DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) Program at the Arizona Cancer Center (AZCC) has developed a highly multi- and inter-disciplinary environment in which to train postdoctoral fellows. The primary purpose of this proposal is to continue this training program in which students can acquire the didactic and research experiences needed to successfully pursue a collaborative post-graduate career in cancer prevention and control. To achieve this goal, the proposed program will take advantage of a unique set of existing training opportunities resulting from the cooperative activities of the AZCC, the University of Arizona and our sister, minority university, Northern Arizona University. This training program will use the infrastructure provided by the R25T to continue to expand a successful fellowship program whose graduates have gone on to launch successful research careers in cancer prevention and control. The proposed program enables R25T fellows to obtain expertise in cancer prevention and control research through: 1) curriculum-based training; 2) strong AZCC CPC leadership; 3) specialized interdisciplinary research experiences in multiple disease sites; and 4) the NCI-funded faculty mentoring team. The research environment at the AZCC allows for a rich and unique training experience, which includes numerous opportunities in basic science, applied and translational research, an inter- and multi-disciplinary environment. The R25T Program Directors work closely with CPC faculty mentors to form a cohesive team for the individualized training of our postdoctoral fellows. The R25T Advisory Committee has the responsibility to ensure that fellows are selected carefully and monitored consistently throughout the fellowship. There is a need within the field of cancer prevention and control for scientists able to work and thrive in multi- and inter-disciplinary teams. Accordingly, the AZCC R25T training program exposes fellows to the breadth of disciplines within CPC while enabling them to focus on a primary research project from which to base future grant applications and publications. |