Postdoctoral Training Program in Cancer Immunology

描述（由申请人提供）：过去几年是DFCI和哈佛医学院社区取得非凡科学成就和癌症研究扩展的时期。尽管在癌症的诊断和治疗方面取得了重大进展，但这种疾病仍然是儿童和成人死亡的一个主要原因。我们对免疫反应的基本认识的重要进展为白血病和实体瘤的诊断和治疗提供了新的临床方法。在肿瘤抑制基因、细胞周期调控、癌基因信号传导、细胞分化、细胞凋亡控制、器官生成和血管生成等基础生物科学领域取得了重大进展。靶向癌症治疗的最新进展，癌细胞成像的新模式，以及对遗传学和癌症风险的更深入了解，突出了这些发现对转化研究的潜力，反过来，又为今天的年轻科学家开辟了新的机会领域。这项工作的一个重要部分是培训基础和临床免疫学领域的年轻科学家，使他们成为癌症免疫学领域的独立研究人员。在DFCI，多年来，转化研究一直是基础免疫学和临床免疫学教师之间的持续合作。自从丹娜-法伯/哈佛癌症中心（一个由附属医院组成的联盟）成立以来，基础和临床科学家之间的合作正在增加，以开发疾病预防的创新方法，这使得我们的项目教师队伍得以扩大，包括来自整个哈佛医学院社区的杰出科学家，他们都是基础和转化/临床免疫学领域的领先研究人员。学院已经将他们的研究扩展到新的领域，包括基因沉默，病毒的分子发病机制（癌症的一个重要原因，特别是在免疫缺陷的个体中）和肿瘤生物学。此外，扩大基础设施和核心资源增加了获得试剂的机会，并为开展研究提供了更有效的框架。该项目将继续由Harvey Cantor博士指导，他与培训项目小组委员会一起负责候选人选择，项目课程，实习生研究的年度审查以及促进项目内学生和教师之间的互动。该计划的长期目标是培养基础科学家在癌症免疫学方面进行独立的高质量研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The last several years have been a period of extraordinary scientific achievement and cancer research expansion, both at DFCI and within the Harvard medical school community. Although significant progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, this disease continues to represent a major cause of childhood and adult mortality. Important advances in our fundamental understanding of the immune response have suggested new clinical approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of leukemias and solid tumors. Significant advances have occurred in the areas of basic biological science, including tumor suppressor genes, cell cycle regulation, oncogene signaling, cell differentiation, apoptosis control, organogenesis and angiogenesis. Recent advances in targeted cancer therapies, new modalities of cancer cell imaging, and a deeper understanding of genetics and cancer risk highlight the potential of these discoveries to translational research which, in turn, has opened new areas of opportunity for today's young scientists. An essential part of this effort is the training of young scientists in basic and clinical immunology to become independent investigators in cancer immunology. At DFCI, translational research has been an ongoing collaborative effort between faculty in basic and clinical Immunology for many years. Collaboration is increasing between basic and clinical scientists to develop innovative approaches to disease prevention, since the formation of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, a consortium of the affiliated hospitals, which has allowed expansion of our Program Faculty to include distinguished scientists from the entire Harvard Medical School community, all of whom are leading investigators in basic and translational/clinical immunology. Faculty have expanded their research into new areas, including gene silencing, molecular pathogenesis of viruses (a significant cause of cancer, especially in immune-deficient individuals) and tumor biology. In addition, expanded infrastructure and core resources have enhanced access to reagents and provide a more efficient framework in which to carry out research. The program will continue to be directed by Dr. Harvey Cantor who, in conjunction with the Training Program Subcommittee, is responsible for candidate selection, program curriculum, annual review of trainee's research and fostering of interactions among student and faculty members within the Program. The long-range goal of the Program is to train basic scientists to conduct independent high-quality research in cancer immunology.