The UCLA Tumor Cell Biology Training Program (TCBTP) offers cancer research training at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels. Trainees can apply to any of the more than 40 mentors in the program. Predoctoral trainees can enroll through the multidepartmental UCLA ACCESS program, and the activities of TCBTP are compatible with all Ph.D. programs in the life and biomedical sciences. TCBTP sponsors formal course work in oncology as well as seminars and workshop activities. The program provides training opportunities in a variety of research areas that link regulatory signal transduction systems, including HER2/neu, Bcr-Abl, PTEN, and EWS/FLI, with cancer biology. Other systems and strategies under study by our trainees include TCL1 expression in AIDS-related B cell lymphomas, Fizzy-related (FZP) in B Cell Lymphomas and studies of genetic control of DNA repair in repair enzyme knockout mice. Technologies employed by researchers in the program include applications of high density cDNA and oligonucleotide arrays for characterizing tumor cells or tissues by transcription profiling; the f a c ilities for microarray technology afford access to laser-directed microdissection employing a state-of-the-art laser-capture system. The t r a n scription profiling laboratory enjoys collaborations with UCLA?s b i o i nformatics program which brings state-of-the-art statistical and computational tools to bear on analysis of transcription array data and assessments of DNA polymorphisms. Opportunities for formal training in bioinformatics in areas relevant to tumor biology are available through UCLA?s interdepartmental bioinformatics training program. In collaborative efforts with clinical groups, trainees in UCLA TCBTP can employ tissue microarray technology to drive high throughput assays for multianalytical applications aimed at tumor marker identification, characterization and validation. Trainees in the TCBTP can exploit the resources of the UCLA Defined Tumor-Marker Evaluation Core Laboratory which provides a human tissue research c e n t e r for procurement, sectioning and histology, tissue analysis laboratories, molecular pathology laboratories, an immunoassay laboratory and cellular analysis laboratories for flow cytometry, cytology and chromosomal analysis and cytogenetics. Training is available in all these laboratories and also in the high throughput DNA sequencing facility in Human Genetics. Training is also available in noninvasive image analysis of gene expression or tumors by positron emission tomography using microPET.
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