The UCLA scholars in Oncologic Molecular Imaging (SOMI) is a diverse training program bringing together 9 Departments, predominantly from the UCLA Life and Health Sciences, in order to train the next generation of molecular imaging scientist. Oncologic molecular imaging is a rapidly growing area which combines the disciplines of cell/molecular biology, chemistry, biomedical physics, biomathematics, pharmacology, imaging sciences, and clinical medicine to advance cancer research, diagnosis and management. The UCLA Department of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology (DMMP) and the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging (CIMI) are key players in helping to move the field of molecular molecular imaging forward. With initial critical seed support from the UCLA Jonson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC), UCLA has helped to rapidly grow the field of molecular imaging. Funding sources for the molecular imaging program at UCLA now include the Department of Energy, NCI (P50) In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imigaing Center (ICMIC) grant, Several NCI R01'a, and NCI Small Animal Imaging Resource Program (SAIRP) grant. The time is ripe for training the next generation of scientists that can bridge the various fields needed to study cancer biology/therapeutics in intact living organisms. In the current proposal, our goals are to train 19 post-doctoral fellows through a diverse group of 29 basic science and clinical faculty mentors representing 7 program areas, 6 formal courses in molecular imaging, pharmacology, cancer biology, cancer immunology, virology, gene therapy, and clinical hematology/oncology rounds. Fellows will be recruited into a three year program and will complete coursework and research with at least two mentors. Furthermore, they will do a mock grant proposal in their third year to help them gain experience and confidence in the grant application process. Special attention will be given towards recruiting minority applicants. A Training Committee will carefully monitor the process of all SOMI trainees, and an Advisory Committee will monitor the entire SOMI program. Graduates of SOMI will be uniquely trained to study cancer in an organism context with state-of-the-art technologies. We are evolving area of the oncologic molecular imaging.
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