T32 Training Program in Pediatric Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Pediatric Immuno-oncology and Immunotherapy T32 training program is designed to train postdoctoral fellows with the interdisciplinary skills and knowledge that are necessary to become highly productive scientists in this field. Immunotherapy for pediatric cancer patients has the potential to revolutionize how we take care of pediatric cancer patients and holds the promise to provide cures for currently ‘incurable pediatric cancers’. The high specificity of such immunotherapies should reduce toxicity and long-term adverse effects. However, the success of this therapeutic approach will depend on our ability to attract promising young investigators into the field. Despite obvious differences between adult and pediatric cancer, there is currently no pediatric immuno- oncology T32 training program funded by the NIH, and our proposed training program fills this gap. There is an urgent need for discovery-based research, in particular to define the immune landscape of pediatric cancer, and to strengthen research focused on translating immunotherapeutic approaches into early phase clinical studies. This can only be accomplished by providing systematic, rigorous training in pediatric immuno-oncology and immunotherapy, and this T32 training program meets this need. We are requesting three postdoctoral positions to support interdisciplinary training in immuno-oncology and immunotherapy within our institution. Pediatric immuno-oncology and immunotherapy is a very broad topic, and the training has been designed to expose trainees to the most important topics, while also providing tailored preparation for a career in pediatric immuno- oncology-related research. Training will be a combination of basic science concepts and techniques, translational research, animal studies, and professional development, including scientific writing and grant preparation. Trainees will present their work annually as part of the T32 program’s Training Day, which will be held in conjunction with an on-site visit from our External Advisory Committee (EAC). It will comprise research presentations by trainees to program faculty and the EAC, a featured lecture from an EAC member, and evaluation of the program by the EAC. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital provides an ideal environment for the proposed T32, with cutting edge technologies, numerous core facilities including an onsite Good Manufacturing Practice facility, and dedicated faculty who are committed to training young scientists. Moreover, it is the home of the only NCI comprehensive cancer center that is solely focused on pediatric cancer. Importantly, it is committed to developing the next generation of pediatric immunotherapies through its strategic plan and multi-investigator initiatives. St. Jude provides a rich intellectual environment with formal and informal interaction between laboratories and research programs in multiple institutional lecture and seminar series, providing ample opportunities to trainees for additional research training and career development. In summary, we are committed to training the next generation of scientists in the field of pediatric immuno-oncology and immunotherapy, which holds the promise to cure pediatric cancers with minimal treatment-related harm.