This proposal is a competing renewal for our long standing T32, the Stanford Cancer Imaging Training (SCIT) Program. Drs. Sandy Napel, PhD, and Bruce Daniel, MD, will lead this program, which features 27 mentors with independent funding and 7 (5 internal/2 external) distinguished program advisors. This is a 2- year program training 5 fellows (a mix of PhD and radiology-trained MDs) per year over a 5-year funding cycle. Our required coursework includes 2 courses in the clinical/cancer sciences, 2 in imaging science, 1 in biostatistics, 1 in medical ethics (?Responsible Conduct of Research?), and attendance at a minimum of 4 multidisciplinary tumor boards. In addition, trainees can select from a multitude of electives offered by various Stanford University faculty in, e.g., Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Informatics, Developmental Biology, and Cancer Systems Biology. Each trainee?s primary focus is participation in a mentored cancer-imaging research project aimed at publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at National meetings. We pair each trainee with both a basic science and physician mentor, to provide guidance in course and research-topic selection, and investigation. Through the SCIT program, we will continue our longstanding mission of training the next generation of researchers in the development and clinical application of advanced techniques for cancer imaging. In addition, we will recruit trainees from a nationwide pool that includes women, candidates from underrepresented minorities and/or with disabilities, and from disadvantaged backgrounds, so as to increase diversity in the U.S. research workforce. The need for the SCIT Program is even greater now than when it began in 1993. Radiology plays a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. Our Department is one of the very few that has been able to grow in response to this role and embrace what is now a multidisciplinary vision towards image-based cancer research. The SCIT Program leverages three existing NIH centers of excellence at Stanford (The Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technology, the Stanford Center for Cancer Systems Biology, and the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence for Translational Diagnostics), the Stanford Cancer Institute (an NIH-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center), and many other Stanford resources and programs. Since 1993, we have graduated 38 postdoctoral (MD or PhD) trainees, all of whom were productive while in the program and many who continue research activity in cancer imaging today. The 5 current trainees are pursuing research in augmented reality for MR-guided breast-surgery, an ultrasound detection and imaging technique for monitoring proton beam cancer therapy, nanomedicine approaches for detection and therapy of brain cancers, thermal ablation of brain cancer using MR-Guided focused RF, and transcranial MRl-guided focused ultrasound for tumor ablation and for opening the blood-brain barrier for delivery of chemotherapeutics. !
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2017 there will be over 1.6 million new cancer cases diagnosed and over 600,000 cancer deaths. The Stanford Cancer Imaging Training (SCIT) Program trains new generations of researchers in scientific methods that lie at the intersection of radiological imaging and disciplines such as engineering, chemistry, systems biology, physiology, and informatics. Through the SCIT program, we promote advancing clinical applications of image-based techniques for better cancer detection and treatment, which will, in turn, drive down cancer mortality and morbidity. !
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