Translational Breast Cancer Research Training Program

描述（由申请人提供）：改善女性乳腺癌的预后需要一种新兴的新型研究者，即转化研究者。在基础分子和细胞研究方面有坚实基础的科学家，他们也了解临床疾病，将指导最有效的乳腺癌研究的未来。这些研究人员被称为“转化型”，因为他们有能力将基本发现转化为临床策略。这种类型的培训既需要资金充足的核心研究人员进行基础实验室研究，也需要优秀的临床培训计划。在贝勒医学院，乳房中心提供了这样一个组合。这是5年前开始的培训计划的竞争性更新的重新提交，该计划已支持14名博士或医学博士博士后学员。所有受训者都在乳腺癌的一个方面工作，从激素作用和治疗应用，生长因子，信号转导，细胞周期控制，正常。乳房发育，乳腺癌预防，乳腺癌进化，分子遗传学，或基因治疗。正式的教学课程包括科学写作和研究经费、生物统计学、领导技能和临床转化乳腺癌研究中的问题。培训生的研究项目的进展和方向将在每周的数据回顾中密切监测。学员还参加每周一次的临床乳腺癌病例会议，以增加他们对临床问题的理解。由于我们的综合性质，以及医学博士和博士导师的平衡纳入，学员有充足的机会与临床同行交流，讨论转化问题，大多数学员仍然从事学术研究。因此，通过提供一个项目，包括在具有长期乳腺癌研究记录的成熟导师的指导下进行实验室培训，与成功的内科科学家互动，并接触临床乳腺癌问题，我们创造了一个培养新的转化研究人员的独特机会。该方案与公共卫生密切相关，因为迫切需要更多的多学科转化科学家来解决乳腺癌问题，因为这种疾病是美国妇女死亡的第二大常见原因。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Improvements in the outcome for women with breast cancer will require an emerging new breed of investigator, the translational researcher. Scientists with a strong foundation in basic molecular and cellular research who also have an understanding of the clinical disease will direct the most effective future of breast cancer research. Such investigators have been called "translational" because of their ability to translate basic findings into clinical strategies. This type of training requires both a well funded core of investigators performing basic laboratory research, and an excellent clinical training program. At Baylor College of Medicine, the Breast Center affords such a combination. This is a resubmission of competitive renewal of a Training Program begun 5 years ago which has supported 14 PhD or MD postdoctoral trainees. All trainees work on an aspect of breast cancer chosen from hormone action and therapeutic applications, growth factors, signal transduction, cell cycle control, normal.breast development, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer evolution, molecular genetics, or gene therapy. Formal didactic courses covering scientific writing and research grants, biostatistics, leadership skills, and problems in clinical translational breast cancer research are required. Progress and direction of the trainee's research project are closely monitored in weekly data reviews. Trainees also attend a weekly clinical breast cancer case conference in order to increase their understanding of clinical issues. Because of our integrative nature, and the balanced inclusion of MD and PhD mentors, the trainees have abundant opportunities to interact with their clinical counterparts for discussion of translational issues, and the majority of trainees have remained in academic research. Thus, by providing a program that involves laboratory training under the direction of well-established preceptors with a long-standing track record of breast cancer research, interaction with successful physician-scientists and exposure to clinical breast cancer issues, we have created a unique opportunity to train new translational researchers. This Program is highly relevant to the public health because there is a great need for more translational, multidisciplinary scientists to conquer the problem of breast cancer, since this disease accounts for the second most frequent cause of mortality in women in the United States.