncology Training program (TOTP) is to ensure that the next generation of cancer researchers are equipped with the tools and knowledge that will enable them to bring bench-top discoveries into clinical trials and vice versa. The fellows and students in this program will receive unique training in four different but highly integrated themes: Preclinical Modeling (PCM); Cancer Image Guidance (CIG); Cancer Bio-Validation (CBV); and Clinical Translation (CLT). PCM focuses on analysis of pathways and signaling involved in tumor progression using various preclinical models in order to identify potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers. CIG provides training in state of the art image-guided diagnostic approaches and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems. Trainees in CBV will learn up-to-date bioinformatics skills in multi-omics setting in order to study and analyze large cohort patient database. Preceptors in CLT have ample experiences in clinical trials and they provide guidance on how to translate basic knowledge into clinical trials. Trainees will rotate through three out of four themes during the first year while taking didactic lectures from all four themes. They will also assemble a mentoring team consisting of both Ph.D and MD faculty. The majority of preceptors of this T32 program are in the Hematology/Oncology and Cancer Biology departments. This structure merges strong clinical and basic science entities in the Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center (WFBCCC). However, this training program is multidisciplinary and in all, preceptors come from 11 different departments. The program is unique with many innovative training tools: (i) highly integrated 4 translational themes that include both didactic lectures and hands-on rotations among the themes; (ii) inclusion of both Ph.D postdocs and MD fellows to promote both bench-to-bedside and bedside-to-benchtop translational cancer research; (iii) an individualized mentor team consisting of both Ph.D and MD faculty; (iv) boot camp for clinical trial preparation for trainees (v) support from Disease Oriented Teams (DOTs) from WFBCCC; (vi) Transition to Independence (TTI) program to support trainees to become independent through preparation for K-type applications; and (vii) Broad-base career opportunities and development plans such as Ph.D/MBA for graduate students. Therefore, through this training program, Ph.D fellows/students will learn how they can bring basic science knowledge into bedside, while MD fellows will have a deeper understanding of translational, hypothesis-driven research.
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