The Cancer Bioinformatics Initiative: A UTSA/UTHSCSA Partnership (2 of 2)

描述(由申请人提供)：复杂的数据密集型技术的快速发展创造了对训练有素的信息学科学家和计算生物学家的日益增长的需求，特别是在癌症研究领域。圣安东尼奥为支持最先进的计算生物学和生物信息学培训而进行的机构间努力聚集了一批经验丰富的教员，以便开发一项独特的生物信息学和计算生物学教育培训计划，重点是癌症研究社区的需求。该计划将为德克萨斯大学圣安东尼奥分校(UTSA)的学生和教职员工提供机会，通过与德克萨斯大学圣安东尼奥分校(UTHSCSA)癌症治疗和研究中心(CTRC)的癌症中心成员直接互动，获得相关经验。这种互动还将为UTHSCSA癌症研究人员提供两个校区量化科学家所需的计算分析和建模帮助。还计划为针对生物学家和定量科学家混合受众的计算生物学强化短期课程/讲习班提供更多机会。因此，总共提出了三个都以教育为重点的方案。这些计划将包括：1)计算生物学/生物信息学研究生教育；2)带薪实习计划；3)继续教育机会。该提案的一个独特方面是，使用癌症和健康差距方面的真实数据和研究问题，为计划1的研究生教育、计划2的参与者的基本技能集以及计划3的更广泛受众的动手活动提供背景。这种多重点的方法应该加强癌症中心和少数族裔服务机构之间的互动。这些努力最终将导致提交R25申请。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The rapid evolution of sophisticated data-intensive technologies has created a growing need for well-trained informatics scientists and computational biologists particularly in the field of cancer research. An inter-institutional effort to support state-of-the art training in computational biology and bioinformatics in San Antonio has assembled an experienced group of faculty in order to develop a unique educational training program in bioinformatics and computational biology with an emphasis on the needs of the cancer research community. This program will provide opportunities for students and faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a minority serving institution, to gain relevant experience by interacting directly with cancer center members at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), an NCI designated Cancer Center. The interaction will also provide UTHSCSA cancer researchers with needed computational analysis and modeling assistance from quantitative scientists across both campuses. Additional opportunities will be provided for intensive short courses/workshops for computational biology training aimed for a mixed audience of biologists and quantitative scientists is also planned. Thus, a total of three programs are proposed that are all focused on education. The programs will include: 1) Computation Biology/Bioinformatics Graduate Education; 2) Paid Internship Program; and 3) Continuing Education Opportunities. A unique aspect of the proposal is the use of real data and research questions in cancer and health disparities to provide a context for the graduate education of program 1, the basic skill sets for participants in program 2, and the hands-on activities for the broader audience of program 3. This multifocal approach should strengthen the interaction between the cancer center and the minority servicing institution. These efforts will ultimately lead to the submission of an R25 application.