The goal of this proposal is to mentor and effectively train faculty-level investigators in basic science and/or clinically-oriented approaches to translational research. Implementation of this K12 award for the career development of basic translational scientists (PhD, DVM, and MD) and clinical translational scientists (MD and MD/PhD) in Hematologic Oncology, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Surgical Oncology will ensure a cadre of highly-trained individuals dedicated to drug development as well as cancer prevention, control, and survivorship research. This K12 renewal from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) continues its training focus on early drug development along with larger phase II/III trials, but now also extends to cancer prevention, control and survivorship research based on the previous critique. Focus on recruitment of scholars with interest in common solid tumors is also emphasized, as suggested. The OSUCCC is clearly dedicated to research education and providing outstanding training and mentoring opportunities to promising junior faculty. The OSU Divisions of Hematology, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and Surgical Oncology each have robust fellowship training programs that are continuously recruiting new junior faculty to facilitate expansion of our cancer program. Recruitment from other fellowship training programs also occurs, with particular focus on identification of women, minorities and people of different ethnic backgrounds to increase diversity. This K12 grant fills an important need by extending research education, training and mentoring to junior faculty interested in developing academic careers focused on clinical research. Moreover, it will be the only OSUCCC training program solely dedicated to career development in cancer at the faculty level, and therefore has no overlap with any of the OSU T32 training grants focused on fellows. This strategy will ensure continuity in training and provide individuals with the ability to become independent clinical investigators. Based upon the overall strength and direction of the OSUCCC, as demonstrated by its recent peer review score of 12 (exceptional), financial support of this K12 by OSUCCC, financial support by different Divisions and Departments, and breadth of resources available at OSU, this K12 proposal seeks to train primarily two types of assistant professors. The first group includes MD or PhD faculty (basic translational trainees) who have outstanding basic science training and desire to pursue laboratory investigation related to applied research in experimental therapeutics as well as cancer prevention, control, and survivorship. The second group includes MD or MD/PhD faculty (clinical translational trainees) who pursue patient-related research in clinically-focused experimental therapeutics and cancer prevention, control, or survivorship. Training plans tailored to each of these individual trainees will facilitate their success, with inclusion of a roust evaluation program to assess the success of the K12. This is best demonstrated by all of the current and past K12 scholars remaining in academic medicine and moving forward as independent clinical investigators.
The overall goal of this renewal proposal, led by Dr. John Byrd, is to mentor and effectively train MD, PhD and MD/PhD faculty investigators with basic science and/or clinically-oriented approaches to translational research so that they may dedicate their careers to independent clinical cancer research.
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