Training to Reduce Burden across the Cancer Control Continuum (TRACC)

This competitive renewal proposes the continuation of the Training to Reduce Burden across the Cancer Control Continuum (TRACC). The aims of this program, based at the University of Miami’s (UM) NCI-designated Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (Sylvester), are to train post-doctoral fellows to enhance their ability to: (1) effectively assess and characterize multilevel determinants of cancer risk and outcomes, and/or (2) design and deliver interventions that address variability in disease etiology, prevention, treatment efficacy, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including health-related quality of life (HRQOL). In doing so, TRACC is helping to develop the next generation of researchers prepared to pursue high-impact, independent translational science, thereby measurably improving outcomes across the cancer control continuum. The program offers two complementary training tracks: Track A exposes trainees to the theoretical and methodological foundations of assessing multilevel determinants of cancer risk and outcome; Track B, in turn, provides didactic and experiential training in designing and implementing interventions to reduce disease burden. To date, the program has recruited and retained 15 trainees who have completed or are currently fulfilling program requirements. In the next funding cycle (Years 6-10), TRACC aims to achieve and build upon this success, training an additional 15 fellows within the project period. The program will be supported by 31 primary mentors, including 18 PhDs, 9 MDs, and 4 MD/PhDs across 11 UM departments, as well as 12 associate mentors who will support and actively guide fellows’ professional development. Collectively, mentors hold nearly $24M in annual direct cost, cancer-relevant funding that encompasses interdisciplinary expertise in cancer epigenetics, tumor biology, and biobehavioral mechanisms; sociocultural, behavioral, and psychosocial determinants of health; community-based screening and intervention; lifestyle modification; symptom management interventions; palliative care; grief; pragmatic clinical trials; and advanced statistics such as multilevel modeling, essential for examining the influence of multiple determinants on cancer outcomes. Training (e.g., didactics, seminars) aligns with the competencies to be gained and is enhanced by graduate training opportunities in public health (MPH) and the science of clinical and translational investigation (MSCTI). Programmatic activities capitalize on the unique cancer burden experienced by residents of Sylvester’s catchment area, South Florida, and Sylvester’s robust community outreach and engagement infrastructure. TRACC enhances the research workforce's capacity to make timely and meaningful progress toward improving cancer control in South Florida and beyond.