The goal of the University of Colorado NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCC) K12 program is to train successful patient-oriented clinical and basic research investigators who can work effectively with each other in a translational, team research setting. These researchers will be able to independently design, implement and manage all phases of clinical trials research with an emphasis on translation of laboratory findings into clinical applications, as well as facilitating laboratory studies into the basic mechanisms of poorly understood clinical phenomena. The specific objectives are to: 1) Provide a flexible career development program for oncology medical doctors and Ph.D. nurses who have completed their clinical training and who are committed to a translational clinical cancer research career in an academic setting, as well as basic scientists committed to patient-oriented research;2) Foster interdisciplinary training, communication and interaction through multiple mentoring of program scholars;3) Create an opportunity of ongoing mentorship to support these junior faculty scholars after their formal career development program ends to ensure their successful transition to clinical research independence. Strong clinical and scientific mentors in all oncology disciplines and basic researchers will collaborate to train the Scholars. A multidisciplinary Advisory Committee will oversee the program together with Program Leader. Madeleine A. Kane, MD, Ph.D. The overall training period will last from two to seven years and will include didactics, critical evaluation of the medical literature in the subject area, clinical experience, scientifically-based clinical research training and a basic research experience for clinicians. Didactic coursework will be provided from the K30 Award supporting the Clinical Scientist Training Program enhanced by lecture series, seminars, journal clubs, workshops, attendance at national meetings and opportunities for scholars to present research results. Responsible conduct of research will be emphasized through various training experiences. Each scholar is required to submit an NIH style grant application within the last year of training. Six MD Scholars in five oncology disciplines received training during the first five-year award to UCCC. Five remain immersed in clinical-translational human-oriented research, four as UCDHSC faculty, three of whom have been promoted. Productivity includes 70 papers, 23 as first or senior author, multiple abstract presentations, 50 clinical trials initiated as PI or co-Pi, and 13 grant awards, 6 of which were by major sponsors. This K12 program has thus been highly successful in reaching the ultimate goal of producing human-oriented oncology research investigators who successfully and independently conduct solid and innovative clinical oncology research.
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