The long-term objective of this application is to plan, develop and coordinate a productive panel of interrelated research projects in surgical oncology that are based in sound laboratory investigation and culminate in clinically relevant verification. A highly qualified faculty with a primary interest in academic surgical oncology has been recruited over the past 5 years and a large number of surgical research projects have been initiated. In reviewing the rapid and impressive progress it has become evident that extensive planning and coordination is now required: 1) To provide a more stimulating environment for the laboratory investigation in surgical oncology, 2) To establish, for clinical surgical oncology investigators, greater amounts of time committed to research, 3) To develop individual projects and program projects in surgical oncology research to the level where they are highly productive and extramurally funded. To this end we have established a research coordinating group from within the Division of Surgery that will be the senior investigators and administrators of this surgical oncology research planning and development program. This group will be augmented by 3-4 senior scientists (intramural and extramural) to form a research coordinating board that will provide initial consultation and ongoing review of the surgical oncology research program on a quarterly basis. With participation from all the investigators in the Division of Surgery and consultation from collaborators in other departments at the City of Hope four distinct, but overlapping programs will be planned and developed: 1) The weekly research seminar program will provide constant investigator interaction, 2) The exploratory symposia program will provide in-depth examination of research areas relevant to surgical oncology, 3) The visiting scientist program will provide one-to-one interaction with senior established research scientists from other institutions, 4) The research committed time program will provide the opportunity for extended, uninterrupted research by surgical oncology investigators. It is expected that these programs will become established and self-sustaining by the end of the 3 year planning and development period. The result will be a stimulating, productive surgical oncology research program.
