Cancer Biology Training Program

The mission of the Cancer Biology Training Program is to develop leaders in basic and translational cancer research and contribute to the nation's biomedical research workforce. We provide intensive and rigorous training in all aspects of cancer research both laboratory and clinical, and professional development opportunities to highly motivated graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows. This is accomplished through participation in the Cancer Biology Core Courses I and II (CSBL 6068 and 6069 respectively), in Functional Genomic Data Analysis course (CSBL6095), in weekly Drug Development Lecture series, in weekly Cancer Biology journal club and in the annual program retreat. The Cancer Biology Core Courses focus on the molecular changes in cancer (Core I) and the characteristics of specific common adult and pediatric cancers and the considerations in cancer therapy (Core II). In addition, nature of clinical trials is discussed and pathways that can lead to chemoresistance are emphasized. The Functional Genomic Data Analysis course is focused on the statistical methods used in various bioinformatics tools, with the purpose of reinforcing the statistical intuition and concepts. The Drug Development Lecture series is organized by the Institute for Drug Development in our cancer center and covers every aspect of drug development from bench to bed side, which also includes regulatory issues. All the trainees have taken these courses and actively participate in journal clubs. Our first annual program retreat since the competitive renewal of our T32 award was held on May 1, 2023, when our current and past trainees presented their research accomplishments.