NCI GRANT WILL HELP OSUCCC – JAMES ESTABLISH CANCER PREVENTION & CONTROL RESEARCHER TRAINING PROGRAM

Shields

Weghorst

The OSUCCC – James will address a high priority of both the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Ohio State by using a new five-year, $1.03 million NCI grant to establish a postdoctoral training program for cancer prevention and control.

The T-32 grant, awarded to principal investigator (PI) and project leader Peter Shields, MD, deputy director of the OSUCCC, and co-PI Christopher Weghorst, PhD, professor and associate dean for research in the College of Public Health, will support transdisciplinary research training that will prepare postdoctoral fellows to become independent scientists in academia, government or industry whose studies will be aimed at reducing cancer risk and improving the lives of cancer patients.

“The training program will contribute to the pipeline of young cancer control and prevention researchers who will help us create a cancer-free world by finding ways to help prevent this disease and to alleviate suffering of those living with cancer,” Shields says, noting that the trainees may focus on research relating to carcinogenesis, behavior, cancer risk and survivorship.

“The training and research experience can be laboratory-, clinic- or community-based,” he adds.

The training will include a core curriculum, research seminars and an emphasis on dual mentorship with biostatistics/bioinformatics advisers. Participating faculty are senior leaders with track records for receiving peer-reviewed funding and working on multi-investigator programmatic grants.

The new T-32 program reflects the OSUCCC – James’ efforts to expand its training programs.

“We have a strong record for postdoctoral training, such as a 39-year history of a T-32 general oncology program that has trained 154 postdoctoral fellows, but until now our training programs have had little or no cancer-prevention activities,” he says. “We expect to have a large applicant pool for our new program, both locally and nationally.”

The five-year grant will provide support for two trainees in the first year and for three trainees in years two through five.