Cancer Genetics Career Development Program

描述(由申请人提供)：这是一个已建立的癌症遗传学职业发展计划(CGCDP)的竞争性续签申请，该计划的目标是为癌症遗传学和癌症预防研究培养项目负责人。我们需要更多有重点的跨学科培训的领导者来推动癌症遗传学研究领域的发展。需要对不同背景的研究人员进行交叉培训，以利用基因组学、蛋白质组学、遗传流行病学、癌症遗传学和分子医学的知识，将其转化为癌症预防。CGCDP是NCI R25T产品组合中唯一的同类项目。在最初的项目期间，我们实现了最初资助的R25T提案中概述的所有目标。我们开发了基础设施、专业课程、有效的咨询委员会，我们制定了招聘战略，确定并接触到了候选人申请者。我们招募了12名高素质的实习生(4名医学博士，2名博士生护士，2名RN，4名遗传咨询师)-6名博士生中有3/6是代表性不足的少数民族。招聘工作包括在专业肿瘤学和遗传学期刊上做广告，网络列表，以及在全国会议上发布的引人注目的计划公告，并向145个内科肿瘤学和60个遗传学项目的主任传播。为每个学员量身定做的教育计划提供4小时的课程接触，4小时的体验式培训，5小时的跨学科临床会议工作，以及每周至少26小时的研究经验/培训。专业课程包括一门新的临床癌症遗传学研究生课程，该课程是在第一个项目阶段创建和试行的，并被批准在一所地区性大学的课程中永久保留。学员学习设计和实施高度跨学科的癌症遗传学和预防研究项目。个人教育计划强调跨学科课程和会议，重点是癌症研究项目的成熟和PHS 398拨款提案的准备。受训者可以同时攻读硕士学位和高级课程。在第一个资助期，实习生学术成果卓著，共出版了8本同行评议的出版物。每个受训人员在专业会议上提交一份或多份摘要。六份受训人员补助金申请获得了外部资金。CGCDP的校友正在继续研究的职业轨迹(9名校友中有8名从事学术和/或研究工作，1名参与行业教育)，我们正在改进专业课程，引入新的以癌症遗传学为重点的研讨会和讲座，增加新的研究和跨学科培训元素，并增加经验丰富、资金充足的研究导师名单。有一个新的客座教授系列，介绍癌症遗传学研究的思想领袖和潜在的职业轨迹，以及生物科学和生物信息学的新学术学位选择。CGCDP的成功体现在学员的生产率和安置上，而且对在癌症遗传学这一新兴学科具有研究专长的卫生保健专业人员的需求依然迫切。我们的新重点是专门针对先前审查推荐的博士后实习生，简化了计划，并将资源集中在最有可能成为癌症遗传学独立研究科学家的实习生身上。该项目的毕业生将通过将癌症遗传流行病学转化为个人风险评估工具和可接受的干预措施来减轻高危人群的癌症负担。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a competitive renewal application for an established cancer genetics career development program (CGCDP), the goal of which is to generate program leaders for cancer genetics and cancer prevention research. We need more leaders with focused interdisciplinary training to move the field of cancer genetics research forward. Cross training of researchers with different backgrounds is needed to leverage knowledge of genomics, proteomics, genetic epidemiology, cancer genetics and molecular medicine for translation to cancer prevention. The CGCDP is the only program of its kind in the NCI R25T portfolio. In the initial project period we achieved all of the objectives outlined in the original funded R25T proposal. We developed the infrastructure, a specialized curriculum, an effective advisory committee, and we established recruitment strategies and identified and reached the candidate applicant pool. We recruited twelve highly qualified trainees (4 MDs, 2 PhD nurses, 2 RNs, 4 genetic counselors)-3/6 doctoral trainees are under-represented minorities. Recruitment efforts included advertising in professional oncology and genetics journals, web listings, and a compelling program announcement posted at national meetings and disseminated to directors of 145 medical oncology and 60 genetics programs. A tailored education plan for each trainee provides 4 contact hrs coursework, 4 hrs experiential training, 5 hrs interdisciplinary clinical conference work, and a minimum of 26 hrs research experience/training every week. The specialized curriculum includes a new graduate course in clinical cancer genetics that was created and piloted in the first project period, and approved for permanent status on the curriculum at a regional university. Trainees learn to design and implement highly interdisciplinary collaborative cancer genetics and prevention research projects. Individual education plans emphasize interdisciplinary coursework and conferences, and focus on maturation of cancer research projects and preparation of a PHS 398 grant proposal. Trainees may concurrently pursue a master's degree with advanced course work. In the first funding period, trainee academic productivity was exceptional and resulted in 8 peer-reviewed publications. Every trainee presented one or more abstracts at professional meetings. Six trainee grant applications have resulted in extramural funding. CGCDP alumni are continuing on research career trajectories (8 of 9 alumni have taken academic and/or research positions, and one is involved in industry education), We are improving the specialized curriculum, introducing new cancer genetics-focused workshops and lectures, adding new research and cross-disciplinary training elements, and growing the roster of experienced, well-funded research mentors. There is a new visiting professors series to profile thought leaders and potential career trajectories in cancer genetics research, and new academic degree options in biological sciences and bioinformatics. The success of the CGCDP is reflected by trainee productivity and placement, and there is a continued critical need for health care professionals with research expertise in the emerging discipline of cancer genetics. Our new emphasis, exclusively on post-doctoral trainees recommended by the previous review, streamlines the program and concentrates resources on trainees most likely to become independent research scientists in cancer genetics. The graduates of this program will reduce the burden of cancer among those at highest risk by translating cancer genetic epidemiology to individual risk assessment tools and acceptable interventions.