TRAINING GRANT IN MOLECUCLAR IMAGING RESEARCH AND CANCER SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

We have one overarching goal: Train postdoctoral fellows who will be qualified and well-positioned to lead in the development and application of next generation technologies to understand the heterogenous and changing cellular and molecular landscape of cancers. Specifically, we propose to continue a 2-3 year postdoctoral fellowship that will attract the best and brightest individuals with a strong commitment to transdisciplinary research from a wide variety of backgrounds including engineering, biological, chemical and computational sciences to help build the next generation of scientific leaders in multiplexed cancer analysis. Cellular cancer diagnostics are essential in establishing the correct diagnosis, guiding the appropriate treatment, assessing patient eligibility into clinical trials, determining therapeutic efficacy, re-staging disease and understanding cancer heterogeneity at a systems level. Bringing together the tools of imaging, artificial intelligence (AI) based image analysis, cellular analyses, cancer genomics, computer science, and immunology will be necessary to solve problems in oncology and find innovative solutions that can expand the number of cancer patients who will benefit from conventional, targeted and immunotherapies. We provide high quality trainees with a period of funding so they can be exposed to: a) carefully mentored research experiences during periods of increasing autonomy to conduct and effectively communicate transdisciplinary research; b) optimal didactic experiences; c) the most innovative and cutting-edge tools and thinking with which to attack these problems and d) broad exposure to the most pressing cancer problems today through interactions in a rich cancer center environment. We have an outstanding track record of success: our fellows have produced 388 papers in peer reviewed journals. Of the 49 postdoctoral fellows who have completed training, 47 are in research and 26 (52%) are already professors. The faculty of 34 extraordinary mentors has been carefully selected on the basis of their demonstrated commitment to the independence of their trainees, exciting and important biologic problems on which to work, and stable funding. The faculty are all highly accomplished and collectively receive over 200 extramural research grants. More recently, the training program has been considerably strengthened by a) expanded thematic programs (e.g. systems pharmacology, drug delivery, immunotherapies, single cell analyses), b) new lecture series, c) an expanded bioengineering facility. With our current faculty, enhanced facilities, scope of supported research and past accomplishments, we offer an outstanding research environment for the next generation of clinicians and scientists to be trained in molecular imaging and systems analysis.