Training & Education

Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC)

The University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center supports multidisciplinary education and training in the context of 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 Anschutz Cancer Center Community Engagement and Outreach Office, we put a unique focus on including and recruiting individuals who have experienced a lack of access 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

Training & Education Latest News

Scholar Excelled at 2026 U-GRAPH Symposium

Over 100 scholars, faculty, and post-baccalaureate program leaders attended the Undergraduate to Graduate Pathways (U-GRAPH) Symposium, building over the two days, lasting networking connections, and sharing discoveries on the cutting edge of biomedical and cancer research.

Attendees arrived from all over the continental US, ranging from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire to the University of California, San Francisco, and many places in between. Scholars represented NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs (PREPs), the American Cancer Society’s (ACS’s) Post-Baccalaureate Fellows Program, Postbaccalaureate Research Opportunity to Promote Equity in Learning (PROPEL), and local undergraduate institutions. The scholars from the Cancer Center’s own NIH PIKE-PREP and ACS ASCENT programs served as gracious hosts, giving visitors campus tours and participating in networking, personal advocacy, and career advancement workshops. Additionally, a panel of CU Anschutz graduate students offered their advice on how to set yourself up for success in academia.

Beyond the Symposium programming, visiting and local scholars also participated in a campus scavenger hunt and a networking competition, organized by a planning committee made up of scholars from the University of New Mexico, Wake Forest University, and CU Anschutz.

• Cynthia Tshibangu, ASC scholar from the University of New Mexico
• Evie Nguyen, NIH PREP scholar from CU Anschutz
• Garrett Carrasco, ACS scholar from the University of New Mexico
• Jamie Sagastume, ACS scholar from Wake Forest University

Scholars presented their research during two poster and two oral sessions. Of the 10 oral presenters, awards were given to:

• Naser Raslan, ACS scholar from Dartmouth College: First place
  • “IL-12 co-expressed with IL-27 or 4-1BB Ligand for Intratumoral Immunotherapy Improves Local and Systemic Anti-Tumor Response”
• Garrett Carrasco, ACS scholar from the University of New Mexico: Second place
  • “Defining the Mechanisms of MEK Inhibitor-Induced Tumor Regression Using a Preclinical Model of Human Papillomavirus Precancer”
• Megna Chalamala, NIH PREP scholar from the University of California, San Francisco: Third place
  • “Engineering Heterotypic Pa01 Landing Pads for Stable and Selectable Cassette Exchange in Mammalian Cells”

The poster sessions featured an array of research, including, but not limited to: population science, genetics, microbiology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, neuroscience, computational science, and cancer. Of the 59 poster presenters, awards were given to:

• Taylor Geluck, NIH PREP scholar from CU Anschutz: First place post-baccalaureate presentation
  • “The Power of the MightyTIL: Balancing Potency and Safety in MyD88-Engineered T Cell Therapy”
• Fletcher Williams, 2025 CREU alumnus and recently graduated from Denison University: First place undergraduate presentation
  • “Lung Cancer Screening Engagement in the LGBTQ+ Community: Insights from LGBTQ+ Serving Professionals”
• Emma Gardner, ACS scholar from the University of Iowa: Second place post-baccalaureate presentation
  • “Microbiome Contributions to Mucosal Melanoma in Zebrafish Models”
• Makenzie Pardoe, undergraduate student from Fort Lewis College: Second place undergraduate presentation
  • “Mechanistic Analysis of Clostridium leptum Carboxyaminopropylagmatine Dehydrogenase of Microbial Spermidine Biosynthesis”
• Kai Bunker, ACS scholar from the University of Utah: Third place post-baccalaureate presentation
  • “Investigating the Immunomodulatory Role of WNT5A in Adrenal Cancer”
• Kira Villarreal, 2024 CREU alumna and undergraduate student from the University of Northern Colorado: Third place undergraduate presentation
  • “Dose‑Dependent Cannabinoid Modulation of Hepatic Steatosis and Oxidative Stress in Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease”

Additionally, the dedication to mentorship and the education and training of the next generation of researchers demonstrated by Eduardo Davila, PhD (PIKE-PREP Co-Director and ASCENT Director), Carlos Catalano, PhD (PIKE-PREP Co-Director), and Adela Cota-Gomez, PhD (Assistant Director for Education Administration), as well as the tenacity and commitment of the CRTEC Team: Samantha Bullis, MEd-EDL (Program Coordinator), Claire McGraw, PhD (Program Coordinator), Annette Hall (Administrative Assistant), and principally Molly Naylor, MA-TESL (Program Coordinator). Μέγα κῦδος! Summa laus!

See you all next year!

LaCOTA Travel Award Recipients Present at Oncology National Conferences in Spring 2026

This spring, two CU-SOM medical students received an amazing opportunity to present their cancer research nationally via the LaCamera Oncology Travel Awards (LaCOTA), thanks to funds generously donated by the LaCamera family specifically to support oncology training of CU-SOM medical students.

LaCOTA awards provided funding support for these medical scientists in training to present their research and participate in professional development activities at oncology-focused national conferences.

The two students who received the award in Spring 2026 were Gabriel Haw and Cassidy Teo Yoshida.

• Gabriel Haw, mentored by S. Lindsay Davis, MD, gave a poster presentation of his project titled, “BRCA2 Mutations in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer” at the 2026 American Society Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, in San Francisco, CA.
• Cassidy Teo Yoshida, mentored by Dr. Sarah Tevis, gave an oral presentation of her project titled, “Perceptions and Experiences of Patients at High-Risk Breast Cancer” at the Academic Surgical Congress, in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

Through the LaCOTA program, these medical students had the opportunity to present at prestigious national conferences and gain valuable oncology training experience. Please join us in congratulating these future oncology medical scientists.

Two Adjunct Members Win Fellowships from PhRMA Foundation

Shujian (Scott) Lin of the Bitler Lab and Amandip Bangar of the Davila Lab have been awarded 2026 predoctoral fellowships in Drug Discovery and Translational Medicine, respectively, from the PhRMA Foundation. Lin’s project, “Stimulating Anti-Viral Signaling in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma via EHMT1/2 Inhibition,” and Bangar’s project, “Lipid Targeting T Cell Therapy for AML,” reflect innovative approaches to cancer research and therapy development.

In 2026, the Foundation awarded more than $3.7 million in fellowships and grants to 50 early-career scientists. The PhRMA Foundation invests in future leaders with bold ideas, and each awardee has the potential to shape the next generation of therapies that will improve patients’ lives. We are proud to have two outstanding fellows representing the cancer research conducted at the University of Colorado Anschutz, exemplifying the creativity and determination the Foundation seeks to support. Congratulations!

ASCENT and PIKE-PREP Scholars Shine at 2025 ABRCMS

Scholars from the ASCENT and PIKE-PREP programs made their mark at the 2025 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) in San Antonio, TX. Eight scholars attended the conference to listen to scientific and career development symposia, network with peers, faculty and program directors and present their research projects. These scholars demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and contributed to the strong presence of ASCENT and PIKE-PREP at the conference, underscoring the impact of these programs in fostering the next generation of STEM leaders.

PIKE-PREP Scholars Fahiima Abdullahi and Taylor Geluck were recognized for their Outstanding Poster Presentations in their respective research categories. Their work captured the attention of conference attendees and earned them accolades for excellence in scientific presentation.

Here’s a look at their award-winning presentations:

Fahiima Abdullahi (PIKE-PREP): Outstanding Postbaccalaureate Poster Presentation in Immunology for her presentation titled, “Enhancement of Effector CD8 T Cell Motility by IL-21 Through Mitochondrial STAT3”.

Taylor Geluck (PIKE-PREP): Outstanding Postbaccalaureate Poster Presentation in Cancer Biology for her presentation titled, “Use of Preclinical Mouse Models to Inform Human Trials in TIL Therapy”.

Congratulations to Astrid, Erica, Evie, Fahiima, Miga, Pedro, Taylor and Sumra for their dedication and contributions to the scientific community. We wish them all continued success in their future endeavors!

CU Cancer Center’s Education Programs Helped Fahiima Abdullahi Prepare for a Career as a Physician-Scientist

As she begins her time in the  University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center’s PIKE-PREP research training program for post-baccalaureate students this month, Fahiima Abdullahi is taking another step in a mentoring journey that goes back to her days as an undergraduate at CU Denver. 

“I've always been interested in science and medicine, but I didn't really solidify that interest until early in undergrad, when I did a summer internship program on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus,” says Abdullahi, who grew up in Englewood, Colorado. “That’s where I first got paired with Dr. Mercedes Rincon, who introduced me to the MD-PhD program, which is something I didn't even know existed. She also educated me about other programs and opportunities available to me, and she even paired me with some doctors to shadow. That really solidified my interest in medicine.”

Read more here.

Post-Baccalaureate Researcher Receives Grant for Investigation of Obesity in Pancreatic Cancer

Fueled by a $10,000 Creative Collisions Pilot Grant from the  University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center’s Tumor Host Interactions Program (THI) and the mentorship of two cancer center investigators, Migachelle Romano is starting her cancer research career with a bang. Romano is a trainee in the CU Cancer Center’s ASCENT program, a two-year mentoring and research training experience for post-baccalaureate students who want to apply to an PhD or MD-PhD program and commit to a cancer research career.

Her THI-funded research project, “Investigating how Obesity-Driven Inflammation Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Progression,” is co-led by CU Cancer Center member Carlo Marchetti, PhD, assistant professor of medical oncology in the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, and Curtis Henry, PhD, deputy associate director in the cancer center’s Office of Faculty and Staff Relations.

“Migachelle is a good researcher — passionate and very motivated,” Marchetti says. “She started the program with not much experience, and in these two years, she has learned a lot, not just from a technical point of view, but also thinking scientifically. She has a bright career ahead of her.”

Read more here.

BEST in Class: Teachers Trained to Bring Cutting-Edge Labs to Students

Summer Program Finale

Another Successful Session of C2R2 (Cancer Center Research Rangers)

The Cancer Center hosted 5th-grade students from the Challenge Foundation Summer Program. After lunch, students participated in hands-on stations that taught them about cells—where they even examined their own cheek cells—how to protect themselves from skin cancer, the effects of smoking on lung health, and a close-up look at brain health and development. Challenge Foundation counselors Fatima Garcia and Hernaldo Piñon assisted with the activities. CRTEC also thanks Dr. Kristin Schaller of the Verneris Lab for partnering to provide students with this engaging introduction to cancer science.