The Cancer Biology Training Grant (CBTG) at the University of Minnesota provides rigorous laboratory-based training in the biology of cancer so that trainees can establish themselves as independent investigators who will pursue research into the etiology and treatment of cancer. The CBTG has been funded by the NCI since 1975, and is the foundation of the educational mission of the University of Minnesota NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The 37 CBTG preceptors are Cancer Center members and perform cutting edge research in the areas of cell growth, metastasis &angiogenesis, immunology &cancer, cancer genetics and cancer therapy. The CBTG Director, Dr. Yoji Shimizu, and members of the CBTG Steering Committee hold leadership positions within the Cancer Center and have established track records in training of future scientists. During the past funding period, an increased focus on cancer research resulted in the designation of a specific interdisciplinary Ph.D. graduate program in cancer biology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Shimizu is the Director of this program, which allows him to identify and recruit the most highly qualified trainees to the CBTG. New, coordinated recruiting in molecular and cellular biology, and the addition of a graduate feeder program in Pharmacology, have further improved the quality of the trainee pool. The CBTG Director also works directly with CBTG preceptors to identify and recruit highly qualified postdoctoral trainees to CBTG laboratories. We have also worked to recruit trainees from under-represented groups. During the last funding period, 19% of the trainees supported on the CBTG were from these groups. Trainees are selected on a competitive basis by the CBTG Steering Committee using clearly defined criteria. All trainees participate in a training program that includes a semester-long course in cancer biology, a weekly Cancer Biology Research Club meeting where trainees present their latest research in progress, a weekly Cancer Center seminar series where trainees select, invite and host an external speaker, interaction with clinicians who provide insights into the realities of cancer patient treatment and care, and career development workshops sponsored by the University of Minnesota's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. Thus, the CBTG fosters the career development of the most outstanding predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees possible so that they can pursue independent research careers in cancer biology.
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