BASIC MECHANISMS OF VIRAL AND CHEMICAL CARCINOGENESIS

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DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Description): The purpose of this proposal is to provide continuing support for an organized program of interdisciplinary training for 18 postdoctoral fellows in defined areas of basic research that are likely to lead to insights into the fundamental mechanisms of cancer. The basic research conducted in the laboratories of 42 preceptors selected from the core faculty of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center are in the established programs in Molecular Carcinogenesis, Virology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Molecular Therapeutics; new programs including Breast Cancer and Radiobiology; and a developing program in Cancer Genetics. Faculty from 14 departments, programs and curricula participate in the training program. All 42 preceptors have independent peer-reviewed research support; total yearly support (direct costs) has increased from 12.9 to 20.3 million dollars since the last renewal. There is a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary training, promoted by the philosophy and organization of the UNC Lineberger Comprehen-sive Cancer Center and facilitated by the Center's many shared core facilities used for training. Support for the facilities comes from the Center's core support grant, which has been renewed and increased for years 20-24 with high priority, and from the Program in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology. The plan for training of each fellow is individualized upon entry to the program by the Preceptor, Director, Assistant Director, Training Committee, and fellow. Specific features are emphasized according to the needs of the trainees, and the progress of each trainee is monitored. Because of the importance of translational research, a subset of the trainees will be physicians interested in basic research. Special efforts are made to recruit minorities to this training program. The training program includes a weekly seminar series, a monthly in-house seminar series given by the fellows, the annual Cancer Center symposium, the annual Postdoctoral-Faculty Research Day, an annual consultant selected by the fellows, special lectures, working program groups, and a postdoctoral fellow committee. The program, administered by the Director & Assistant Director with the advice of the Training Committee & the Center's Program Planning Committee, is coordinated and implemented through the Center's Training and Education office. The present request is based on the significant growth in faculty funding and expansion of facilities of the Center, a large increase in highly qualified applicants, the further maturation of the training program during the past 5 years and rise to national excellence of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.