
Latest $2.5M renewal continues NCI grant for 17 years
The T32-Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Training Grant supports pre- and post-doctoral training in cancer therapeutics
University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine researchers have received $2.5 million for renewal of a highly competitive grant from the National Cancer Institute to support pre- and post-doctoral training in cancer therapeutics—a branch of medicine that applies scientific knowledge to develop more effective treatment of human diseases.
This will make 17 years in counting that the grant—the T32-Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Training Grant—will fund programs at UC through co-principal investigators Susan Waltz, PhD, and Carolyn Price, PhD, professors in the Department of Cancer Biology.
"This grant, titled ‘Pathways to Cancer Therapeutics,’ will continue supporting the Training Program in Cancer Therapeutics, a postdoctoral and graduate student training program,” says Waltz, who is also a member of the Cincinnati Cancer Center and UC Cancer Institute. "This program offers trainees the benefit of faculty mentorship from basic researchers and clinician-scientists, as well as career development opportunities and practical learning experiences with mentors in over 12 departments across the UC College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s.
"Our emphasis is on training the next generation of cancer researchers to translate basic science discoveries into improved patient care.”
Carolyn Price, PhD
Waltz says, since receiving initial funding in 2008, the T32 has supported 42 trainees—10 predoctoral fellows and 32 postdoctoral fellows—and that over 150 papers have been published by trainees as a result of the support. This renewal will support up to eight additional trainees annually.
"As a result of the T32 funding, trainees are provided salary support as well as a number of workshops, career activities and courses to complement their research experiences and to make them more competent and competitive cancer biologists,” she adds. "As part of the training program, the trainees also apply for their own external funding. In doing so, 16 extramural grants have been obtained by the trainees including prestigious fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, Department of Defense and the American Heart Association. Not only does the training grant provide resources to support trainees but also provides the training to catapult the trainees to early career success in garnering their own funding—and multiplying the extramural research dollars to the university.”
Price adds that a number of past trainees have obtained leadership positions in academia and industry.
"This training serves as an important springboard for young scientists to secure funding and professional cancer research positions,” she adds.
Each cancer therapeutics program trainee is partnered with a scientific and clinical faculty mentor to facilitate collaboration in a defined interest area related to cancer biology. Applications to the program are accepted and evaluated on an ongoing basis. More information is available at cancerbiology.uc.edu or by contacting Waltz at susan.waltz@uc.edu.
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