) This is a proposal to fund a new Post Graduate Hematology/Oncology Translational (PG-HOT) training program led by Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The rationale for this new T32 is rooted in the recent acceleration of basic research and clinical cancer investigation at University of Cincinnati over the past decade. Starting with relatively modest beginnings, we now have a sufficient critical mass of funded investigators and their complementary graduate and postgraduate trainees to justify the investment of NCI resources into moving our cancer effort to the next level. In that context, we have carefully analyzed our strengths and weaknesses, along with a perusal of existing training programs sponsored by the NCI, and have structured our proposal to both build on our strengths and fill a certain gap in the existing programs. The PG-HOT training program will have the following participating departments: Internal Medicine, Cancer Biology, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology and Systems Physiology. We request support for 3 postdoctoral trainees (PhD or PhD/MD) and 1 clinical fellow (MD or MD/PhD). PG-HOT?s main objective is to generate a cadre of cancer researchers uniquely trained to rapidly translate new discoveries into cancer patient care. The overarching rationale synergizes with the ?Moonshot? initiative. The specific goals are: (1) To provide formal and integrated instruction on the role of intellectual property protection in drug development in the context of a complex economy that is both market-based and government-regulated. (2) To provide a comprehensive didactic and practical training in anti-cancer compound evaluation, with a primary focus on rigorous training in how to conceptualize, design, manage, and successfully carry to completion a clinical trial involving a novel drug. (3) To establish a collaborative structure that promotes genuinely creative and productive interactions between PhD scientists and MD-MD/PhD clinicians. Our effort will center on training junior investigators to be effective collaborators in their subsequent careers in academia, industry, or clinical care. These goals will be achieved by recruitment of high-quality applicants including underrepresented minorities, mentorship by nationally and internationally renowned scientists, support by our research-intensive Division and several basic-science departments, well-funded institutional programs and centers, and input from distinguished and enthusiastic members of Internal and External Advisory Boards.
This program will train cancer-focused postdoctoral researchers and clinical fellows to become successful translational investigators, inventors, and clinical trialists. The combined focus on teaching the process of developing novel, IP-protected therapeutic strategies coupled with efficient execution of clinical trials will accelerate the application of new scientific knowledge to the treatment of cancer, projected to become the most significant cause of death in the US by 2020.
