The UT Southwestern Physician Scientist Oncology Training Program will provide fellows and residents who have finished their clinical training in oncology the opportunity and protected time to develop the technical and intellectual skills for a successful laboratory based oncology research program. The program will accomplish this by providing highly individualized mentorship, the opportunity to train in the research laboratories o one of our internationally renowned faculty and up to three years of stipend support during the years of their research training. Specifically, the goals of the program are to support physicians who have finished their subspecialty clinical training in oncology and train them in lab-based translational oncology research, by providing (a) training in the laboratory skills necessary to investigate the pathogenesis and biology of cancer, (b) a rigorous mentoring and didactic program in the biology of cancer, biostatistics, ethics, and regulatory issues, (c) and training in the investigation of basic cancer questions which are clinically relevant, and in the translation o clinical observations into hypothesis based laboratory questions. Trainees will be mentored primarily by scientists who participate in one of the four programs in the Cancer Center, but will also have secondary, clinical research resource faculty mentors to ensure that the trainee develops the clinical skills and expertise necessary to succeed in a multi- disciplinary approach to the study of clinically relevant cancer questions. 22 laboratory mentors representing 12 different Departments and Centers are committed to this program, as are 15 clinical resource mentors. A Steering Committee consisting of 7 senior physician and scientist leaders in the Cancer Center will provide oversight and direction, and administrative support will be provided by the Cancer Center.
The physician scientist workforce is shrinking, portending decreases in new discoveries needed to conquer such lethal diseases as cancer. The goal of this Oncology Physician Scientist T32 renewal application program is to produce successful, highly qualified, physician scientists who are committed to an academic career in patient-related basic and/or translational oncology research; who will be capable of leading and managing independent research programs; and who will be able to interact with basic, clinical, and translational researchers in collaborative team settings. This application describes a flexible career development program with a multi- disciplinary approach to the conduct and design of lab-based hypothesis-driven cancer questions, under the direction of a primary, lab-based mentor who participates in one of four major Cancer Center Programs.
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