Nanotechnology and Physical Science Training Program in Cancer Research

描述（由申请人提供）：该培训计划旨在培养新一代的科学家、工程师和医疗从业者，他们经过培训，具备将纳米技术和物理科学的创新整合到癌症诊断和治疗中的知识和技能。由于癌症疾病的复杂性，在过去的几十年里，该领域的进展有限。很明显，纳米科学技术在肿瘤学中的应用可能会从根本上改变我们诊断和治疗这种致命疾病的方式。然而，我们意识到，有能力从事这些高度跨学科活动的研究人员严重缺乏，过去十年纳米医学取得的进展主要依赖于研究人员在需求出现时将他们的知识扩展到他们专业知识以外的相关领域的巨大努力。我们相信，通过让我们的学生和博士后在他们职业发展的早期阶段为这一新兴领域的知识和技能做好准备，我们将能够在未来几年显著加快这一努力。为此，我们精心组建了一个跨学科的导师团队，由40名不同背景的教师组成，他们的研究兴趣在华盛顿大学（UW）和弗雷德·哈钦森癌症研究中心（FHCRC）的六个部门的肿瘤学，工程学和物理科学之间的跨学科领域。这种独特的专业知识与精心设计的课程相结合，将使学员接触到基础和临床癌症研究的优秀结合。我们培训活动的主要组成部分包括：1)实验室或临床研究，每个受训者将由至少两名教员共同指导，其中一名具有医学背景，另一名具有科学或工程背景；2)参加必修和选修研究生课程；3)参加研讨会和临床肿瘤委员会；4)学生在年度学术研讨会上报告其研究进展；5)一系列丰富多彩的活动，包括杂志俱乐部、道德操行和领导技能培训；6)教师对学员的频繁反馈和执行委员会的年度进度评估。我们要求在项目期间每年支持2名博士生，5名博士后和2名医学博士研究员，每位实习生获得两年的支持。参与该项目的机构和教师在招募未被充分代表的少数民族方面有着良好的记录。该培训项目将与这两所学院的现有项目合作，并为招收少数族裔学员做出额外的具体努力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This training program aims to produce a new generation of scientists, engineers and medical practitioners who are trained to possess the knowledge and skills to integrate innovations in nanotechnology and physical sciences to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Due to the complexity of cancer disease, there has been limited progress made in the field during the past few decades. It has become clear that the involvement of nano science and technology in oncology may fundamentally change our ways to diagnose and treat this lethal disease. We realized, however, that there is a serious lack of researchers who are competent of pursuing these highly interdisciplinary activities, and that the progress made in nanomedicine during the past decade depends mostly on researchers' tremendous effort in expanding their knowledge to the related areas beyond their expertise when the needs arise. We believe that by preparing our students and postdoctoral fellows for knowledge and skills in this emerging field in the early stages of their career development, we would be able to significantly expedite such endeavor in the next few years. To this extent, we have carefully assembled an interdisciplinary preceptor team consisting of 40 faculty members of different backgrounds and whose research interests are in the interdisciplinary areas between oncology, engineering, and physical sciences in six departments at University of Washington (UW) and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC). This unique blend of expertise, combined with a carefully designed curriculum, will expose trainees to an excellent combination of fundamental as well as clinically-oriented cancer research. The major components of our training activities include: 1) laboratory or clinical research in which each trainee will be co-advised by at least two faculty members, one from medical background and one from science or engineering; 2) participation in a required and an elective graduate course; 3) attendance in seminar programs and a clinical tumor board; 4) presentations in annual symposium by students on their research progress; 5) a set of enrichment activities including a journal club, and training on ethic conduct and leadership skills; 6) frequent feedback from faculty to trainees and annual progress evaluation from an executive committee. We request support for 2 predoctoral students, 5 postdoctoral and 2 MD fellows every year in the duration of the program with each trainee receiving a two-year support. The participating institutions and faculty of this program have strong records in recruitment of underrepresented minorities. The training program will work with existing programs at the both institutes and make additional program specific efforts to recruit minority trainees.