The Free Radical and Radiation Biology Training Program in the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center was established in 1998 to provide interdisciplinary graduate and post- graduate training with a focus on six goals including: 1) Impart a fundamental understanding of radiation biology, free radical biology, and cancer biology; 2) Provide opportunities to achieve excellence in experimental radiation biology, free radical biology, and molecular oncology; 3) Provide trainees with skills in hypothesis driven research, execution of rigorous experimental designs, and rigorous evaluation of scientific results for peer-reviewed publication; 4) Offer real-world experiences in collaborative basic and translational research involving both clinical and basic science faculty to facilitate the movement of knowledge in free radical and radiation biology from the bench-to-bedside; 5) Provide trainees with the critical thinking skills necessary to effectively communicate scientific knowledge in both oral and written presentations; and 6) Encourage trainees to pursue innovative approaches to test basic mechanisms underlying radiobiology and redox cancer biology emphasizing the development of novel interventions to limit the health impact of cancer. We are proposing to support three predoctoral and three postdoctoral trainees per year. We have an internationally recognized faculty with a consistent track record of success in peer reviewed funded research/publications in radiobiology, redox biology, and cancer biology. We propose to have 26 well-funded and dedicated program faculty members (both junior and senior faculty) embracing a diverse knowledge base that synergistically integrates both the interdisciplinary graduate programs in Free Radical and Radiation Biology as well as Cancer Biology in the Biomedical Sciences Umbrella program at the University of Iowa. The 26 program faculty members consist of 15 Professors, 8 Associate Professors, and 3 Assistant Professors of which 5 are from Radiation Oncology, 3 from Surgery, 5 from Internal Medicine, 3 from Biochemistry, 2 from Pharmacology, 2 from Anatomy and Cell Biology, 3 from Pediatrics and 1 each from Microbiology/Immunology, Radiology, and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics. Educational activities include one-on-one mentoring by faculty, cancer-related nationally recognized research projects, presenting work and receiving feedback at national meetings, 2 program specific journal clubs/week, 1 seminar/week, 1 translational research meeting/week, and technical training in the state of-the-art Radiation and Free Radical Research core lab based in the program. Formal graduate level coursework includes classes in radiation, redox, and cancer biology as well as a course in medical physics with an emphasis on image guided cancer therapy. The interdisciplinary cancer related research being pursued by the faculty spans a wide spectrum from basic mechanistic studies to translational preclinical as well as clinical studies. The program was established in 1961 and has trained more that 150 scientists working in cancer research, redox biology, and biomedical sciences.
There is growing evidence that disruptions in redox biology and oxidative stress mediated by oxygen free radicals (as well as other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species) are causally involved in initiation, growth, invasion, metastasis, and treatment of cancer. Free Radical Biology also has strong mechanistic links to radiation biology, cancer biology, inflammation, and degenerative diseases associated with aging. Given the rapidly expanding importance of these concepts in translational biomedical research, the unique Training Program in Free Radical and Radiation Biology meets a national need for scientists to develop novel mechanism based approaches to reduce the health effects of cancer and educate the next generation of leaders in this field that spans both basic and translational science.
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