FUture Surgeons and Scientists Investigating ONcology

The FUture Surgeons and Scientists Investigating ONcology (FUSSION) YES program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is designed to increase interest in cancer-related research among college students to learn about biomedical sciences, with the goal of creating a pipeline of future physician-scientists with cancer-related research programs. To achieve this goal, FUSSION will provide a 2-year mentored research experience augmented by workshops on cancer-related topics, scientific communication, and career and academic development. The NCI Youth Enjoy Science program provides an ideal avenue to achieve the following aims: SPECIFIC AIM 1: Provide cancer-related research experiences for undergraduate students with mentoring from successful physician-scientists. To achieve this aim, students will participate in a 2-year experience on cancer-related issues, mentored by scientists and physician-scientists, including two consecutive summers of full-time, research with dedicated scientists. SPECIFIC AIM 2: Establish a curriculum that provides a foundational understanding of a variety of cancers, research-related knowledge, responsible conduct of research, professional and career development skills, academic development, and dissemination of research results. Students will receive instruction on foundational and clinical cancer topics, along with training in scientific communication, career development, and academic preparation to enter graduate and medical school. SPECIFIC AIM 3: Expand awareness of current cancer research and the importance of the FUSSION program by integrating outreach opportunities into students’ research dissemination strategies. Students will disseminate their research to the UAB campus and wider communities: at a departmental research event, a campus symposium that family and friends can attend, and to the community through an outreach panel discussion. Participants will share the knowledge and experiences gained and the impact it has had on their understanding of cancer, with an emphasis on the importance of research in addressing cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes. The FUSSION project is unique in its focus on physician-scientists. To our knowledge, no other YES program has a specific focus on physicians as a part of cancer research. Given UAB’s exceptional success in research and training, and the Department of Surgery’s experience developing similar research and training programs, UAB is well positioned to implement such a program. There is a great need for more physicians who are also researchers, to translate scientific discoveries to the bedside. Increasing the number of physician-scientists will directly impact patient diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes to mitigate health inequalities.