This application seeks continued support for a longstanding and successful Cancer Biology Training Program (CBTP) at the Eppley Institute, an academic unit of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), with a sole focus on basic, translational and clinical cancer research. The Eppley Institute is a major component of the NCI-designated Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, which is one of only two NCI-designated cancer centers in a five state region from North Dakota to Texas. As such, the Eppley Institute and the CBTP play an important regional role in training future basic and clinical scientists for a career in cancer research. Significant growth of the CBTP over the past five years reflects a major expansion of the Cancer Center, with an increase in state-of-the-art research space, a growing faculty, and a robust research base. The NCI Training Grant has been a major catalyst for the success of the CBTP, which attracts a large national pool of predoctoral trainees and currently has 102 students in training. Thirty three CBTP mentors have a wide variety of expertise in cutting-edge basic, translational and clinical cancer research and a strong track record of mentoring. Translational research by CBTP faculty in biomarker discovery and therapeutic development for pancreatic/GI cancer is internationally recognized, and a Rapid Autopsy/Organ Harvest Program provides a unique collection of specimens for studies on pancreatic cancer. Previous success of the CBTP is reflected in the strong publication record of our trainees, low attrition rates, the accomplishments of trainees who have completed the program, and the growing participation of minorities in our educational mission. In this renewal application, our goal is to build on past successes with major new initiatives that highlight contemporary and emerging trends in cancer research, and keep pace with modern developments. Major goals include (1) extensive restructuring of the curriculum, with addition of seven new courses addressing key areas such as bioinformatics, biostatistics, and translational/clinical training as well as grantsmanship and scientific writing; (2) invigorating te faculty through addition of highly accomplished junior investigators; (3) an aggressive mentoring plan that helps students identify and accomplish their career goals; (4) new research-related training opportunities, including off-site training experiences; and (5) strong Institutional commitment. Through didactic coursework, high quality research, and hands-on exposure to translational/clinical activities, our new curriculum challenges trainees to consider how their research may be translated into improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Students who complete the CBTP will have the life-long skills to contribute to the management of cancer in a meaningful way. Continued Training Grant support is crucial to sustaining the advances in Program metrics, enabling further enrichment of the training experience, as well as ensuring the quality and diversity of CBTP trainees.
Predoctoral training in cancer biology is directly relevant to public health. Understanding, preventing, and treating cancer remains a national priority. The mission of the CBTP addresses a critical need to train the next generation of cancer researchers in a large region of the United States, in order to provide a foundation for tomorrow's clinical advances in the treatment and management of this disease.
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