Over the past five years, developmental funds have been used in three categories, support of pilot projects, recruitment of new investigators, and development of new shared resources. Major priorities have been the expansion of population research, and the stimulation and promotion of translational research. Support for 13 new investigators contributed to enhanced research activities in Programs 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. Six of the faculty recruited between 2002 and early 2005 have now received peer-reviewed funding, and all 12 (one faculty deceased) are active UCCRC members. Examples of significant recruitments of the past grant cycle are: Habibul Ahsan, MD, a molecular epidemiology who assumed the role of Associate Director for Population Research;Nathan Ellis, PhD, and Mark Lingen, DOS, PhD. Six new core facilities were supported with CCSG developmental funds: Optical Imaging (animal), Biomedical Informatics, Tissue Procurement, Proteomics, Image Response Assessment, and cGMP. Tissue Procurement is now a fully-developed component of the Human Tissue Resource Center. The developing cores continue to grow and have significantly contributed to interdisciplinary collaborations and translational research. Over the next grant period, we are requesting $500,000/year for: (1) recruitment of new investigators ($200K);(2) program development/Program Pilot Projects ($150K);and (3) development of new core facilities ($150K). Population research development, through both recruitment and support of pilot projects will continue to be the highest priority. Dr. Habib Ahsan will lead these recruitment efforts and, in the next 5 years, we expect to add 3-4 new faculty in the areas of molecular cancer epidemiology, environmental cancer epidemiology, behavioral psychology, and chemoprevention trials research. Expansion of translational research will continue as a major goal, and will be supported through both targeted recruitments and pilot project funding. Recruitment developmental funds will also be used to support the growing program in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. We plan to continue to support the Optical Imaging, Biomedical Informatics, Image Response Assessment, and cGMP developing cores, as well as two new shared facilities: Drug Discovery and Development and the Cellular Screening Center, and a planned Epidemiology and Recruitment Core. It is anticipated that as the need for other new technologies is identified, CCSG developmental funds will be applied to their development.
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