Since its inception in 1999, the primary objective of the T32 Urologic Oncology Research Training Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) has been to train select urologists for productive careers in translational research in urologic oncology. Dedicated research training in urologic oncology is essential to the mission of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to reduce morbidity and mortality from genitourinary cancers, which cause about 10% of all cancer-related deaths in the United States and which are expected to rise steadily in incidence as the population ages. An NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center since 1973, MSKCC provides a first-class environment with many unique resources for the training of clinician-scientists, including a high volume of patients with all types and stages of urologic malignancies, large clinical databases with long-term clinical follow-up, large fresh tumor banks with blood samples, and cutting-edge basic and translational scientific research programs. The T32 Urologic Oncology Research Training Program at MSKCC has been designed to capitalize on these unique research training opportunities. For the proposed funding period, the new Program Director and T32 Committee have developed an interactive, multidisciplinary research training strategy that integrates the following: (1) a multidisciplinary faculty of basic, clinical, and translational researchers spanning the discipline of surgery, molecular pharmacology and chemistry, medicine, cancer biology and genetics, molecular radiology, biostatistics and epidemiology, and laboratory medicine, (2) an intensive mentored research practicum tailored to the T32 trainee's research interests and goals, (3) a core curriculum of required didactic and discussion-based courses to enhance the quality of the hands- on research training, (4) structured career development workshops in grant writing and career development awards, and (5) elective activities that will allow T32 trainees to further immerse themselves in the world of cancer research and to network with peers and established leaders. Each year, 2 highly committed postdoctoral trainees from the Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program at MSKCC are selected for the T32 Urologic Oncology Research Training Program. They must have an MD, must have completed residency training in urology, and must be board-eligible urologists. These 2 trainees are supported by this T32 training grant during 2 years dedicated to urologic oncology research training, with appointment to the 2nd year contingent on suitable progress. At the completion of their training, graduates of theT32 Urologic Oncology Research Training Program are expected to be attractive candidates for junior faculty appointments at research-focused academic organizations. In the past 5 years, 88% of T32 trainee graduates have matriculated to faculty positions at academic institutions and are engaged in laboratory and/or clinical research aimed at understanding and overcoming genitourinary cancers.
The T32 Urologic Oncology Research Training Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) trains qualified urologists for careers as clinician-scientists focused on eliminating suffering and death from genitourinary cancers, which comprise 31% of all non-skin cancers and cause 10% of all cancer deaths in the United States.
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