Education and Outreach Unit

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Project Summary – Education and Outreach Unit We develop training tailored to the needs of physical science trainees (graduate student and post-doctoral) entering cancer research and to cancer biology trainees adopting physical science approaches. Training elements include classroom instruction, lab-based minicourses, and immersion experiences. For physical science trainees, the focus is on gaining a solid grounding in modern cancer biology (course: Cancer for Engineers and Physical Sciences), developing critical laboratory skills that are less common in the physical sciences (minicourses: mammalian and primary cell culture), and gaining exposure to clinical medicine and translational research (clinical immersion). For cancer biology trainees, the goal is to learn what physical science methods enable in biomedical research (course: Nanobiotechnology), develop aptitude in applying these approaches (minicourses: surface modification, microfluidics, 3D engineered culture), and seeing an engineering lab from the inside (engineering immersion). Both groups of trainees participate in an innovative, student-led course on metabolism in cancer. Other programs aim to broaden the research perspective of trainees. We host a PSOC seminar series that emphasizes trainee interactions with speakers as well as an annual PSOC retreat that brings trainees into big-picture research planning. Through interactions with local patient advocates, our trainees learn about high-priority issues for cancer patients. We also continue to support trainee-initiated programs, such as the very successful Cancer Brainstorming Club, and a new monthly PSOC coffee hour with “house rules” that encourage trainee interactions with faculty about big-picture science issues. We aim to prepare PSOC trainees to be successful in the wide variety of career paths where their skills are valuable. Some PSOC seminar slots will emphasize the role of scientists in business, policy, and communications and how those activities can positively impact cancer. We will partner with innovative training programs, such as Cornell's NIH-funded Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training, to provide in-depth professional development relevant to a trainee's chosen career path. Finally, we aim to broadly distribute some of these training materials. We will continue to videoconference the Nanobiotechnology course to multiple sites and can add additional PSON participants. The Cancer for Engineers and Physical Scientists course takes an innovative pedagogical approach that is tailored to the motivations and needs of physical scientists starting in cancer research. It would be very valuable for this course to be widely available. A book based on the course is near completion and we propose to convert the course to a massively open online course (MOOC) through Cornell's new partnership with edX. The activities of the Education and Outreach Unit are tightly aligned with both the specific research goals outlined in this proposal as well as with the broader aim to facilitate interactions between physical science/engineering and cancer biology/oncology that enhance cancer research.