Training & Education
Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC)
The University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center supports multidisciplinary education and training in the context of CU Cancer Center’s research and clinical mission through the development of novel programs, active participation in the training of mentees across a broad spectrum of educational stages including middle and high school students, undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, graduate students, medical students, residents, and fellows. We also provide career development activities for junior faculty (referred to as mentored members) and cancer-focused educational and training activities for cancer center members.
We place a major emphasis on the integration of training and education activities with cutting-edge basic, population, and clinical cancer research undertakings. Furthermore, in close collaboration with the CU Cancer Center Community Engagement and Outreach Office, we put a unique focus on including and recruiting underrepresented populations to participate in education and training activities.
Mission, Vision, & Goals
Mission
Serve and improve the care of cancer patients by fostering the careers of cancer care providers, new investigators, and aspiring young scientists in cancer research, population science, and clinical care.
Vision
Educating and training the next generation of innovative leaders in translational, basic, clinical, and population science-related cancer research will conquer cancer.
Our Goals
Training & Education Opportunities
CRTEC is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists. Click below to find out more about our K-12 programming that provides exposure and real-world experiences for young students in the cancer biology field.
CRTEC’s education and training initiatives for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students engage scientific curiosity in the next generation by providing opportunities for students to explore future careers in cancer research while fueling the biomedical research pipeline. Click below to find out more about our undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programming.
CRTEC supports the education and training of graduate, medical, and postdoctoral students through the organization and facilitation of the Cancer Symposium Seminars and Colloquiums, dissemination of relevant training and grant opportunities, assisting with cancer-relevant training grants, and providing funding for training courses and innovation grants. Click below to learn more about the programming for graduate, medical, and post-doctoral students.
CRTEC supports Junior Faculty, referred to as Mentored Members, by organizing and facilitating the Cancer Symposium Seminars and Colloquiums, providing quarterly meetings and workshops, assisting with grant writing, and dissemination of grant and training opportunities. Click below to learn more about programming for mentored members.
The Cancer Center hosts a symposium series each week during the fall and spring semesters that is organized and facilitated by CRTEC. In these symposiums, our Cancer Center members and students, learn about current research occurring in the field of Cancer Biology. Scientists from the CU Cancer Center in addition to distinguished researchers brought in from across the nation present their research at the seminars.
These CME-accredited seminars are held on Tuesdays from 12:00 - 1:00 pm MST in either a virtual or hybrid format as a live web conference with a Q&A session during the last 15 minutes. When COVID restrictions allow, pizza lunch is provided for those attending in person.
For the schedule of the upcoming Cancer Symposium Seminars:
Can’t attend a symposium session you are interested in? Most of the symposium sessions are recorded (with permission of the speaker) and posted on the Cancer Center Symposium Series YouTube Channel.
Training & Education Latest News
Welcome PIKE-PREP and ASCENT Scholars!
June 3 & 4, 2024, is now in the history books at the UC Cancer Center at the Anschutz Medical Campus, when the post-baccalaureate programs 2024-2025 PIKE-PREP (Preparation in Interdisciplinary Knowledge to Excel – Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program) and the 2024-2026 ASCENT (Advancement of Scholars in Cancer Education aNd Training) cohorts were welcomed into the programs. Scholars had two days of orientation and training, meeting program directors Dr. Eduardo Davila and Dr. Carlos E. Catalano, CRTEC staff, mentors and members of the various labs. We are excited for their growth and to see the research that will come from their work in the labs.
(Top L-R) Irene Liang, Sumra Chaudhry, Skye Patterson, Pedro Gamez, Miga Romano
(Seated L-R) Jenna Banh, Hajjia Mohammed-Gipson, Evie Nguyen, Manna Morris, Astrid Ardon Lopez
Visit our post-baccalaureate program sites:
Another Successful Session of C2R2 (Cancer Center Research Rangers)
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The Cancer Center hosted 6th grade students from the Challenge Foundation Summer Program. Students were served lunch before an afternoon of cancer science, including hands-on stations: A Close Up Look at Cancer, Use Your Brains, Love the Skin You’re In, and Tobacco Time. Challenge Foundation counselors Connie, Miriam and Aziza were great to join right in to help with the stations. CRTEC would also like to thank Dr. Kristin Schaller and Ben Kooiman of the Verneris Lab for their partnership to give students a dive into cancer.
Cancer Innovation Pilot Grant
Are you in a post-baccalaureate training program, a nursing, medical, MS, or PhD graduate student, a post-doctoral investigator or an early career-faculty member doing cancer research or wanting to start a new cancer research project and need seed money for it? If so, we encourage you to apply for a Cancer Innovation Pilot Grant. Projects addressing cancer health disparities or community-engaged research are highly encouraged.
Read more about the Cancer Innovation Pilot Grants and see how to apply in the flier or visit THIS PAGE. You don’t want to miss this opportunity, the application deadline is July 3, 2024.
CRTEC Hosts the Southwest Regional Research Symposium
The first annual Southwest Undergraduate to Graduate Pathways Research Symposium (SW U-GRAPH) held March 22-23, 2024, at the AMC was a great success. CU PIKE-PREP (Preparatory in Interdisciplinary Knowledge to Excel – Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program) welcomed scholars from the University of Oklahoma, University of New Mexico, and University of Utah. Scholars gave oral presentations, Andrielle Finch, University of Utah and two PIKE-PREP scholars from the AMC, Zoe Drigot and Kaitlyn Arce, were recognized for their outstanding oral presentations. Attendees of the symposium were enlightened by keynote speaker Dr. Richard McGee, Northwestern University who spoke about his research on the differentiation of young biomedical scientists into critical careers. The Symposium presented several panels, one being a virtual panel of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Institute of Health (NIH). Other panel subjects were Biomedical Careers in Industry, Scientific/Medical Writing Careers and Law Careers in Biomedical Science. The PIKE-PREP team led by Dr. Eduardo Davila and Dr. Carlos E. Catalano hosted the event and look forward to next year ‘s SW U-GRAPH 2025.
CONGRATULATIONS! Anschutz Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI) Committee
Thanks in part to the dedication, commitment, and energy of CRTEC Assistant Director, Dr. Adela Cota-Gomez, the CU President’s DEI Grant was awarded to the Anschutz HSI Committee for the inauguration of the annual Latiné Excellence Symposium. The symposium is a joint effort of all schools on the Anschutz campus and is the foundation of the Anschutz HSI Committee and the committee’s base to elevate the educational and professional experience for everyone on campus. The Anschutz HSI Committee diligently worked on the grant to provide programming in the form of the Latiné Excellence Symposium that will be a half-day event in honor of Anschutz Medical Campus Latiné Excellence, highlighting Latiné leaders, faculty, students, staff and community partners that demonstrate excellence in their field and contribute to creating an environment of true “servingness” on the AMC, who will be recognized with the Con Ganas award. There will be talks by the awardees and a keynote address by a renowned Hispanic Servingness scholar Dr. Gina Ann Garcia a world-recognized researcher on equity and justice in higher education.
CU Cancer Center Receives ACS Diversity in Cancer Research Training Grant
We are excited to share that our American Cancer Society Diversity in Cancer Research (ACS DICR) grant was awarded! The ASCENT program (Advancement of Scholars in Cancer Education aNd Training) will offer a multi-dimensional mentoring and cancer research training experience to inspire and prepare post-baccalaureate students from historically underrepresented groups to enroll and succeed in a top-tier PhD or MD-PhD program and commit to cancer research careers. This funding will support four postbaccalaureate students in a two-year mentored research experience.
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PIKE-PREP Scholars Recognized at Fall Science Conferences
PIKE-PREP Scholars Brooke Linden, Zoe Drigot, and Rebecca Han were recognized for their Outstanding Poster Presentations at the 2023 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS). At the conferences the scholars were able to share their science and network with other trainees and scientists with similar research interests. Congratulations on a job well done!
- Brooke Linden (Left): Outstanding Postbaccalaureate Poster Presentation in Immunology for her presentation titled, Redirecting anti-tumor immune responses using engineered CD1d-restrictred T cell receptor (TCR) T cells in acute myeloid leukemia
- Zoe Drigot (middle): Outstanding Postbaccalaureate Poster Presentation in Immunology for her presentation titled, The differential impact of airway Prevotella species on neutrophil activation and Streptococcus pneumoniae infection
- Rebecca Han (right): Outstanding Postbaccalaureate Poster Presentation in Physiology and Pharmacology for her presentation titled, Translocator Protein Ligands Inhibit Neuronal Excitability in Primary Neuronal-Glial Cultures
Fall 2023 Learn About Cancer Day
On September 28, 2023, we hosted 50 local high school students to help them learn more about cancer research and cancer-related careers. Following an introduction to cancer presentation by John Tentler, PhD, students participated in a simulated cancer-focused clinical trial designed and facilitated by Meredith Tennis, PhD, toured multiple cancer-research laboratories as well as shared resources facilities, and learned about cancer-related careers and career paths during a lunchtime student trainee panel visit. It was a day filled with educational opportunities for students to connect their science understanding to relevant, cutting-edge science occurring right here at the CU Cancer Center.
The next Learn About Cancer Day will be this spring, April 5, 2024. Learn more
CRTEC Leadership
Eduardo Davila, PhD
Program Co-Director
Adela Cota-Gomez, PhD
Assistant Director for Education Administration
Jill Penafiel
Education and Program Manager
Shawndra Fordham, EdD
Education and Outreach
Program Developer
William Flores
Program Coordinator
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Annette L. Hall
Administrative Assistant II
Lexi Bauer
Student Assistant