This is a competitive renewal of an application for postdoctoral training in cancer genetics at the OhioState University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSLJCCC). During the first funding period, the AdvisoryCommittee and training faculty quickly realized the many strengths of the training program as well as someof the weaknesses. This application thus represents an evolving concept for training our new genre ofcancer researchers that includes several new aspects to the training that we have implemented or plan toimplement in the proposed Cancer Genetics Training Program (CG T32). The central theme and strength of the training program of having basic/translational co-mentoring oftrainees in three cancer sites remains intact. Forty scientists at the OSUCCC will join forces to train the nextgeneration of cancer geneticists, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches to the study andtreatment of breast, gastro-intestinal and hematopoietic cancers. We will use unique recruiting tools thatwere proven extraordinarily successful in the last funding period to attract and/or retain eight talentedpostdoctoral candidates each year of the program. Recognizing that a complete understanding of the basicmechanisms of cancer initiation and progression will be required for the efficient translation of knowledge tothe treatment of patients, the training program has compiled a balanced group of investigators with expertisein genetics, cell signaling, cell biology and tumor models, and with an intense interest and a proven record intranslational research. The commitment to coupling basic knowledge to translational and/or clinicalresearch will continue to be realized by providing trainees with two co-mentors with strengths in basic andtranslational research and having divergent expertise, bridging the gap between these two areas. The main new aspects of the training program include 1. an annual postdoctoral symposium series, 2. agrant writing workshop that will be specific to each trainee and guide/evaluate applications aimed to helpthem transition into independent research positions (NIHK99/ROO, K01 or similar grants), and 3. theaddition of new training faculty with strengths in translational and/or clinical cancer research. By maintainingthe original strengths and focus of the CG T32 program and implementing novel targeted trainingapproaches, the proposed training program will create a unique setting that strongly encourages basicscientists to venture into translational/clinical research.
!:Given the enormous gain of basic knowledge about the biology of cancer in recent years and the palpableexcitement in cancer therapeutics, we feel an obligation to retool our strategies of training future cancerresearchers to meet the expectation of eventually - sooner rather than later - eradicating cancer fromsociety. We believe that this training program will help to also enhance the extensive ongoing collaborativestudies that already exist between training faculty and foster further intellectual and practical exchange ofbasic and translational concepts to cancer genetics research.
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