Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination

CANCER RESEARCH TRAINING AND EDUCATION COORDINATION - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT To fulfill the MECCC’s mission to train the next biomedical workforce, CRTEC is committed to education, training, and career development activities that promote a better understanding of the origins of cancer and the effective detection, prevention, and treatment of these diseases. CRTEC fosters education and training across the entire educational spectrum, including high school students, undergraduates, medical and graduate students, postgraduate trainees, early career faculty, community physicians, and other healthcare providers. CRTEC activities are organized into three Specific Aims that provide career enhancement opportunities across the biomedical training pipeline and develop the next generation of cancer researchers. Aim 1 will coordinate MECCC and institutional programming to educate and inspire high school students, undergraduates, predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and early-stage faculty to pursue careers in cancer research. Key activities include implementing and expanding MECCC high school and undergraduate pipeline programs, which focus on the Bronx patient populations, expanding MECCC’s extramurally funded training grant portfolio and ensuring that the training pipeline is open to all Bronx patients. Aim 2 will support career and professional development activities across the educational continuum. Key activities include enhancing the mentorship program for faculty through an iterative process of review and refinement, providing mentor (faculty) and mentee (postdoctoral fellows and graduate students) training, offering career exploration workshops with a focus on alternative careers in cancer research, and providing training and opportunities for trainees in the communication of cancer research innovations to audiences in the Bronx catchment area. Aim 3 will track and assess the impact of MECCC’s cancer training and education activities. Key activities will include providing travel awards for trainees to present at cancer meetings or workshops for skills development, incorporating trainees into the annual MECCC retreat and maintaining a trainee database to follow career progression and outcomes.