This is an amended first competitive renewal to support the Training Program in Cancer Biology, centered within the Hematology-Oncology Division of Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), which offers support to MD, MD/PhD, and PhD post-doctoral fellows (total of 8). We provide a multi-disciplinary program consisting of didactic instruction, ongoing journal clubs, seminars and retreats, and laboratory research. Important elements of the curriculum include close supervision by faculty advisors and the Training Grant Steering Committee, course work, and frequent interactions amongst trainees and faculty. The program is under the direction of Dr. Benjamin G. Neel, and the Associate Program Directors are Drs. Steven Balk and Michael Atkins. Most trainee faculty are based at BIDMC, within the Medicine and Pathology Departments. Selected faculty from surrounding Harvard Medical School-associated institutions (HMS Cell Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital) also participate as a consequence of the relevance and strength of their research and training records, and their frequent scientific interactions with BIDMC preceptors. Members of the training faculty have strong records of research accomplishments, well-funded research programs, and extensive and successful training records. Research opportunities for trainees are organized into five focus areas: Signal Transduction/Cell Cycle Control, Angiogenesis, Leukemogenesis/ Lymphomagenesis, Epithelial Cell Biology/Carcinogenesis, and Immunobiology/lmmunotherapy. During the 5 years of this program, we have supported 23 highly selected investigators with great promise for future contributions to oncology research. Relevance: The overarching principle guiding the program is that for rapid translation of basic research findings to the bedside, it is vital that clinicians receive broad and deep training in modern biological research, while Ph.D. researchers supplement their training with insights into cancer pathobiology. We anticipate that our program will allow our trainees who eventually focus on patient care to develop molecular based clinical trials with robust translational components, while encouraging our basic science trainees to interact with oncologists and apply their expertise to problems of immediate relevance to cancer patients.
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