Career Enhancement Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY (Career Enhancement Program) The goal of the Career Enhancement Program (CEP) is to provide training and guidance for academic physician-scientists, clinician-investigators, and laboratory-based scientists who wish to dedicate their career and research efforts to leukemia translational research. To achieve this goal, the CEP will pursue the following specific aims: 1. Recruit, train, and mentor physicians, scientists, and senior postdoctoral fellows to become excellent leukemia investigators focused on leukemia translational research. 2. Educate awardees in all the basic principles of cancer and leukemia biology, including molecular, cellular and systems biology, drug development, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies, and basic principles of biostatistics and bioinformatics. 3. Provide a firm foundation for awardees in the specific area of leukemia translational and early clinical research. These objectives will be achieved through strong mentorship in which awardees will be instructed in the principles of clinical, basic, and translational leukemia research. Specific areas of education will include scientific and clinical methods, biomedical ethics, statistical design and analysis, bioinformatics, biology, biochemistry, genetics, epidemiology, and other areas relevant to individual projects. Mentorship will include laboratory-based investigators, clinical-translational investigators, biostatisticians, bioinformaticians and epidemiologists. Mentors from within the Leukemia SPORE and the other 1,500 faculty members at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Fox Chase Cancer Center and from the University of Texas in Houston, will provide the expertise required for the development of strong, productive translational research skills. Since its inception in 2003, the CEP has funded 54 awards given to 36 recipients, including 14 women and 14 minorities, who have gained skills and expertise in designing and conducting clinical translational-based studies in leukemia, including incorporating laboratory-based studies in clinical trials and, conversely, transforming critical clinical observations into meaningful laboratory investigations. The majority have continued independent academic careers in leukemia or cancer research. Thus, this program has contributed to the career development of talented young leukemia investigators to hasten the development of effective new therapeutic strategies against leukemia.