Genome and Epigenome Integrity In Cancer

这项建议寻求对专注于基因组和基因工程的博士后学生和博士后研究员的支持。 癌症中的表观基因组完整性。推动癌症发展的两个基本过程是基因突变 (基因组不稳定性)和表观基因组重编程(表观基因组不稳定性)。从历史上看，基因组和 表观基因组完整性已经作为单独的学科进行了研究。然而，从科学上讲，基因组和 表观基因组的完整性与染色质有内在的联系，染色质是DNA、蛋白质和RNA的有组织的复合体。 因此，对未来科学家的需求越来越大，他们能够在这两个学科之间架起桥梁，促进癌症的发展。 以一种范式转换的方式进行研究。最近，哥伦比亚大学已经成为一所领先的 癌症基因组和表观基因组完整性的研究和教育。因此，我们建议设立 美国首个癌症基因组和表观基因组完整性(GEIC)培训计划以培养下一代 这两个相互关联的癌症研究学科的科学家。要做到这一点，我们将利用 我们的教员，哥伦比亚大学最先进的资源和赫伯特·欧文的特殊支持 综合癌症中心(HICCC)。GEIC计划将由两个共同的个人投资机构管理， 在癌症基因组和表观基因组完整性方面的互补科学专业知识。联席采购经理将由以下人士提供意见 一个执行委员会和一个咨询委员会。计划评估将征求执行人员的意见 委员会和咨询委员会成员，以及对受训者和导师的年度匿名调查。这个 HICCC还将为GEIC计划提供实质性支持，为其提供为期五年的额外资助。这个 GEIC博士前实习生将从哥伦比亚大学研究生院招收的学生中挑选 已完成第一年研究生学习并进入GEIC实验室的文理系学生 从事癌症基因组和表观基因组完整性领域的博士论文研究。博士后 研究员将从内部和外部两个来源中挑选。内部实习生将从申请者中挑选 已经开始在GEIC计划学院的实验室进行博士后研究。此外，要增加 优秀的博士后申请者以及我们实习生的多样性，GEIC计划将 积极招聘外部博士后申请者。每个实习生都被要求制定一项单独的培训 经计划主任和执行委员会批准并参与GEIC计划的计划 组织/指定培训活动。本计划将对这些培训活动的进展情况进行评估 在续签第二年支持之前，董事与执行委员会和咨询委员会一起提供支持。 最后，多样性促进委员会将与计划主任合作，积极招募 参加GEIC方案的代表不足的少数群体(URM)，目标是25%的GEIC受训人员是URM。我们 期望GEIC培训计划将培养具有不同背景的下一代科学家 专门研究癌症的基因组和表观基因组完整性。

This proposal seeks support for predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows focused on genome and epigenome integrity in cancer. Two fundamental processes that drive cancer development are genetic mutations (genome instability) and epigenome reprogramming (epigenome instability). Historically, genome and epigenome integrity have been studied as separate disciplines. Scientifically, however, the genome and epigenome integrity are inherently connected by chromatin, an organized complex of DNA, protein and RNA. Therefore, there is a growing need for future scientists who can bridge these two disciplines to advance cancer research in a paradigm-shifting way. Recently, Columbia University has emerged as a leading institution for research and education in genome and epigenome integrity in cancer. Therefore, we propose to create the nation’s first Genome and Epigenome Integrity in Cancer (GEIC) Training Program to foster next generation scientists in these two interconnected disciplines of cancer research. To do so, we will leverage the expertise of our faculty, state-of-the-art resources at Columbia University and exceptional support from the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC). The GEIC Program will be administered by two co-PIs with complementary scientific expertise in genome and epigenome integrity in cancer. The co-PIs will be advised by an Executive Committee and an Advisory Board. Program evaluation will be solicited from the Executive Committee and Advisory Board members, as well as annual anonymous surveys of trainees and mentors. The HICCC will also provide substantial support to the GEIC program by funding an additional slot for five years. The GEIC predoctoral trainees will be selected from students enrolled in the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences who have completed the first-year of graduate studies and entered a GEIC laboratory to pursue their Ph.D. dissertation research in the areas of genome and epigenome integrity in cancer. Postdoctoral fellows will be selected from two sources, internal and external. Internal trainees will be selected from applicants already embarking on postdoctoral studies in the laboratories of GEIC Program Faculty. In addition, to increase the pool of outstanding postdoctoral applicants, as well as the diversity of our trainees, the GEIC Program will aggressively recruit external postdoctoral applicants. Each trainee is required to develop an individual training plan approved by the Program directors and Executive Committee and to participate in GEIC program organized/specified training activities. Progress in these training activities will be evaluated by the Program Directors, along with the Executive Committee and Advisory Board, before renewal of second year support. Finally, the Diversity Enhancement Committee will work with Program Directors to actively recruit underrepresented minority (URM) to the GEIC Program, with the goal of 25% GEIC trainees being URMs. We expect that the GEIC Training Program will foster next generation of scientists with diverse backgrounds specialized in genome and epigenome integrity in cancer.