The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center proposes to renew its T32 Training Program in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics, supporting mentorship of seven physician scientists (MDs and MD/PhDs) for careers in cancer research. With a 20-year history, the program has enrolled multi-disciplinary trainees who have completed clinical fellowships in medical, surgical, pediatric, or radiation oncology, and supported their training in laboratory-based or clinical cancer research. The program aims to prepare the next generation of physician scientists for academic careers in oncology, strengthening fundamental research in cancer biology and its translation into clinical therapeutics. Program co-Directors are Dr. Daniel Haber, an accomplished laboratory-based cancer genetics investigator and Dr. Alice Shaw, a leading clinical researcher in thoracic oncology. They will oversee all administrative aspects of the program, with Dr. Haber overseeing the mentoring of lab-based trainees and Dr. Shaw overseeing the mentoring of clinical research trainees. An Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) will participate in the competitive selection of trainees and in the selection of faculty for the roster of mentors; an External Advisory Committee (EAC) will convene annually to evaluate the strategic direction and success of the program. Mentors are drawn from multiple disciplines and departments, primarily from MGH, and including selected faculty from neighboring MIT and other Harvard institutions. Special emphasis has now been placed on recruiting new mentors in the emerging field of cancer immunology. Trainees are selected across multiple clinical oncology specialities, from programs that are among the most competitive in their respective fields, with a commitment to enhancing diversity. In addition to facilitating the selection of an appropriate research mentor, the T32 program provides both mandatory and optional courses, as well as a broad range of educational experiences. The formal educational offerings have been strengthened with required didactic courses in biostatistics/computational biology and in the ethical conduct of research, along with specialized optional courses. Trainees will now present their work at an annual retreat. PDs and the IAC will be involved in the evaluation of their progress. Success is measured by trainees' academic productivity during and after their T32 support, as well as by their self-reported learning experience. In summary, the MGH T32 Training Program in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics has a long track record of success in providing a rigorous and comprehensive scientific foundation to outstanding physician investigator trainees who aim to establish successful academic research careers in oncology. The program's strength in multi-disciplinary training and integrated laboratory and clinical investigation has been further improved with an enhanced focus and dedicated educational resources, as recommended by the reviewers. With continued funding from NIH, this training program will build on its longstanding success in training future leaders in academic oncology and help advance the field of cancer research globally.
We are witnessing an exceptional time in oncology, where fundamental discoveries in our understanding of cancer biology are leading to revolutionary changes in the treatment of patients with cancer, including genotype-directed targeted therapies, antibody and cell-based immunotherapies, and the application of molecular liquid biopsies to enable the earlier detection of cancer followed by potentially curative interventions. The MGH T32 physician scientist Training Program in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics selects trainees from some of the most competitive clinical programs in medical, surgical, radiation, and pediatric oncology, offering them advanced training in either laboratory or clinical cancer research, with highly accomplished mentors drawn from a multidisciplinary faculty at MGH, as well as our partnering institutions at Harvard and MIT. Over the past 20 years, graduates of the MGH T32 grant have made and will continue to make major contributions to the field of cancer research, and as members of the faculty at our own institution and others in the US, they are poised to emerge as the next generation of physician leaders in oncology, contributing to the critical integration of scientific and clinical innovation in cancer.
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