Given the rising prevalence of obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity, known in combination as energy balance or energetics, as well as their associations of these factors with cancer, innovative research, clinical care and training of scientists are needed to lower the prevalence of these risk factors and in turn, lower cancer incidence and mortality rates. The overall goal of this NCI R25 research education program is to develop, offer, evaluate and eventually disseminate an annual 5-day transdisciplinary research in energetics and cancer (TREC) training course for postdoctoral fellows and early career investigators with the goal of enhancing the ability of course participants to conduct innovative, transdisciplinary research in energetics and cancer research and clinical care. The proposed course builds upon the NCI TREC Initiative, which was a major scientific research effort that occurred from 2005 to 2016, and will cover topics across the cancer control continuum, including prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Funding for TREC will cease in 2016, however our goal is to continue to further the TREC mission of training scientists via the proposed 5- day annual TREC course. The proposed R25 TREC Training Course, led by Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH (TREC Director of Training and Education from 2005-2016), will include a transdisciplinary team of 20 expert faculty members from diverse backgrounds, bringing together complementary skills and expertise in TREC-related research, mentoring and training. Our proposed course is highly innovative in that currently no training opportunity, course, or workshop exists that focuses on energetics and cancer. The annual 5-day course will provide state-of-the-art, evidence-based energetics and cancer education and training. Training new leaders will assist in dissemination and implementation of effective lifestyle strategies for cancer prevention and control, as they will carry out the translational research to lower the risk, mortality, morbidity and costs associated with cancer.
The overall goal of this NCI R25 research education program is to develop, offer, evaluate and eventually disseminate an annual 5-day transdisciplinary research in energetics and cancer (TREC) training course for postdoctoral fellows and early career investigators with the goal of enhancing the ability of course participants to conduct innovative, transdisciplinary research in energetics and cancer research and clinical care. Our proposed course is highly innovative in that currently no training opportunity, course, or workshop exists that focuses on energetics and cancer. Training new leaders will assist in dissemination and implementation of effective lifestyle strategies for cancer prevention and control, as they will carry out the translational research to lower the risk, mortality, morbidity nd costs associated with cancer.