The Harvard Chan Education Program in Cancer Prevention and Control

The Harvard Education Program in Cancer Prevention and Control, in its 30th year, is a dynamic transdisciplinary collaboration that brings together the extensive expertise of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, and Harvard Catalyst, our Clinical and Translational Science Center. We have trained 129 fellows in transdisciplinary approaches to cancer prevention and control, and over 80% of trainees hold a research- focused position. In the current cycle, we have met or exceeded all of our benchmark goals. In this renewal, we are requesting continued support for 4 predoctoral and 4 postdoctoral trainees each year who have an average length of training of 4-5 years and 2 years respectively. The overall goal of the Program is to train fellows to become the next generation of scientists who are: (1) knowledgeable about the current state of the science of cancer prevention and control; (2) skilled in transdisciplinary cancer research; (3) skilled in formulating and writing research proposals and scientific manuscripts for publication; and (4) anchored in peer and professional networks that support continual professional development and access to resources to translate their knowledge into new cancer research areas. Transdisciplinary training is further enhanced by leveraging our transdisciplinary PhD program in Population Health Sciences that integrates training in five public health disciplines, and by instituting continuing to enhance our evidence-based approach to mentorship training. We recently conducted a strategic evaluation of the program and have developed additional activities to address areas for growth. We will continue our training focus in 4 areas of emphasis: (1) cancer control outcomes; (2) cancer implementation science; (3) cancer-focused health communication; and (4) global cancer prevention. Robust and engaged internal and external advisory committees, and a very strong team of mentors with extensive research portfolios ensure that the program will continue to thrive and innovate in cancer prevention training. The maturity of this Program, extensive resources available through Harvard and synergy across the focal training areas provide an outstanding platform for training the next generation of cancer prevention scientists.