Although knowledge of cancer biology in the laboratory has increased exponentially in recent years, progress in cancer treatment in the clinic has been more gradual. To accelerate progress in the clinic, a larger number of outstanding clinician-investigators is needed to perform patient-oriented, therapeutic translational research. The M.D. Anderson (MDACC) K12 Paul Calabresi Program in Clinical Oncology has taken advantage of an extraordinary environment for clinical and translational research to begin to fill this need. MDACC brings together 1162 faculty and 24,000 new patients each year with a well-developed infrastructure for clinical and laboratory research and novel ideas that are supported by more than 200 NCI grants. For 6 decades, MDACC investigators have made important contributions to clinical cancer research. Since the inception of the MDACC K12 Program in 2000, 5 junior-faculty investigators have been trained in patient-based translational research with the program's support, and 3 others will begin training this fall. This renewal will combine the training program for 4 junior faculty supported by K12 CA99094 with a training program for 3 fellows now supported by K12 CA90891. The trainees will participate in a new, cancer-oriented K30 curriculum and an optional, unique M.S./Ph.D. program in Patient-Based Biological Research. To maximize use of MDACC's extensive resources for clinical, translational and basic research, this combined K12 program will include fellows and junior faculty not only from MDACC but also from other outstanding institutions throughout the United States. Eight universities have already expressed interest. This program emphasizes individualized training plans that include didactic classes, clinical trials, laboratory research projects, publication of results, individualized training experiences, and long-range planning. Each Calabresi scholar is guided by a clinical mentor and a translational mentor as well as the program's Advisory Committee, composed of experts in clinical, laboratory, and translational research.
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