The Nathan Schnaper Intern Program in Translational Cancer Research

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Significant progress in detection and treatment has reduced cancer mortality rates; however, with over 1.7 million new cases and 600,000 deaths from cancer reported in 2019, it remains a major health concern that is predicted to surpass cardiovascular disease as the major cause of death in the US. by 2020. The growing segment of the population that is over 65 years of age and at elevated risk for cancer adds to this disease burden. These data highlight the need for new approaches to cancer treatment and its management in cancer survivors who are projected to exceed 20 million by 2026. Advances in our understanding of fundamental biological mechanisms that are disrupted in human cancers to promote oncogenesis have progressed at an unparalleled rate and provide a seedbed for the novel therapeutic interventions required to fill this need. The current challenge is to close this widening gap between laboratory discoveries and their clinical applications in the fight against cancer. Indeed, creating a streamlined translational pipeline is a priority of the Cancer Moonshot Initiative. Despite these unprecedented opportunities to impact patient outcomes, there is a shortage of young scientists and clinicians with a strong background in cancer biology and the demand for oncologists is predicted to outpace the supply of clinicians in this field by 2025. Thus, inspiring and training the next generation of cancer researchers and oncologists is central to accelerating the translation of research breakthroughs into new diagnostics and therapeutics. The Nathan Schnaper Intern Program in Translational Research (NISP) at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center seeks to achieve this goal through three specific aims: 1) Recruit talented and diverse cohorts of undergraduate interns with an interest in cancer research and/or clinical oncology from institutions across the US. 2) Integrate mentored research, educational modules and clinical exposure to provide interns with hands-on experience in translational cancer research, excite them about careers in this field and foster their success on this path. 3) Evaluate program outcomes and disseminate this information to identify and share best practices, track the progress of intern alumni as a key metric of program success and develop capacity-building partnerships. The NSIP has a strong history of training interns who make seminal contributions to cancer biology. The current proposal builds upon this history, and successes of the first funding period, by augmenting a robust summer curriculum with innovative population science components. New modules in cancer epidemiology, disparities, and survivorship provide interns with a broader perspective of cancer research, care and career opportunities. Furthermore, as part of an expanded cancer education pipeline that is now comprised of nine programs, NSIP interns benefit from near peer networking through joint forums that inform and impact their educational and career path decisions. Incorporation of innovative new modules with established NSIP components in the next funding period will fulfill the research, education, training and workforce development goals of the Cancer Research Education Grants Program that are integral to the NCI mission.