Nanotechnology and Physical Science Training Program in Cancer Research

描述(由申请者提供)：该培训计划旨在培养新一代科学家、工程师和医生，他们接受培训，拥有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，该领域取得的进展有限。很明显，纳米科学和技术在肿瘤学中的参与可能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，严重缺乏有能力从事这些高度跨学科活动的研究人员，过去十年在纳米医学方面取得的进展主要取决于研究人员在出现需要时将他们的知识扩展到他们专业之外的相关领域的巨大努力。我们相信，通过我们的学生和博士后研究员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，我们精心组建了一支由40名不同背景的教员组成的跨学科教师团队，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)的六个系的肿瘤学、工程学和物理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导向的癌症研究的完美结合。我们培训活动的主要部分包括：1)实验室或临床研究，每个受训人员将由至少两名教员共同指导，其中一名具有医学背景，一名来自科学或工程专业；2)参加必修和选修的研究生课程；3)参加研讨会计划和临床肿瘤委员会；4)在年度研讨会上由学生介绍他们的研究进展；5)一系列丰富的活动，包括期刊俱乐部，以及关于道德操守和领导技能的培训；6)经常收到教员对受训人员的反馈，并由执行委员会进行年度进展评估。我们要求在项目期间每年资助2名博士后、5名博士后和2名医学博士研究生，每名实习生获得两年的资助。这一方案的参与机构和教职员工在招聘代表性不足的少数族裔方面有着良好的记录。该培训计划将与这两个学院的现有计划合作，并做出额外的计划具体努力，以招募少数族裔受训人员。

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.