The rationale of this Paul Calabresi Award in Clinical Oncology Research (PCACOR) competitive renewal application is to continue to prepare highly qualified cancer clinical researchers, called Scholars, who will become independent leaders. These clinical research leaders will meet the ongoing need for highly trained academicians running pivotal cancer clinical trials and/or the critical clinical correlative studies that will inform ongoing translation from bench to bedside. Through this unique training program and the expertise of our mentors, the Scholars will succeed in learning to communicate and coordinate multidisciplinary teams of scientists and apply the ever growing amount of scientific knowledge to personalize cancer treatment. Specific objectives are to: 1) Design a flexible Individual Development Program for each Scholar selected by the Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee from applicants who may be oncology trained MDs, PhD clinicians with completed clinical training or PhD level basic scientists committed to an academic cancer career with heavy clinical focus; 2) Foster interdisciplinary training, communication and interaction through intentional team mentoring and regular Scholar-centered meetings, creating completed PCACOR Scholars successfully transitioned to independence; 3) Create a diverse cohort of highly trained clinical research leaders that will run novel, innovative multidisciplinary research agendas to move the translational of our current science to reduce the burden of cancer. Also, these highly trained thought leaders will become part of the ongoing mentorship cycle back to new trainees. The PCACOR design incorporates our exceptional faculty as strong mentors who will provide exceptional training and role models in the very richly supported environment of the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Experienced Program Leaders are Madeleine A. Kane, MD, PhD and Virginia F. Borges, MD, MMSc, both Professors with extensive relevant experience. The tailored Training Period lasts from two to five years and includes Core Requirements of a selection of Scholar tailored didactic coursework, a Scholar designed major research project of at least one cancer clinical trial or ancillary study. The Training Period will focus on the specific individual training needs of each Scholar for which mastery of these needed skills through the mentored environment will ensure transition to independence. As an outcomes metric, all Scholars submit an NIH or equivalent grant by the third year. The ultimate success is demonstrated by our track record. A total of twenty-two junior faculty have trained as PCACOR Scholars, seven during the current funding period (out of 24 applications). Eighteen Scholars are faculty members at University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus (UCD-AMC); fourteen have been promoted, all have multiple peer-reviewed publications. Eighteen have obtained peer-reviewed funding from NIH, DOD, ACS and/or disease-based foundations. All have designed at least one cancer clinical trial, and several lead national cancer clinical trials. Our PCACOR successfully produces the translational cancer clinical researchers of now and the future.
The Paul Calabresi Award for Clinical Oncology Research trains the future leaders of translational clinical and basic cancer research who can work together to combine molecular methods with clinical information to personalize cancer clinical trials to improve the outcome for cancer patients with less toxicity.
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