Career Enhancement Program

PROJECT SUMMARY (Career Enhancement Program) The goal of the Career Enhancement Program (CEP) is to provide training and guidance for academic physician- scientists, clinician-investigators, and laboratory-based scientists who wish to dedicate their career and research efforts to translational cancer epigenetics research. To achieve this goal, the CEP will pursue the following specific aims: 1. Recruit, train, and mentor physicians, scientists, and senior postdoctoral fellows to become excellent investigators focused on cancer epigenetics translational research. 2. Educate awardees in all the basic principles of cancer epigenetics biology, including molecular, cellular and systems biology, drug development, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies, and basic principles of biostatistics and bioinformatics. 3. Provide a firm foundation for awardees in the specific area of cancer epigenetics translational and early clinical research. These objectives will be achieved through strong mentorship in which awardees will be instructed in the principles of clinical, basic, and translational cancer epigenetics research. Specific areas of education may include scientific and clinical methods, biomedical ethics, statistical design and analysis, bioinformatics, biology, biochemistry, genetics, epidemiology, and other areas relevant to individual projects. Mentorship will include laboratory-based investigators, clinical-translational investigators, biostatisticians, bioinformaticians and epidemiologists. Mentors from within the Epigenetic Therapy SPORE, the Van Andel Institute-Stand Up To Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team, Coriell Institute, the Van Andel Institute, and institutions of PIs and members of the IAB and EAB will provide the expertise required for the development of strong, productive translational research skills.