NU-TRIHO (Northwestern University Translational Research in Hematology-Oncology) Training Program

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Project Summary This revised proposal seeks funding for the Northwestern University-Translational Research in Hematology- Oncology (NU-TRIHO) Training Program, prompted by the urgent need for clinician-scientists in Hematology- Oncology who are highly motivated and well-prepared to launch and succeed in careers that combine clinical practice and translational research. The objective of this program is to prepare trainees for the challenges awaiting the next generation of academic oncologist-researchers. It will provide educational and research experiences that integrate and bridge basic and clinical sciences, thereby establishing a solid foundation for translational research. It will confer skills that will complement their educational and research experiences and prepare them for careers in academia. It will implement an intensive career development program that will provide information, counseling, and assistance to help each trainee navigate the challenges faced in establishing a successful translational research career. Trainees will be appointed for two years after completing one year of clinical training in the Northwestern University Medicine or Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship programs. Seventeen laboratory preceptors have been selected as program faculty based on their research focus, funding, and mentoring expertise and capabilities. Seventeen clinical preceptors, who have successful track records in clinical research and collaborate with many of the laboratory preceptors, have been selected to facilitate translational efforts, provide career advice, and participate in mentoring research committees. The curriculum, which will be individually tailored to each trainee, consists of mentored laboratory and clinical research, exercises to refine communication and grant writing skills, guided readings and discussions, formal training in clinical design and conduct, training in the responsible conduct of research as well as rigor and reproducibility, and career development activities that complement the trainees’ laboratory and clinical investigations. The career development component will provide information, counseling, and assistance to help each trainee navigate the challenges that arise while establishing a successful independent translational research career. Multiple mechanisms are in place to evaluate the performance and success of the NU-TRIHO Training Program. The Program has strong institutional support from the Lurie Cancer Center and the Feinberg School of Medicine’s Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. The proposed NU-TRIHO Training Program responds to the challenges faced by the next generation of academic hematologists and medical oncologists and addresses the critical need for more such individuals who are well-versed in clinically relevant basic science research, translational research, and clinical trial design.