Cancer Research Education, Advancement, Training and Empowerment (CREATE) in the Pacific

This application proposes to continue the “Cancer Research Education, Advancement, Training and Empowerment” (CREATE) program at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center (UHCC), a successful research experience for undergraduate and first-year graduate students with a focus on cancer health disparities. The program addresses the over-arching goal to enhance the training of a workforce that can meet biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs to lower cancer incidence and mortality in the Pacific. Special features of CREATE are the ethnic diversity of our interns reflecting Hawaii’s population, the inclusion of students from the University of Guam, and the opportunity to work on projects related to cancer health disparities. During the last 4 years, the 85 undergraduate (70% female) and 10 graduate trainees (80% female) combined, reported Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (24%), Filipino (28%), Asian (38%), Latino (4%), European (2%), African American (1%), and unknown (3%) ancestry. CREATE’s success is demonstrated by the high degree of satisfaction, the high proportion of undergraduate students entering graduate and medical school (66%), and 24 peer-reviewed papers co-authored by CREATE interns during 2021-2024. The program takes advantage of the excellent research opportunities arising from the distinctive population and environment in Hawai‘i and the Pacific with strong multi-disciplinary collaborations within the University of Hawai‘i and with the University of Guam. Besides the 8-week hands-on experience, CREATE includes a curriculum of workshops and multi- disciplinary seminars, career development activities and events, near-peer-mentoring, and a poster session. The program goal will be achieved through the implementation of two aims: 1. Provide hands-on summer research experiences and a multi-disciplinary curriculum to undergraduate students residing in the Islands of Hawai‘i and the Pacific with an expected outcome of increasing interest and research efficacy and the development of a supportive network to pursue a science degree and a career in cancer health disparities. 2. Offer first-year graduate students living in Hawai‘i and the Pacific in cancer-related fields of study the opportunity to gain research experience during the summer after their first academic year. Working in our multiethnic environment or unique cancer biology labs will enhance their skills to address causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer and offer opportunities to conduct their thesis research. Given the limited opportunities to gain research experience in the unique Pacific environment, this innovative 8-week research experience in cancer biology or population sciences supplemented by a structured curriculum will help to address the lack of biomedical researchers who understand cancer health diversity in Hawai‘i and the Pacific. This opportunity will enable students with diverse backgrounds in Hawai‘i and in the Pacific to pursue successful careers along the cancer research continuum.