The field of prostate cancer research has been greatly hindered by the paucity of new investigators entering nto the field. In recognition of the need to help establish independently funded investigators in the field of translational prostate cancer research, the UMCCC Prostate SPORE has supported two to three junior acuity per year. The focus of the Career Development Program is to give investigators the ability to generate data that will become the preliminary data for prostate cancer R01 grant applications. The SPORE currently commits $70,000 annually per investigator. Career Development awardees are currently funded for a maximum of two years, subject to annual review. Individual departments supply another $10,000 per year in matching funds. Investigators, many of whom are outside the field of prostate cancer, meet quarterly with Drs. Wood and Macoska who act as clinical and basic science resource mentors, respectively. Dr. David Wood is a Professor in the Department of Urology with a subspecialty in urologic oncology and serves as the 'clinical"""""""" mentor for the Career Development Program. Dr. Wood is nationally and internationally recognized for his expertise in urologic oncology, particularly prostate cancer. Dr. Macoska is a Professor of Urology, and Director of the cDNA Microarray Core of the UMCCC. Dr. Macoska is the """"""""basic science"""""""" resource mentor for the career development program. Both Drs. Wood and Macoska are very experienced .in the training of clinical and basic science fellows and faculty. The progress of the Career Development investigators is monitored yearly by presentation to the Operating Committee and funding can be stopped if the investigators are not fulfilling their commitment to prostate cancer translational research. During the current period, CDP investigators have generated $991,000 in new grant monies and produced 27 manuscripts. Since 1995, our CDP has invested $2.3 million in the program and supported 15 investigators. In addition, since 1995, the CDP investigators have generated an impressive $11.6 million in subsequent grants anc produced 72 manuscripts. The effectiveness of this program is reflected by the fact that three career development investigators (Drs. Cooney, Chinnaiyan, and Loberg) have become full project investigators on the SPORE during this time.
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