The graduate program in Cancer Biology is an interdepartmental program that includes training in basic biomedical sciences with opportunities to apply clinical and translational research to studies on human cancer.
T32CA190216 – Training Program in Cancer Biology
The National Cancer Institute-funded Training Program in Cancer Biology (TPCB) trains Pre-doctoral and Post-doctoral Fellows in independent, mentored research focusing on all aspects of Cancer Biology. Research is focused on understanding mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression, with a goal of identifying new targets for therapy. Mentors study a large breadth of tumors including cancers of the blood, lung, breast, prostate, salivary, ovarian, bladder, pediatric, colon, etc.
Areas of research include:
The TPCB is affiliated with the University of Colorado Cancer Center, the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the state. This is a research-intensive training program. Trainees will work with the mentor of their choice on a project at the cutting edge of contemporary cancer research. The CU Cancer Center has numerous state-of-the-art core resources available to all trainees in the program including functional genomics, imaging, sequencing, flow cytometry, biostatistics, etc. Trainees in the program will also participate in non-research training activities that are designed to build specific skills and facilitate professional development. These include organizing the annual TPCB research and career development symposium, a T32-specific career and professional development club, grant writing and rigor in research seminars, and a mentored clinical exposure experience. Trainees will have opportunities to attend national meetings and conferences.
The Cancer Immunotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics Program (CIETP) aims to train future oncology clinical providers and researchers in the most advanced and promising forms of immune-directed and cell therapy, by integrating those newly required skills into a training plan that addresses those unique needs. New challenges include a multitude of new agents under development, new mechanisms of action, a distinct toxicity profile mostly consisting of immune/autoimmune side effects, and the lack of patient selection or predictive markers for these therapies. The opportunity is to invent Developmental Therapeutics (DT) strategies that maximally exploit the power of immune-based therapy. Our vision for this proposed T32 is to create a training program and environment that will provide essential skills to clinical trainees while simultaneously providing them with the opportunity to contribute to developing the next generation of cancer therapies.
It is designed to offer trainees two alternative tracks depending on the profile of the candidate and their desired career path. The options are: