Education/Training and Outreach Activities Integrative training Plans to create/expand local and remote modules for Integrative training that may Include graduate programs, fellowships, certifications, courses, and internal seminar series to develop multidisciplinary trainees that can tackle cancer-related problems with physical sciences and engineering approaches. Nanomedicine Certificate Cancer Nanotechnology is part of the rapidly growing discipline of Nanomedicine that involves the integrafion of nanotechnology and biomedical research. Recognizing that this highly interdisciplinary approach has many important ramifications for both basic and applied biomedical research, during the first phase of the Carolina CCNE, we created a Certificate in Nanomedicine through the UNC Graduate School. We plan to continue to offer this Certificate Program. This certificate is available to students enrolled in PhD programs in the physical or biomedical sciences, and to postdoctoral fellows in similar areas. The Certificate program is an adjunct to existing PhD programs and the requirements of the Certificate would be in addition to the normal PhD program requirements. Approval by the trainee's primary mentor is required for participation in the Certificate Program. A key goal for this Program is to be rigorous and truly interdisciplinary, but yet remain accessible to students and postdoctoral fellows from very diverse backgrounds. To attain this objective, there are three major aspects ofthe Certificate Program. Nanomedicine Course (3 course hours) This is an interdisciplinary course directed by Project 3 PI Dr. Russell Mumper and is co-taught by many current CCNE faculty including DeSimone, Zhou, Huang, Lin, Zamboni and Juliano. This course is required of all students/fellows in the Nanomedicine Certificate Program. The course offers an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of nanomedicine for students with physical, chemical or biological science background and emphasizes emerging nanotechnologies and biomedical applicafions including nanomaterials, nanoengineering, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, nano-based imaging and diagnosfic systems, nanotoxicoiogy, and translating nanomedicines into clinical investigation. Research Rotafion in Complementary Field of Nanomedicine (3 course hours) Each student (or fellow) in the Program will have both a primary mentor and a co-mentor. If the primary mentor is a physical scienfist then the co-mentor must be a biomedical scientist, or vice-versa. As an important part of the Nanomedicine Certificate Program, the student/fellow will spend the equivalent of one research rotation (approximately three months) in the laboratory of the co-mentor conducfing research and absorbing the intellectual framework of the complementary field as it applies to nanomedicine. Rotation plans will be approved by the mentor, co-mentor, and the guiding mentor from the Certificate Program Committee. The co-mentor will be expected to play an active role in the training process. Coursework (4 course hours) Students will be expected to complete 4 course hours of coursework at least 1 of which may not count toward the student's regular Ph.D. program. This would include a minimum of two courses or four course hours. The courses are grouped as 'Physical Sciences', 'Biological Sciences'and 'Interdisciplinary'. At least one course must be outside the student's primary field. Thus, for example, a student from a physical science Ph.D. program must take at least one course from the Biological Science or Interdisciplinary offerings, while a student from a biological Ph.D. program must take at least one course from the Physical Science or Interdisciplinary offerings. In addition to UNC-CH courses, students would be able to select a web-based course offered by Washington University in St. Louis, supported by their Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence. This course has a broad focus from materials science to imaging and clinical applicafions and would provide a great opportunity to gain a perspecfive on nanomedicine from another leading Institution. Students would register as """"""""unclassified students"""""""" at Washington University, where there is precedent for negofiafing a tuition waiver and granting credit to students from another institution. C-CCNE monthly seminar series We plan to continue the C-CCNE monthly seminar program that we started in Year 1. This very successful seminar program featured speakers from local and nafional research institufions and biotechnology firms. The seminars were held at the Lineberger Cancer Center and the topics ranged from materials fabrication to nanotechnology applications in cancer research. We will work to disseminate the scientific advances and research opportunifies of nanotechnology to both laboratory scientists as well as physicians who could help to implement translational work. In order to encourage attendance, we will promote information about these seminars through the enfire UNC community as well as regional institutions.
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