Larva to Butterfly:Training as Systems Cancer Biologist

描述(申请人提供)：复杂性是任何生物系统的标志。在我的K25获奖期间，我将专注于在复杂系统的背景下将系统科学方法应用于癌症生物学，并将自己转变为系统癌症生物学家。作为一名有20年经验的系统科学家，我需要足够快地学习不同的领域，以便与不同领域的专家合作，如天体动力学、人口学、经济学、工程学、健康、水文学、物理和水化学。跨学科研究需要“学习语言”--即与学科专家对话，共同定义问题、理解和寻找解决方案。在我的导师和合作者的指导下，通过体验式学习方法，在我的K25期间，我将开发特定的“小”研究项目，作为学习重要癌症问题的工具。在生物学、成像、药理学等方面的实验室轮换补充了知识，并在欣赏模型验证、分析验证所需的数据收集、方法和协议方面-主要是在计算机方法中，导致在体外。体内实验将在更长的时间内进行。以我的定量和定性研究背景，我将专注于细胞间和细胞内的信号通路，特别是JAK-STAT和Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK，以及转录和转录后基因表达网络。要理解串扰和调控基因网络行为，需要使用目标寻找、协调、有限自主、弹性和稳健性范式来定义问题，并应用多层次和分层系统理论、协调和控制的系统科学方法。在肿瘤生物学中具有重要作用的细胞功能，如细胞凋亡、血管生成、组织侵袭、增殖、转移和分化，将为本研究提供动力。在接下来的20年里，我将努力成为癌症生物学家的领导者和共同领导者，并与医生合作-基本上是从板凳到床。作为一名教育工作者，我将开设一门系统癌症生物学课程，以培养一批工程学和癌症生物学方面的新学生。从长远来看，我将共同开发一门课程，复制我在创建更多系统癌症生物学家方面的经验。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Complexity is a hallmark of any biological system. In my K25 award period I will focus on applying Systems Science approaches to cancer biology in the context of complex systems, and transform myself into a Systems Cancer Biologist. As a System Scientist with two decades of experience, it was required of me to learn diverse fields quickly enough to collaborate with specialists in such dissimilar fields as astrodynamics, demographics, economics, engineering, health, hydrology, physics, and water chemistry. Interdisciplinary research requires 'learning the language' - i.e., to converse with disciplinary specialists to jointly define problems, understanding and, search for solutions. With an experiential learning approach with guidance from my mentors and collaborator, during my K25 period, I will develop specific 'small' research projects as a vehicle for learning about important cancer problems. Lab rotations in biology, imaging, pharmacology, etc., supplements knowledge, and in appreciating data collection, methodology and protocols, needed for model validation, analysis verification - essentially in silico approach, that leads to in vitro. The in vivo experiments will be in the longer term. With my quantitative and qualitative research background, I will focus on inter- and intra-cell signaling pathways, in particular JAK-STAT and Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK, and, on transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression networks. Understanding cross-talk and regulatory gene network behavior, requires defining problems using goal seeking, coordination, bounded autonomy, resilience and robustness paradigms, and the application of systems science approaches of multilevel and hierarchical systems theory, coordination and control. Cell functions such as apoptosis, angiogenesis, tissue invasion, proliferation, metastasis and differentiation, important in cancer biology will provide motivation for this research. Over the next two decades I will work to be a leader and co-leader with cancer biologists and, collaborate with physicians- essentially bench-to-bed. As an educator, I will create a Systems Cancer Biology course to train a new cadre of students in both engineering and cancer biology. In the longer term I will co-develop a curriculum to replicate my experience in creating more Systems Cancer Biologists.