Sixteen cooperating research groups propose continuation of a long-standing program to train postdoctoral fellows in disciplines required for the molecular investigation of cancer. Training would be offered in study of oncogene function, transgenic models of tumorigenesis, mechanisms of cell cycle and cell survival control, cellular and molecular immunology as it relates to cancer, and cancer-relevant topics of developmental biology, cell biology, and animal virology. Productive interactions among the research groups and trainees would be assured by a diversity of collaborations, shared supervision, joint research conferences and journal clubs. Several pedagogical devices will be used to emphasize explicitly the importance, challenge, and opportunities of cancer research. The program would be conducted within a broader context provided by the basic science oriented Program in Biological Sciences and the human disease and cancer oriented Biomedical Sciences Program, at UCSF. Our trainees will also take advantage of opportunities to learn about cancer and cancer research provided by the UCSF Cancer Center. It is proposed that the number of trainees be retained at the current number of 12 per year. Intensive efforts at many levels to increase the number of underrepresented minority scientists are starting to result in an increase in the number of trainees in the program laboratories and this grant has contributed to their support. Training would focus primarily on the design and conduct of original research, supplemented by regular seminars, literature reviews, and research conferences. Supervision of trainees would be systematic, but would emphasize growth to intellectual independence. Facilities include all the paraphernalia required for contemporary cancer research, and also include specialized laboratories for work with transgenic animals and high-risk pathogens.
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