Surgical Oncology Research Training Grant

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT We propose to continue our program to provide research training in oncology to young surgeons interested in a career in academic surgical oncology. Trainees will be surgical residents with at least 2 years of postgraduate clinical experience. Our T32 Surgical Oncology Research Training Program has supported the research careers of 85 young trainee surgeons over the past 30 years. We are now applying for funding for years 31 to 35. The goals of the 2-year training program are to provide individuals with an intensive research experience in (1) hypothesis formulation, (2) experimental design, (3) data analysis, (4) laboratory/project management, (5) oral and written presentation, and (6) grant writing skills. The ultimate objective of the program is to teach the scientific method and research techniques so that the trainees can perform high-quality independent research on topics ranging the full spectrum of oncology upon completion of their surgical training. This research experience will enable trainees to apply for positions as junior faculty members in academic institutions and become independent clinical and translational researchers. The mentored research will be tailored to the interest and career goals of the trainees and their mentors. Past trainees have worked in a wide variety of disciplines, including tumor immunology, cancer biology, molecular genetics, molecular pathology, and targeted therapeutics. For the proposed cycle, we have added Program Faculty with research programs in cancer outcomes, survivorship, and disparities. The program curriculum is now designed to provide exposure to basic, translational, and population health sciences, as well as clinical surgical oncology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology. Close contact between the trainees, mentors, and program director has been achieved. Trainees are required to attend weekly conferences and didactic lectures at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) that include the fundamentals of research, research presentations, as well as topics in clinical oncology. The scientific quality of research performed by the trainees has been outstanding and most of the fellows have remained in academia. The program continues to be a major commitment of the Department of Surgery at MSK and has benefited from the recent increase in research faculty and research facilities at our institution.