cancer biology phd in usa

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Cell and Molecular Biology: Cancer Biology, PhD

Related programs.

• Cell and Molecular Biology: Cell Biology, Physiology, and Metabolism, PhD
• Cell and Molecular Biology: Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology, PhD
• Cell and Molecular Biology: Gene Therapy and Vaccines, PhD
• Cell and Molecular Biology: Genetics and Epigenetics, PhD
• Cell and Molecular Biology: Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology, PhD

Cell and Molecular Biology

The Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group (CAMB) is an interdisciplinary graduate program, providing rigorous training in modern cell and molecular biology, preparing students for leadership careers in biomedical research. Within this integrated program are six discipline areas:  Cancer Biology ;  Cell Biology, Physiology, and Metabolism ;  Developmental, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology ;  Gene Therapy and Vaccines ;  Genetics and Epigenetics ; and  Microbiology, Virology and Parasitology . Program faculty include more than 300 scientists representing 35 departments from the Perelman School of Medicine, the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Wistar Institute and Fox Chase Cancer Center. The research efforts of these scientists are diverse in their focus, experimental system, methodology, and represent the leading edge of basic and translational biomedical science.

Students from colleges and universities around the nation and the world are enrolled in the program, selecting one discipline area based on their scientific interests, yet have access to the full breadth of curricular and research opportunities provided by this large and diverse program. Our students participate in core courses in cell and molecular biology, specialized coursework in one or more discipline areas, and original hypothesis-driven thesis research. Upon completion of the PhD, they pursue successful research careers at top academic institutions, in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, and in other biomedicine-related career paths.

For more information:  http://www.med.upenn.edu/camb/

Cancer Biology

The Program in Cancer Biology provides students focused training in a number of areas of cancer biology ranging from basic mechanisms to translational applications. Program faculty conduct research in DNA repair, epigenetics, metabolic pathways, the tumor microenvironment, cancer cell autonomous processes, cancer genetics and cancer immunology. Students take core molecular and cell biology courses, biostatistics course and elective courses in cancer biology and undertake three laboratory rotations of their choosing. Students have the opportunity to take grant writing courses, present in research-in-progress seminars, engage in networking opportunities, mentor undergraduates and high school students in Philadelphia as well as participate in outreach opportunities.

For more information: https://www.med.upenn.edu/camb/cb.html

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Required Courses

Or other statistics course with approval of the Graduate Group.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBS)

Cancer biology phd program.

The GW Cancer Biology PhD program is designed to equip the next generation of researchers with the knowledge, research training and leadership skills necessary to foster progress in the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. The PhD program provides research training in areas reflecting GW faculty expertise, which includes the study of cancer signaling and checkpoint inhibitors, cancer immunology and immunotherapy, and molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis and metastasis, cancer genomics and epigenetics and the tumor microenvironment.

The  GW Cancer Center (GWCC)  brings together cancer research, clinical cancer care, and cancer control/prevention and outreach initiatives at GW, and offers students a range of exciting research programs, seminars and retreats. Researcher labs are located on the 8th floor of the contemporary Science and Engineering Hall, in Ross Hall and other locations. An important focus for the Cancer Center is to address prominent health disparities in breast, cervical, colorectal, pancreatic, liver and prostate cancers faced by communities in the District of Columbia. Students have access to cutting-edge core facilities for flow cytometry, imaging, and computational biology as well as the  Cell Enhancement and Technologies for Immunotherapy (CETI) lab , and state-of-the art  GW Biorepository  resource of biospecimens and clinical data to facilitate research on HIV/AIDS and cancer.

The  GW Cancer Biology Training Program  (supported by NIH T32 CA247756) is a prestigious dual  basic/clinical mentorship  program guided by expert cancer researchers and clinician investigators designed to prepare the next generation of outstanding cancer research scientists. The two-year program for predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows includes courses and workshops as well as a discovery research project leading to an independent research career. Students apply for this program at the end of their first year, with their mentor and cancer-related research.

The PhD in Cancer Biology begins with the interdisciplinary coursework in molecular, cellular, and systems biology and research rotations offered through  GW’s Integrated Biomedical Sciences curriculum . In the second and third semester students add a comprehensive introduction to the conceptual and experimental underpinnings of cancer biology. Further electives, career development coursework in scientific writing, oral communication, and research ethics and laboratory rotations are provided. Following required laboratory rotations, students complete a. grant-style qualifier and then work with their research advisor and the Graduate Program Directors to complete remaining Cancer Biology degree requirements, including the research dissertation.

Cancer Biology Courses:

CANC 8221: The Basic Science of Oncology CANC 8222: Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics CANC 8998: Advanced Reading and Research Seminar Course CANC 8999: Dissertation Research

Some Suggested Electives:

GENO 6237: Proteomics & Biomarkers CANC 8223: Cancer Immunology BIOC 6240: Next Gen Sequencing HSCI 6263: Biostatistics Clinical Translational Scientific Research (online)

Seminars/Journal Clubs:

The Cancer Biology seminar series held is held Thursday at 4 pm, and the monthly Tumor Board discussions held each Friday morning at 8 am. An annual Cancer Center Retreat is held in May. Faculty and trainees share interest groups (breast, prostate, ovarian cancer) as well as thematic meetings (Cancer Biology, Cancer Immunology, Cancer Engineering), to focus on common research interests.

Examples of Recent Cancer Biology PhD Dissertations:

Sulgi (John) Lee PhD. 2020, “Identification and Characterization of Tumor Specific Antigens in Pediatric Diffuse Midline Gliomas” Mentors: Javad Nazarian, Eric Villain. (Now Application Scientist at Namocell, Washington DC)

Eden Dejene, PhD 2020 “Regulation of Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease Activity by Reversible Lysine Acetylation”. Mentor: Edward Seto, Inducted into Bouchet Society, NCI supplement. (Now Associate Scientist, Abcam, United Kingdom)

Graduate Program Directors:

Norman Lee, PhD Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology GWU; Ross Hall 601 [email protected]

Yanfen Hu, PhD Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology GWU; Ross Hall 551-B [email protected]

How to apply  to the IBS and Cancer Biology PhD program.

For IBS Application Questions contact  Colleen Kennedy, IBS Program Manager  at  [email protected]

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Training the next generation of cancer researchers

Program Overview

The Cancer Biology program spans many disciplines, including cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, pathology, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and immunology, to name a few. It represents a unique set of training and educational activities that, taken collectively, expose the student to the full breadth of cancer biology while allowing immersion in a specific dissertation topic of the student’s choice.

Faculty in the Program are interested in a number of topic areas, including: Cancer genetics; Cancer epigenetics; Tumor immunology; Cell biology; Epidemiology; Pathology; Tumor metabolism; Bioinformatics; Cancer drug discovery.

Projects range from fundamental studies of basic biological processes to translational research aiming to move basic findings into the clinic.

Apply through our PIBS application

Students in the Cancer Biology program are required to take core courses in Cancer Biology and Bioinformatics. PIBS core courses should be taken to fill gaps in knowledge or together with other electives, to strengthen a student’s knowledge base in an area of interest. Students are also required to participate in the Cancer Biology Seminar Series for the duration of their time in the program. The Cancer Biology Seminar Series course provides not only continued exposure to the breadth of cancer research but also experience in honing seminar presentation skills.

Preliminary Examination

The preliminary exam consists of two checkpoints. The first is a didactic exam that evaluates students’ understanding of the fundamentals of cancer biology. This exam will take place in May at the end of the first year in order to advance to PhD candidacy. The second checkpoint takes place in the winter semester of the second year and is comprised of two steps, the writing of a written research proposal (NIH format) and the oral presentation of the proposal to the preliminary exam committee.

Teaching Requirement

There are no formal requirements for teaching in the Cancer Biology program. However, opportunities exist for senior students to serve as teaching assistants for one term of the introductory cancer biology class. In addition, students with an interest in teaching are encouraged to pursue the U-M Graduate Teaching Certificate as a way to prepare themselves for careers that will involve college-level teaching.

Students help organize the annual Cancer Biology retreat, including selecting the keynote speaker. This fun and informal setting gives students, postdocs, and faculty the opportunity to present their research, generate collaborations, and receive feedback. Trainees and faculty give oral presentations and all members of our cancer research community are invited to deliver poster presentations. The retreat is a great opportunity for first year PIBS and MSTP students to explore the research and meet students and faculty in the Cancer Biology program.

Research Seminar/Journal Club

The Cancer Biology Graduate Program sponsors a weekly seminar program that runs through the academic year. Students are encouraged to nominate and host external cancer researchers whose work they find exciting and cutting edge. Senior students participate by giving oral presentations on their research progress and second year students give journal clubs highlighting the research of invited speakers.

Social Events

During the summer, students get together for a picnic and canoe trip that includes the summer undergraduate research students. At the beginning of the academic year, the program director hosts an orientation dinner for all to welcome the new students. There is an annual year-end holiday party along with monthly happy hours for students to relax in an informal setting.

Extracurricular

Students are involved in a variety of activities outside of lab. Many students give back to the community through educational and community outreach programs. Cancer Biology students have fun by attending sporting events, participating in outdoor activities, club sports, and arts/crafts events, and enjoying food/drink and museums – all which Ann Arbor offers.

The impact of cancer on all our lives emphasizes the need to continue training individuals to pursue research into its cure and prevention. The ongoing investment of the National Cancer Institute and non-governmental funding organizations including the American Cancer Society, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and others, means that research at universities and research institutes will remain a high priority, thereby providing jobs for cancer researchers with doctoral degrees. The complexity of cancer leads to the unfortunate realization that it will take many years to unlock all of its mysteries, resulting in a long-term need for persons trained in the field.

Besides the tremendous investment in basic cancer research at universities and non-profit organizations, the development of new therapeutic modalities for cancer represents a large percentage of pharmaceutical company expenditures. According to IMS Health, the global oncology market was growing at 6.8% overall in 2011, double that number in the pharmaceutical sector. In 2013, the worth of the market was approximately $75 billion just in the US. Given this huge investment in cancer research, the job market for individuals with doctoral degrees in cancer biology is very large and growing.

Learn more about the Department of Cancer Biology.

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• Cancer Biology, PhD

The graduate program in cancer biology offers a course of study and research leading to the PhD degree. Although a master’s degree is offered under special circumstances, students are not admitted for a master’s degree.

The Cancer Biology Graduate Program was established at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research in 1940 as the first graduate program in the United States to offer a degree in basic cancer research. The program now includes more than 50 faculty trainers from multiple departments including Oncology, Medicine, Human Oncology, Cell and Regenerative Biology, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, and others. This interdepartmental structure offers students remarkably diverse training opportunities that span the entire breadth of cancer biology research from haploid or diploid genetics, viral and chemical carcinogenesis, eukaryotic cell and molecular biology, virology, molecular toxicology, and whole-animal carcinogenesis. Through the graduate curriculum, students are introduced to the body of knowledge that has been derived directly from experiments on the induction, properties, and therapy of cancer, and receive the necessary background to conduct independent research.

Curriculum requirements are designed to be flexible, providing a maximal opportunity for specialization within this multidisciplinary field. Students learn through core and elective courses; by participation in seminars, conferences, and journal clubs related to their specific areas of expertise; and most important, from their research advisors. Students who join the program select research advisors after conducting a minimum of three month-long rotations in different laboratories during the first semester. After choosing an advisor, students will also create an advisory committee of five faculty members who will provide guidance throughout the process of earning the PhD degree. The average time to complete the PhD is 5.5 years. The program prepares students for careers in teaching and research in academia, government, and industry.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

Students seeking admission to the program must complete a bachelor's degree in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, or a related area from an accredited college or university and should have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). The background of the applicant should include basic courses in these areas as well as several advanced courses in chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, and molecular biology. Prior laboratory research experience is highly desirable.

Applicants must submit a completed online application, personal statement (reasons for graduate study), unofficial college transcripts, updated CV/resume (highlighting laboratory experience), and three letters of recommendation.

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

The program is committed to ensuring continuing financial support for all cancer biology PhD students in good standing. Financial support includes a competitive stipend and tuition remission. All graduate students are also eligible for comprehensive health insurance. PhD students are supported from a variety of different sources including research assistantships from faculty research grants, fellowships, and NIH training grants. There is no teaching requirement for cancer biology students; however, many opportunities exist on campus for those who wish to gain teaching experience.

Students are admitted into the Cancer Biology Program as a Research Assistant (RA) unless they have received a fellowship or training grant. Find more information here .

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Mode of Instruction

Mode of Instruction Definitions

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

 Curricular Requirements

Required Courses

The curriculum for Cancer Biology is designed to introduce you to research related to the induction, properties, and therapy of cancer and to ensure that you have the necessary background in one or more areas of related, fun­damental science to enable you to do original research.  Courses are drawn from the Department of Oncology as well as vari­ous related departments, including Bacteriology, Biochemistry, Biomolecular Chemistry, Chemistry, Genetics, Human Oncology, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Pharmacology. 

The Graduate School at UW-Madison requires PhD students to complete a minimum of 51 credits in order to obtain a PhD Degree. These credits are fulfilled via core curriculum courses, 990 research, and electives. Courses numbered below 300, audit, and pass/fail do not satisfy the minimum requirement. It is suggested that you take approximately 2 courses per semester with the remaining credits being 990 research. All courses must be completed by the end of your second year, before completing the Preliminary Exam.

Beginning in your second year, you will be required to give an annual, formal presentation in the Cancer Biology Student/Postdoc Seminar Series. You will register for ONCOLOGY 901 Seminar  during the semester in which you present. Your seminars will be recorded and you will receive feedback from the seminar course instructor to help improve your public speaking and presentation skills.   Attendance at this seminar series is required . 

In addition, you are expected to attend the Cancer Biology Seminar throughout your graduate career (no registration required). The Cancer Biology Seminar, which features local and outside faculty speakers, is held on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. in 1345 HSLC. The schedule is posted on the McArdle website .

Students will enroll in up to 12 credits per semester as pre-dissertators (only 2 credits during the summer term).

Students must select electives in consultation with their advisor. These courses should be numbered 500 and above. The list below provides some examples of commonly taken courses.

Suggested Electives

Graduate School Policies

The  Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures  provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior coursework, graduate credits earned at other institutions.

With program approval, students may transfer no more than 9 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Undergraduate Credits Earned at other Institutions or UW-Madison

With program approval, students may transfer no more than 7 credits numbered 300 or above from a UW–Madison undergraduate degree, or the equivalent from other institutions.

Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW-Madison

With program approval, students may transfer no more than 15 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison Special student. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

A semester GPA below 3.0 or an incomplete grade (I) will result in the student being placed on academic probation. If a semester GPA of 3.0 is not attained or the Incomplete grade is not cleared during the subsequent semester of full- time enrollment, the student may be dismissed from the program or allowed to continue for 1 additional semester based on advisor appeal to the Graduate School.

Advisor / Committee

All students are required to have an advisor. Students must create a certification committee (advisor plus four additional faculty members) by the end of their first year. After passing their preliminary examination, students are required to conduct a progress report meeting with their certification committee each year. Failure to do so may result in a hold being placed on the student’s registration.

Credits Per Term Allowed

Time Limits

All doctoral students must pass their preliminary examination by the end of their second year (August 31). Under special circumstances, a one-semester extension may be granted when justified in writing by the student and advisor.

Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting  
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS)  (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

Grievance Policy for Graduate Programs in the School of Medicine and Public Health

Any student in a School of Medicine and Public Health graduate program who feels that they have been treated unfairly in regards to educational decisions and/or outcomes or issues specific to the graduate program, including academic standing, progress to degree, professional activities, appropriate advising, and a program’s community standards by a faculty member, staff member, postdoc, or student has the right to complain about the treatment and to receive a prompt hearing of the grievance following these grievance procedures. Any student who discusses, inquiries about, or participates in the grievance procedure may do so openly and shall not be subject to intimidation, discipline, or retaliation because of such activity. Each program’s grievance advisor is listed on the “Research” tab of the SMPH intranet .

This policy does not apply to employment-related issues for Graduate Assistants in TA, PA and/or RA appointments.  Graduate Assistants will utilize the Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures (GAPP) grievance process to resolve employment-related issues.

This policy does not apply to instances when a graduate student wishes to report research misconduct.  For such reports refer to the UW-Madison Policy for Reporting Research Misconduct for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Research Associates .

Requirements for Programs

The School of Medicine and Public Health Office of Basic Research, Biotechnology and Graduate Studies requires that each graduate program designate a grievance advisor, who should be a tenured faculty member, and will request the name of the grievance advisor annually.  The program director will serve as the alternate grievance advisor in the event that the grievance advisor is named in the grievance.  The program must notify students of the grievance advisor, including posting the grievance advisor’s name on the program’s Guide page and handbook.

The grievance advisor or program director may be approached for possible grievances of all types.  They will spearhead the grievance response process described below for issues specific to the graduate program, including but not limited to academic standing, progress to degree, professional activities, appropriate advising, and a program’s community standards.  They will ensure students are advised on reporting procedures for other types of possible grievances and are supported throughout the reporting process.  Resources on identifying and reporting other issues have been compiled by the Graduate School.

• The student is advised to initiate a written record containing dates, times, persons, and description of activities, and to update this record while completing the procedures described below.
• If the student is comfortable doing so, efforts should be made to resolve complaints informally between individuals before pursuing a formal grievance.
• Should a satisfactory resolution not be achieved, the student should contact the program’s grievance advisor or program director to discuss the complaint. The student may approach the grievance advisor or program director alone or with a UW-Madison faculty or staff member. The grievance advisor or program director should keep a record of contacts with regards to possible grievances.  The first attempt is to help the student informally address the complaint prior to pursuing a formal grievance. The student is also encouraged to talk with their faculty advisor regarding concerns or difficulties.
• If the issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student may submit a formal grievance to the grievance advisor or program director in writing, within 60 calendar days from the date the grievant first became aware of, or should have become aware of with the exercise of reasonable diligence, the cause of the grievance.  To the fullest extent possible, a grievance shall contain a clear and concise statement of the grievance and indicate the issue(s) involved, the relief sought, the date(s) the incident or violation took place, and any specific policy involved.
• The grievance advisor or program director will convene a faculty committee composed of at least three members to manage the grievance.  Any faculty member involved in the grievance or who feels that they cannot be impartial may not participate in the committee.  Committee composition should reflect diverse viewpoints within the program.
• The faculty committee, through the grievance advisor or program director, will obtain a written response from the person or persons toward whom the grievance is directed. The grievance advisor or program director will inform this person that their response will be shared with the student filing the grievance.
• The grievance advisor or program director will share the response with the student filing the grievance.
• The faculty committee will make a decision regarding the grievance. The committee’s review shall be fair, impartial, and timely.  The grievance advisor or program director will report on the action taken by the committee in writing to both the student and the person toward whom the grievance was directed.
• The grievant will be notified in writing, within 5 business days of the written appeal, acknowledging receipt of the formal appeal and establishing a timeline for the review to be completed.
• The senior associate dean or their designee may request additional materials and/or arrange meetings with the grievant and/or others.  If meetings occur, the senior associate dean or their designee will meet with both the grievant and the person or persons toward whom the grievance is directed.
• The senior associate dean or their designee will assemble an ad hoc committee of faculty from outside of the student’s graduate program and ask them to prepare a written recommendation on whether to uphold or reverse the decision of the program on the student’s initial grievance.  The committee may request additional materials and/or arrange meetings with the grievant and/or others.  If meetings occur, the committee will meet with both the grievant and the person or persons toward whom the grievance is directed.
• The senior associate dean or their designee will make a final decision within 20 business days of receipt of the committee’s recommendation.
• The SMPH Office of Basic Research, Biotechnology, and Graduate Studies must store documentation of the grievance for seven years. Grievances that set a precedent may be stored indefinitely.
• The student may file an appeal of the School of Medicine and Public Health decision with the Graduate School.  See the Grievances and Appeals section of the Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures .

Steps in the grievance procedures must be initiated and completed within the designated time periods except when modified by mutual consent. If the student fails to initiate the next step in the grievance procedure within the designated time period, the grievance will be considered resolved by the decision at the last completed step.

• Professional Development

Take advantage of the Graduate School's  professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

• Learning Outcomes
• Articulates research problems, potentials, and limits with respect to their research and how it relates to the field of cancer biology.
• Formulates novel ideas, concepts/hypotheses, designs experiments to test the hypotheses, and shows proficiency in the necessary techniques to carry out their dissertation research.
• Creates and carries out scholarly research that asks a novel and important biological question and makes a substantive contribution to the field of cancer research.
• Demonstrates the breadth of their knowledge through thoughtful and creative design of their research and their ability to answer questions from varied audiences.
• Advances contributions in cancer biology to society through publication, presentations at national and international meetings, and various outreach activities.
• Communicates complex ideas in a clear and understandable manner both in their oral and written presentations.
• Fosters ethical and professional conduct in all aspects related to their development as a scientist.

For the most current list of faculty and descriptions of their research interests, visit the  program website .

• Requirements

Contact Information

Cancer Biology Program, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research School of Medicine and Public Health [email protected] cancerbiology.wisc.edu

Hilary Berry, Graduate Program Manager [email protected] 608-262-4682 6435 Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research

Eric Johannsen, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected]

Grievance Advisor, Lisa Arendt, Associate Professor [email protected]

Grievance Advisor, Shigeki Miyamoto, Professor [email protected]

Graduate Program Handbook View Here

Graduate School grad.wisc.edu

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Program in Cancer Biology

Graduate program.

The Cancer Biology Graduate Program is designed to train students for a career in basic and applied cancer research, as well as in related careers associated with the application of information through biotechnology, and the dissemination of information to the next generation of scientists and to the lay public.

Students will be exposed to a series of cutting-edge research areas (such as cancer precision medicine and tumor immunotherapy) and technologies (genomics, proteomics, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, etc.) both in the course work and in the laboratory setting.  Training will extend to exercises designed to develop independent thinking, skills in oral and written presentation, analysis of data and information, and dissemination of information through preparation of grants and manuscripts, as well as teaching.

The program combines rigorous course work with laboratory training and exercised designed collectively to provide students with the necessary theoretical and practical skills to launch productive careers.  At the conclusion of their training students will be in a position to competitively pursue an increasingly wide rage of available careers, including: academic research, undergraduate teaching, scientific consulting and science writing, basic and applied science in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, and scientific administration at National Institute of Health/ National Cancer Institute and private research foundations.

Graduate students in the Cancer Biology program receiving Vanderbilt University financial support or services must devote full-time effort to graduate study. Students cannot accept jobs for pay within or outside the University unless prior approval is given by their advisor, their Director of Graduate Studies, and the Dean for the Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training. Exceptions to this rule include part-time internships and activities that contribute to career development and that do not exceed the time commitment outlined by the National Institutes of Health, service as course associates at Vanderbilt, and occasional and temporary part-time pursuits (e.g. house sitting). Engagement in outside employment without obtaining approval may result in loss of financial aid, including stipend.

GUIDELINES: GRADUATE PROGRAM IN CANCER BIOLOGY

These guidelines supplement and expand the regulations of the Graduate School. Students and faculty are expected to read and be aware of the contents of the Graduate School Bulletin and Regulations.

I. General Information

A. Philosophy

The Cancer Biology Graduate Program is designed to train students for a career in basic and applied cancer research, as well as in related careers associated with the application of information through biotechnology and the dissemination of information to the next generation of scientists and to the lay public. Modern cancer research is based on a broad range of disciplines, including Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Bioinformatics, which the students will learn through course work, scientific communication, and laboratory experience. The Cancer Biology Graduate Program is designed to develop independent thinking, problem solving, creativity, oral and written presentation skills, data and bioinformatics analysis, and dissemination of information through teaching. Thus, the proposed program combines rigorous course work with mentored hypothesis-driven laboratory research, and opportunities to develop writing, speaking, and teaching skills. Collectively, these experiences will provide students with the necessary theoretical knowledge, technical experience, and leadership training to launch productive careers using their degree in Cancer Biology. Through dissertation research, students are expected to make original contributions to current knowledge that will impact understanding of cancer biology or cancer diagnosis and treatment. Having graduated from the Program in Cancer Biology, students will be poised to pursue an increasingly wide range of scientific careers, including academic research, undergraduate teaching, science writing, scientific liaison, and basic or applied research in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

B. Admission into the Program

After completing laboratory rotations and the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (IGP) core coursework, students interested in joining the Cancer Biology Graduate Program will apply at the end of the second semester of the first year of graduate school. Acceptance is monitored by the Graduate Executive Committee (GEC) and is contingent on satisfactory performance in both coursework and rotations during the first two semesters. In addition, acceptance into the program is contingent upon approval from the Department Chair of the preceptor’s primary appointment. Mandatory documentation of approval by all involved parties will be provided by signing the Cancer Biology Graduate Program Responsibility Form.

Students admitted into the MSTP (M.D., Ph.D.) Program in the School of Medicine are also eligible to enroll in the Cancer Biology Graduate Program. These students will rotate through the laboratories of program members during their first two years of Medical School, and can be admitted into the Program using the same procedure and criteria as entering IGP students.

1. Transfer Student Provisions

The transfer of students into the Cancer Biology Graduate Program from another Vanderbilt Graduate Program is dependent on the approval of the Graduate Executive committee (GEC, see below). In these instances, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) should be contacted by the student first to request evaluation by the GEC and to assist the student in finding a suitable laboratory for his/her thesis work. (Note that failure to pass the Qualifying Exam in another Vanderbilt Graduate Program excludes admission to the Cancer Biology Graduate Program.) Similarly, the DGS should be informed if a student intends to transfer out of the Cancer Biology Graduate Program so the DGS can assist with negotiating an appropriate course of action.

2. Direct Admission Provisions

The direct admittance of graduate students to the Cancer Biology Graduate Program can be accomplished with the written permission of the mentor whose laboratory they wish to enter and approval by the GEC. Faculty wishing to accept a direct admit student should contact the GEC for approval.

C. Administrative Structure

The Cancer Biology Graduate Program is run by the Program Director ,  currently Ann Richmond, Ph.D., and  Rachelle Johnson, Ph.D.,   Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) for the Cancer Biology Program. In addition, the Program Director appoints an   Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) representative for Cancer Biology (currently Barbara Fingleton), who represents the Program on the IGP admission committee. Cancer Biology Graduate Program policy is monitored and enforced by the Graduate Executive Committee (GEC) (currently Jin Chen, Barbara Fingleton, Ann Richmond, Alissa Weaver, Julie Rhoades, Kim Rathmell, Chris Williams and Rachelle Johnson).

1. Graduate Executive Committee (GEC). The GEC assists the Program Director in monitoring the progress and welfare of the students. Most issues can and should be resolved through consultation with the DGS, but there are limitations to the power and scope of the DGS with respect to certain types of conflict. The GEC exists to ensure fairness and to provide a general oversight role for the Cancer Biology Program. It provides an impartial mechanism for judging and resolving conflicts between and among students and faculty, and is empowered through the Program Chair to enforce its decisions. The GEC is selected by the Program Director/DGS, and consists of at least 5 graduate faculty, including the  Program Director, the DGS, the IGP representative, and a representative of the Biomedical Research, Education, and Training (BRET) office. These individuals meet as needed to arbitrate and resolve special situations that arise from time to time in the course of a student’s graduate career. For example, if deemed necessary, the committee can prohibit faculty from taking on new students based on mentoring issues.

The responsibilities of the GEC are summarized below:

• monitor the program requirements and curriculum
• evaluate/monitor the participating faculty
• resolve and enforce mentoring issues
• assure high standards in the academic program
• make decisions regarding student performance, advancement, or dismissal when disputes arise

2. The Program Director serves as official spokesperson for the Cancer Biology Graduate Program, the liaison with the Graduate School, and representative of the program in matters of university policy. The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) monitors the academic and research progress of each student throughout his/her training. He/she has frequent contact with the students and is responsible for explaining the requirements and expectations. The Program Director and the DGS are also the student advocate when personal problems arise and in cases of possible faculty misconduct. In addition, he/she is aware of a wide variety of medical and counseling resources available to all students under circumstances that might extend beyond program issues. Most student or faculty issues can and should be resolved through confidential interaction with the DGS. When necessary, conflicts can be referred to the Program Director or the GEC (see above).

3. The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) representative sits on the IGP Admission Committee, which selects incoming graduate students and determines IGP policy. He/she also acts as liaison between the graduate programs of the IGP and the Cancer Biology Program, and facilitates the transition of students from the IGP into the Program.

4. The Program administrative contact (Program Manager) coordinates program admission in response to direction from the Program Director and the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), tracks program requirements, registers students, and maintains the student files throughout their course of study . 

5. Qualifying Examination Parent Committee (QEPC). The QEPC is made up of 10 primary or secondary appointees to the Program with experience with graduate student mentoring. The chair of the QEPC is the DGS. Members of the QEPC serve as Chairs of the qualifying examination committees. The QEPC meets regularly during the time of the qualifying examinations and is charged with maintaining consistent standards in examination format and consistent criteria for passing all components of the qualifying examination. The QEPC serves as the first-line arbitrator in the case of a dispute regarding the outcome of the Qualifying Examination. (Current membership of the QEPC is mentioned above).

D. Teaching

There is no formal teaching requirement. Students pursuing the doctorate may participate in the IGP Focus Groups. Also, students are encouraged to assist in the Advanced Cancer Biology course or other courses organized by the Program.  The Cancer Biology Student Association (CBSA) organizes a student taught technology course every year to assist new (2nd year) cancer biology students preparing for their qualifying exam. Students are encouraged to participate in this team taught effort. One hour of graduate credit may be earned by participating in an official CANB course as a teaching assistant provided certain criteria are met, as detailed in section II.6 below.

E. Master’s Degree Option

Cancer Biology does not offer a M.S. degree program. Students are admitted to the Cancer Biology Program with the intention of completing a Ph.D. degree. However, M.S. degrees can be awarded if this goal changes. The following criteria must be met for a M.S. Degree:

– Satisfactory completion of all didactic Ph.D. course work with a B average

– A Thesis acceptable to the Graduate Executive Committee and the Graduate School. Minimal requirements for a thesis are:

• One complete figure representing unequivocal data generated by the student
• An abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results and discussion section in manuscript format based on the available data.

II. Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

A. Course requirements

1. The total number of graduate credits must conform to the specification of the Graduate School (i.e., 24 didactic hours and 72 total hours). Students will be expected to maintain a B (3.0) average. Student performance will be monitored by the DGS. If a student’s grade point average (derived from didactic hours and research credit hours) drops below 3.0, he/she will be placed on probation. If the sub-par performance persists into subsequent semesters, the DGS and Graduate Executive Committee will work with the Graduate School in evaluating the student’s options and he/she may be subject to dismissal from the Program.

2. Entrance into the Program in the second year of graduate studies requires that students, except Medical Scientist Training program (MSTP students), complete the core curriculum governed by the IGP. In accordance with this program, each student rotates through laboratories of their choosing during the first year of their graduate studies. Students participate in experiments in these laboratories and write a short summary of their activities, which is submitted to the IGP. Grades, and a written evaluation of the student’s performance, are provided to the IGP by the faculty member involved. As many as 16 hours of didactic credit may be earned from the IGP curriculum excluding elective courses.

3. Elective courses to reach the total of 24 didactic hours of formal courses (an additional 8 credits) are to be chosen from high-quality, formal 300 level courses given by the Program In Cancer Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Pathology, and Pharmacology in the School of Medicine, or approved courses given by the Department of Biological Sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences. A list of available courses is found in the Graduate School Bulletin. The topic will be determined by the specific research interests of the student.

4. MSTP Cancer Biology students have the option of transferring courses which are particularly pertinent to training in Cancer Biology as per the current version of The Compass

5. All students enrolled in the Cancer Biology Program must take Introduction to Cancer Biology and Advanced Cancer Biology (CANB 8340 & 8342), which are offered in the fall.

6. Other than Didactic course work the remainder of the student’s 72 hours will be earned through their CANB 8999 (Non-Candidate Research) and CANB 9999 (Ph.D. Dissertation Research) classes. One hour of CANB 8999 credit may be earned from serving as a teaching assistant for an official CANB course. To qualify for the TA-credit, students must fulfill the following criteria: (i) Have successfully completed both the required cancer biology courses CANB 8340 and CANB 8342 and (ii) Have obtained approval from their mentor for participation in the program.

Participation in this program will earn 1 credit and will also entitle the student to a document citing their teaching experience. Participation in the program has four components:

(1) Prospective TAs must participate for at least 2 semesters in a monthly 1-hr journal club to discuss articles related to effective teaching techniques for science education. These journal clubs will include current Cancer Biology course directors, grad student TAs and any other faculty, post-docs or students interested in participating;

(2) Each TA will commit to 12-16 hrs class time, which may involve lecturing, discussion facilitation, one-on-one or small group tutoring, technical assistance or other facilitation as required in that course; (3) Each TA will meet with the relevant course director to contribute to the evaluation of the students in the class. This may include test grading, assessment of written documents and/or oral presentations, and analysis of student participation;

(4) Participation in an annual workshop run by Center for Teaching personnel, when offered. Students may register for Candidate research hours once they have passed their Qualifying exams.

7. Faculty will assign Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) grades for CANB 8999/9999 research each semester.  If a student is found to have made unsatisfactory progress at a committee meeting, they will be given 3 months to correct course and have another committee meeting. If at the second committee meeting, they have still failed to meet the expectations of reasonable progress outlined in the previous meeting and detailed in the committee report, they could be recommended for dismissal by the graduate school .  If a U grade is assigned, the faculty mentor must notify the student, the DGS, and the Program Manager. T he Dissertation Committee chair should submit a report summarizing the Dissertation Committee’s assessment. The student has the right to appeal a U grade, and the details of appeal process can be obtained through the Program Manager . Failure of the student to convene regular dissertation committee meetings every 6 months can result in assignment of U grade by the Dissertation Committee .

8. Training in Biomedical Statistics is required. In view of the movement to incorporate this topic into the required IGP Bioregulation course, it is not listed as a separate requirement. However, in the event that this training is inadequate, a separate course will be developed and will become a requirement for Cancer Biology graduate students.

9. All graduate students are required to attend the weekly Cancer Biology Science Hour Seminar series. Students are required to present their research in a Work in Progress format each year they are in the Cancer Biology program from the third year in graduate school until the Ph.D. in Cancer Biology is awarded. The purpose of Science Hour is for students to practice presenting and hone their presentation skills. Research projects do not need to be a complete story, and students are encouraged to present negative findings and setbacks they encounter. Lisa McCawley is currently the person in charge of the seminar series. Should there be some valid reason for not being present; the student should notify Lisa ahead of time to request an excused absence. Students are expected to document their attendance each week on the sign in sheet and to participate by listening and asking thoughtful questions of the speakers.

C. Admission to the Ph.D. Candidacy (Qualifying Exam)

The qualifying exam for admission to Ph.D. candidacy consists of two parts, both pertaining to the student’s intended thesis proposal. Part I will consist of a written review article covering key papers that serve as background for the student’s dissertation project. The number of articles reviewed will vary depending on the topic of research. However, under most circumstances between 30 and 60 references will be cited. There should be an emphasis on the primary literature and while in some instances it may be appropriate to cite another review, the Review is not a review of reviews, but of the primary literature. The student is expected to identify what is currently known about the topic, integrate the most recent findings in the field in the context of what is current ‘dogma’ in the field, identify remaining questions in the field, and describe how answering these remaining questions would impact our understanding of the indicated area of cancer biology, or how answering these questions could be translated to improved clinical outcome for cancer patients. The written review should conform to the style of review articles published in Cancer Research (see Instructions to Authors for journal specifications regarding formatting). The written review should include at least one original schematic figure representing information integrated in the Review. The written Review must not draw from the preceptor’s previously written reviews, publications, or grant proposals. The written Review must represent the student’s original writing. Evidence of plagiarism will be grounds for disciplinary action.

The Review will be submitted to an Examination Committee comprised of Cancer Biology faculty members with sufficient published expertise in the topic to rigorously critique the Review, and assess the student’s interpretation and integration of published findings. The Examination Committee will be assigned by the DGS with input from the mentor. Once the Examination Committee has received the written Review, the Examination Committee and the student will convene in the format of an oral examination to test the student’s general knowledge of topics and techniques related to the field in which the Review is written. The qualifying exam committee will determine whether the student has the appropriate scientific background, writing skills, and information integration skills to answer key questions remaining in the field. Failure of part I will result in an opportunity to remediate the skills identified as insufficient through tangible efforts, such as increased journal discussion with the preceptor, attendance at scientific writing workshops, and additional exercises in scientific problem solving through experimental approaches. The Committee will present the students with a written critique of the Review article. Within three months, the student will submit a revised version of the written Review to the Examination Committee, including a point-by-point response to the comments written by the Examination Committee. The Committee will convene with the student in an oral examination format. The Examination Committee will determine whether the student has the appropriate background and skills to move to the next examination phase.

When part I of the exam is passed, the student will go forward to the second phase of the qualifying exam. Part II of the qualifying exam will proceed within three months after the student passes Part I of the qualifying exam. Details of Part II are described under Parts C1, 2, and 3.

Both parts of the qualifying exam consist of three major components:

1. The written proposal 2. The oral defense of the proposal 3. General knowledge

The general knowledge component should constitute at least 30 minutes of the overall exam time and take the form of general knowledge questions that arise from the proposed material during the oral defense of the project. Each of the components can and should be evaluated separately. Failure of one part of the exam constitutes a fail.

1. Preparing for the Exam

It is expected that students will have to take time away from the bench during the last month or two of preparation for the exam. It seems reasonable (but is not necessary) to spend half days in the lab over the final months. However, faculty expectations can vary widely as to how much time is appropriate. Some students handle it better than others, and some faculty are more understanding than others. One should do what is necessary to pass the exam. It is a realistic exercise in that it is not that different from the demands on faculty when confronting grant deadlines in the face of teaching and other commitments. Students and mentors should discuss the issue if necessary to reach an understanding. Sometimes new faculty members are not very cognizant of the demands of the exercise and the DGS can help with this.

a. December The DGS will meet with the exam candidates sometime in to brief students on exam expectations. The qualifying exam is taken soon after the spring semester of the student’s second year at Vanderbilt (first year in our Program). Throughout the second year, students should be developing their research topic for the qualifying exam proposal.

b. January (exact date to be set on a yearly basis). Students will attend a grant writing workshop during which they will be given an overview of the qualifying exam process and presented with information on how to plan and prepare a grant proposal in the NIH- NRSA format. Students will also be provided copies of exemplary short review articles and the official guidelines for the review article and the NIH-NRSA, which specify page limits and other important details associated with this review article and predoc-level grant application during the workshop. Copies of reviews and proposals by students from previous years will be distributed.

c. February 15 is deadline for approval of topic from the DGS. The student should research and decide on a topic for the review article and the research grant, meet with the mentor for his/her approval, and notify the DGS. The best way to do this is to email a paragraph describing the topic – not more than one page for entire email . Include a brief background, a rationale for the project, general approach and methodology, a hypothesis based on these items, and a preliminary list of up to three possible aims. It does not have to be formal or polished at this stage. (MSTP students can request more time if necessary because of the heavy work load in the spring semester, however if possible, it is better to keep on schedule with the others).

d. March 15 is the deadline for submission of review article topic and aims of the research proposal. (MSTP students can defer to Aug. 1 if necessary). A copy of the abstract and research proposal aims should be submitted to the DGS by email. Failure to meet this deadline can result in dismissal from the Graduate Program. In rare instances, the DGS may grant an extension. The DGS will use the abstracts to select appropriate faculty for examining committees.

e. The DGS will assign examining committees with input from the mentor. In accordance to Graduate School rules for Qualifying Exam Committees, there must be at least 4 members of the Graduate Faculty on each committee (this includes the student’s mentor). Three of the Graduate Faculty should be from within the Cancer Biology Program and one of the three must have a primary appointment in Cancer Biology. The fourth committee member should have their primary appointment from a different graduate program. MSTP student committees must also include one current or former member of the MSTP Faculty Advisory Committee. Each Examining Committee will consist of faculty chosen for their expertise in the subject area of the proposal and their prior experience with Qualifying Exams. The Chair of the Qualifying Exam Committee will be a member of the Qualifying Examination Parent committee, which will meet regularly and assist with consistency and continuity across student examinations. The student’s mentor will provide input to the DGS on the membership of the Qualifying Exam Committee. The student will be informed of the members of his/her Examining Committee. He/she should contact them immediately and arrange a time and place for Part I of the qualifying exam. Faculty members are encouraged to be available in May and June for examination meetings.

2. Schedule for Part I of the Qualifying Exam

A. Early March . The student meets with his/her mentor to develop the topic for the short review covering the body of work that forms the background for the student’s dissertation project. The student then writes the review with some guidance from the mentor or members of the laboratory and/or collaborating faculty. The article should be completed by June 15 and submitted to the qualifying exam committee.

b. Upon final approval of the review article by the mentor, the student, mentor, and Committee members should set a date for Part I of the qualifying exam. The student should reserve a room for a three-hour block of time for the Oral Examination. It should take place one to two weeks after the June 15 deadline for completion of the review article.

c. When an exam date is confirmed, the student is required to immediately inform the Program Manager and members of the examining committee of the confirmed date. The Program Manager is required by the Graduate School to turn in the Request to Schedule Qualifying Exam form at least two weeks prior to the exam. If the student fails to notify the Program Manager in time, this mechanism will fail and the exam will have to be rescheduled. A formal memo will be distributed to the committee members and the DGS one week prior to the exam. The student is required to submit the review article to members of the Qualifying Exam Committee at least one week prior to the exam date.

d . The Qualifying Exam Committee will evaluate the written content of the review article and during the oral exam will question the student on the background area of the research topic, the key questions that remain in the field covering the review article, how experiments would be designed to answer those questions, and the students general knowledge in the areas of Cancer Biology, Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biostatistics, and Responsible Conduct in Research.

e. The student will receive a pass or fail on both the written document and the oral exam. A grade of fail on either part of the exam constitutes a fail and the student will have the opportunity to retake the exam only once and this must be completed within three months of the initial exam. If the examination must be repeated, a written detailed description of expectations and suggestions to improve the deficiencies must be conveyed to the student and to the Qualifying Examination Parent Committee, with a copy placed in the student’s file. If the student fails a second time there will not be an opportunity for another retake of the exam and the student must follow the Graduate school guidelines for failure of Qualifying Exam. In the case of a dispute regarding the result of the qualifying examination, the QEPC will act as an arbitrator, hearing both the committee and the student’s viewpoint on the outcome of the examination.

3. Part II of the Qualifying Examination

a. NIH/ NRSA grant instructions will be provided at the Grant Writing Workshop held in January. This document contains specific instructions regarding page length, etc. The student is required to complete the research plan, the front page, and the abstract page. While the student is not required to complete the portions of the grant dealing with animals, he/she must follow the NIH guidelines for the humane treatment of animals for any studies proposed.

b. The student should assume that the grant is for three years of support (the typical Pre- doctoral F31 fellowship) and that he/she has adequate supplies available for the proposed research.

c. The student is encouraged to refer to successful grant proposals to use as a guide. Examples are distributed at the January workshop.

d. Within three months following Part I of the qualifying exam, the student is required to write and present a Thesis Proposal in the form of an NIH NRSA predoctoral proposal. The NRSA proposal is 6 pages plus one specific aims page. The topic must represent a significant body of work that advances scientific knowledge. The dissertation proposal will be written and defended similarly to Part I of the qualifying exam. However, the proposal itself represents collaboration between student and mentor and constitutes a mock business plan that organizes and outlines the plan of attack. Although the student is responsible for researching, organizing, and writing the proposal, he/she can and should seek advice from any relevant source, including the mentor and committee members.

e. The student will write the Research Plan of an NIH NRSA pre-doctoral proposal. This should be a comprehensive document, encompassing the background literature relevant to the proposed research, aims that will be pursued by the student as their thesis proposal, preliminary data (the student’s data and other relevant preliminary data from the lab), and a plan of attack The proposal should include a Specific Aims page (one page only) consistent with NIH style formatting, including an Impact statement. The proposal should include a narrative section, with the following general outline: A. Significance; B. Innovation; C. Research Design (Background, Hypothesis, Aims). Each Aim should include sections discussing the following: 1.) Statistical Considerations; 2.) Expected Findings, Limitations &Alternative Interpretations; 3.) Experimental Pitfalls & Alternatives. The proposal narrative should not exceed 6 pages. The references should start on a separate page, and will not count towards the 6-page limit.

f. Students are encouraged to have other students or postdocs critique the proposal for general overall readability and make suggestions to improve the format of the grant (i.e., amount of detail in the methods, clarity of why a specific experiment is being performed, etc.).

g. The proposal will be submitted to the Examination Committee (the same committee from part 1) for critical review by one week prior to the dissertation committee meeting. The student is responsible for setting the date and arranging the place for the oral presentation. A three-hour time slot should be scheduled. The proposal should be the original work of the student. Within one week after receiving the document, the Committee will convene with the student in an oral examination format. The student is expected to defend the proposal. The Examination Committee will evaluate independent through, critical problem solving skills analytic skills, grant/scientific writing skills, and scientific communication.

Since the written examination is separate from the oral examination, members of the committee can request that the grant proposal be rewritten before the oral examination is completed if it is found unusually deficient. The Thesis Proposal Evaluation Form will be completed and signed by the committee at the proposal meeting and returned to the Program Manager following the meeting for the student’s file. If the proposal is deemed unsatisfactory by the committee, a written detailed description of expectations and suggestions to improve the deficiencies and a date by which the students must make the corrections, must be conveyed to the student and to the Dissertation Committee, with a copy provided to the Program Manager for placement in the student’s file. If the student’s proposal does not meet expectations a second time, the student’s case must be referred to the DGS and Chairs for further recommendations.

h. Upon approval of the written thesis proposal, the oral defense and general knowledge portion of the exam will go forward. Usually, there will be a brief pre-meeting where the student leaves the room and the faculty discusses the proposal and the student’s progress. The student will make an oral presentation to the dissertation committee followed by a comprehensive discussion of the specific aims of the proposal. The defense itself is a formal presentation and defense of the scientific reasoning on which the proposal is based and the rationale for experimental design. It should result in agreement between student, mentor, and committee regarding the overall plan and direction. During the student’s presentation, the mentor will not participate in the discussion. The purpose of the discussion is to ensure that the student has the opportunity to receive advice and the opinions of the committee members in the endeavor to accomplish the goal of obtaining a Ph.D. degree.

The questioning by the committee members will generally follow the topics included in the grant proposal, but can comprehensively cover areas of cancer biology and any topics that the committee feels the student should be familiar. Questions will determine both the depth and breadth of the student’s knowledge. At least 30 minutes should be dedicated to general knowledge questions.

i. The committee will meet again following the oral examination and evaluate the student’s performance. (The student will again be asked to leave while the committee deliberates and reaches a decision). Performance will be broadly assessed according to three criteria: (1) Written examination; (2) Oral presentation; (3) General knowledge. The exam will also evaluate the student’s ability to think critically, understand the rationale and potential pitfalls for experimental design. Alternative strategies, biostatistical considerations, RCR topics, and knowledge in the area of the research proposal will be evaluated.

j. If the student does not pass the oral exam, the committee can give the student one additional chance to repeat any part of the exam that is deemed inadequate. This must be done within 6 months of the original exam. For example, the student might be required to rewrite one or several sections of the proposal or it may be necessary to repeat a particular aim where general knowledge or logic is lacking. Additionally, the student might be asked to research and write a report on a particular technical issue where knowledge is lacking. If the examination must be repeated, a written detailed description of expectations and suggestions to improve the deficiencies must be conveyed to the student and to the Qualifying Examination Parent Committee, with a copy provided to the Program Manager for placement in the student’s file. The QEPC will provide advice to the examination committee as to the criteria required for passing the Qualifying Examination. If the student fails a second time there will not be an opportunity for another retake of the exam and the student must follow the Graduate school guidelines for failure of Qualifying Exam. In the case of a dispute regarding the result of the qualifying examination, the QEPC will act as an arbitrator, hearing both the committee and the student’s viewpoint on the outcome of the examination.

D. Dissertation Committee and Proposal

1. Dissertation Committee Selection

a. A dissertation committee should be selected within 6 months of completion of the qualifying exam. The dissertation committee, chosen jointly by the student and mentor, will consist of (1) Not fewer than four members, (2) three of which must be Graduate Faculty within the Cancer Biology Program and at least one member should have their primary faculty appointment in Cancer Biology; (3) one member must have their primary graduate school appointment from a graduate program other than Cancer Biology. If the person from outside is not graduate faculty at Vanderbilt or is from another university, the Dean of the Graduate School requires a letter from the DGS stating the reason(s) for appointing this person to the student’s committee and a copy of the CV of the person to be appointed). Secondary faculty within the Program of Cancer Biology with a Primary appointment in another Ph.D. granting department within the Basic Sciences may serve as the “outside” committee member. MSTP student committees must also include one current or former member of the MSTP Faculty Advisory Committee.

Although the mentor is responsible for the scientific direction of the dissertation research, one of the other committee members with an appointment in the Program of Cancer Biology will serve as the Administrative Chair of the committee.

The choice of committee members can be critical and should be carefully considered. Committee members are considered co-mentors for the duration of the graduate career and can be extremely valuable assets, particularly if the primary mentor lacks expertise in a particular technology or field. Good scientists do not limit projects to their own restricted area of expertise, and students should consider whether their choices of committee members can close critical gaps in their mentor’s experience. While students are always encouraged to seek external expertise, the individuals on the thesis committee will be especially committed as co-mentors to needs that are unmet by primary mentors. The thesis committee will oversee and approve the thesis project and continue to monitor the student’s progress throughout the remainder of his/her graduate career. Committee meetings should be scheduled at least every 6 months, and can be more frequent if progress is slow or there is a particular issue to be resolved. The student is responsible for assuring that these meetings are held at appropriate times. Failure of the student to convene the Dissertation Committee for the established regular meeting times can result in a grade of Unsatisfactory.

b. Upon passing the qualifying examination, the students should proceed immediately to form a thesis committee in consultation with the mentor and the DGS. The DGS will follow up within 6 months following the qualifying exam to make sure that the dissertation committee has been selected.

c. The student is responsible for contacting and establishing the willingness of faculty members to serve on this committee. After selection of suitable committee members, the student should submit the list of names to the DGS for approval, then the DGS will forward to the Program Manager so that a formal record/file is established. (Note: There are particular requirements and issues that sometimes invalidate particular faculty).

2. Dissertation Research

The first meeting of the dissertation committee will allow for discussion of the Thesis Proposal and allow for incorporation of any revisions after the second phase of the qualifying exam. Following the acceptance of the Thesis Proposal, the student is required to meet with the dissertation committee once every six months to discuss progress. The student should prepare a short (1 – 2 pages) written progress report, which should be emailed to committee members one week prior to the meeting. Following the meeting, the Administrative Chair of the dissertation committee is responsible for making certain that there is written feedback to the student on their progress and the expectations for the next meeting are clearly defined. A copy of the written communication should be submitted to the student, the DGS and the Program Manager who will place the electronic copy of the report in the student’s file. The committee can consider more frequent meetings if necessary. At all stages of the student’s graduate training, continuation in the program is contingent upon satisfactory progress in research-oriented activities.

E. Dissertation Completion and Final Defense

1. Three to six months prior to the anticipated defense date, the student should schedule a committee meeting to review the dissertation progress and request permission from the committee to write.

2. The dissertation should be written in close consultation with the mentor, and the mentor must read and approve the dissertation before it is copied and distributed to other dissertation committee members. The dissertation should be submitted in printed format to members of the dissertation committee at least two weeks prior to the defense. The dissertation must conform to the formatting guidelines set by the Graduate School and the final document must be submitted to the dissertation committee at least one week before the final defense. The student should consult the Academic Regulations section of the Graduate School catalog for detailed information on the dissertation requirements. Further, students should consult with Graduate School personnel to be certain of required format. A checklist of information for students preparing their dissertation is also available at this site:  http://www.vanderbilt.edu/gradschool/form_locator/thesis_and_dissertation_submission/thesis_g uide.pdf

3. The dissertation research project must result in publication of an appropriate number of original and first author research articles as approved by the mentor and the Dissertation Committee. It is preferred that all requirements for the Ph.D. be completed prior to the scheduling of the defense, including publication of relevant papers documenting accomplishment of the aims of the research proposal. In no instance will the Ph.D. be conferred without publication of original research with first authored papers or the equivalent. There are some cases where a student can receive permission from the Chair to complete their Oral Defense prior to publication of manuscript(s) derived from the dissertation research. In this case the student’s committee will hold off on signing the student’s title pages for their dissertation until the requirements for Ph.D. are completed. The committee may, however, sign the Results Form for the defense to be turned in to the Program Manager following the Oral presentation. Degree confirmation will be based on when the actual written dissertation, including the signed title pages, is finally submitted to the graduate school.

4. The final defense is administered by the student’s dissertation committee after obtaining approval from the DGS. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the Committee members and Program Manager of the date, time, place, and title of the final defense at least three weeks ahead of time. The student fills out the Request to Schedule Defense Form located at: (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/gradschool/form_locator/phd_committee,_qualifying_exam,_and_dis sertation_defense_forms/request_to_schedule_dissertation_defense_form.pdf). This must be turned in to the Graduate School and the Program Manager at least two weeks prior to the defense date to allow time for processing of paperwork. Failure of the student to notify the DGS, Program Manager, and graduate school within the above time frame can result in postponement of the defense.

Committee members will receive an official notice from the Graduate School at least one week prior to the defense if paperwork has been turned in prior to that. The date and time of the defense will be published in the Vanderbilt Calendar as a public announcement. The final defense should be completed at least 14 days before the deadlines posted by the Graduate School each semester for dissertation submission. This will allow ample time for any possible revisions suggested by the Committee to be completed and approved.

5. Dissertation defense announcements will be distributed to the Cancer Biology Program and to the appropriate Calendars and E-mail lists by the Program Manager 1 week prior to the defense. This will publicize the event and provide topic information to those attending the defense. Students needing to postpone should give the information to the Program Manager prior to that time.

6. The defense begins with a public seminar. Following the seminar, the committee meets with the student for the final oral examination phase of the defense. The final examination is concerned with the student’s dissertation, the literature relevant to the research topic, unanswered questions, conclusions, and the significance of the study. Passing the final oral examination is denoted by signatures of the dissertation committee members on the Dissertation Results Form. The student should download this form and bring it to the defense: (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/gradschool/form_locator/phd_committee,_qualifying_exam,_and_dis sertation_defense_forms/dissertation_defense_results_form.pdf). The signed form should be submitted by the student to the DGS for signature and submitted to the Program Manager for posting to the Graduate School. A copy will be made for the student’s file. Passing the written dissertation is denoted by signatures on the required title page in the dissertation, and can occur at a later date if additions or corrections are required.

7. The policy regarding distribution of fees and costs associated with preparing the dissertation follows:

a. The mentor will pay for figure expenses and for photocopying the dissertation drafts for him/herself and committee members.

b. The Program will pay for the binding of the Cancer Biology library and the mentor copies of the dissertation. The student will obtain binding fee payment information from the Program Manager for Campus Copy charges for printing the dissertation

c. Photocopied soft-bound copies are appropriate for committee members.

F. Graduation and Degree Conferral

1. A student is considered to have completed the program requirements once the oral defense has been completed, the Dissertation Results form has been signed as “passed” by the dissertation committee members and the DGS, and the dissertation has been accepted by the graduate school. Once the committee has signed the title pages for the dissertation, the student is required to turn the dissertation in to the graduate school within a week. A student may not hold on to a signed dissertation in order to prolong enrollment. Once a student is graduated, they should no longer be working in their labs unless they have been hired as an employee in that lab. To complete the graduation process, a student must fulfill the following.

• Complete and turn in Intent to Graduate Form by the stated deadlines for each semester. See the Graduate School website for deadline dates: (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/gradschool/current_students/intent_to_graduate/index.php ). The student completes the form and obtains the signature of the DGS. The DGS forwards the completed form to the Program Manager who then makes a copy of the form for the student’s file and sends the original to the Graduate School prior to the deadline.
• Successfully pass the Dissertation Defense . Turn in the completed and signed Dissertation Defense Results form to the Program Manager along with a signed grade form for any outstanding grades that have not been turned in. (The dissertation defense results form can be downloaded by the student from the Graduate School website before the defense. The student will obtain the signature of the DGS on the forms signed off on by the dissertation committee and submit this to the Program Manager who will make copies for the student’s file and send the originals to the Graduate School. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/gradschool/form_locator/phd_committee,_qualifying_exa m,_and_dissertation_defense_forms/dissertation_defense_results_form.pdf ).

c. Turn in the final copy of the dissertation, including any revisions suggested by the student’s committee, to the Graduate School by the stated deadlines for each semester See the Graduate School website for deadline dates. If a student cannot turn in the dissertation by the deadline his/her degree conferral will be postponed until the next semester.

2. End-of-term degree conferrals occur three times a year: May, August and December. Intra-term degree conferrals occur as follows: https://gradschool.vanderbilt.edu/academics/intraterm-graduation.php

a. If a student has graduated but has not yet had his/her degree officially conferred, they may request letters from the Graduate School confirming the student has completed all the requirements for a Ph.D. and giving the official conferral date.

b. Students with end-of-term degree conferral in August, December, and any intra-term conferral date can make arrangements with the Registrar’s office to pick up their diplomas; otherwise, diplomas will be mailed to the permanent address indicated on the Intent to Graduate form.

c. The Commencement Ceremony is only held in May. It is optional and has no bearing on the official graduation or degree conferral date. It is a ceremonial recognition of the student’s accomplishment only. All students graduating in the summer or fall just prior to the May ceremony may participate but will have already received their diplomas in the mail. Spring recipients will be handed their diplomas at the ceremony if they have indicated they will be participating on their Intent to Graduate Form. If not their diplomas will be mailed to the permanent address listed on the Intent to Graduate form.

d. The student may obtain information about ordering regalia and participation in the ceremony on the grad school website. If a student chooses to participate, they must notify the Program Manager of who will be hooding them and confirm that the person has agreed to do so. A student may request the Program Director hood them if their mentor is not available. The Program Manager will notify the Graduate School of the names of graduates and the faculty members who will be responsible for the hooding of each graduate.

Application Procedure

Vanderbilt University highly encourages electronic applications to its graduate programs (see links below). Those students interested in Cancer Biology should apply through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP). The deadline for IGP applications is December 1.   Following are a few general requirements.

Graduate Record Examination Scores 

GRE scores are optional as part of the application. Official scores should be sent directly from ETS. Copies are not allowed. Scores should be sent to institution code 1871. A program code is not required but is helpful. For IGP applications, scores should be sent to program/department code 0202 or for Systems & Cognitive applications, scores should be sent to program/department code 0213.

Official Transcripts 

A copy of unofficial student transcript should be uploaded to the application by or before the application deadline.

Letters of Recommendation 

The University requires three to five letters of recommendation from persons qualified to evaluate your academic and professional qualifications. On your application, you will be asked to provide the e-mail addresses of your recommenders. Vanderbilt will contact your recommenders by e-mail and provide them with a link to a web site, a password, and instructions on how to submit the recommendation online. Online recommendations are instantly attached to your application. If you are unable to provide e-mail addresses for your recommenders, it is your responsibility to contact them and provide them with the recommendation form.

Begin Your Online Application 

Click here to apply via the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP)

Graduate Courses

Graduate courses administered by the program in cancer biology, fall semester.

CANB 8340: Introduction to Cancer Biology

Course Director- Fiona Yull Credit hours- 2 Day(s) & Time: Mon. 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Location- PRB 749 Prerequisite- IGP core course or consent of instructor.

This course is focused on molecular and cell biological under-pinning’s of cell migration, with emphasis on cancer motility, invasion and metastasis. It is an in-depth analysis of three to four research areas in molecular and cell biology. It is intended for graduate students with a strong foundation in experimental biology. Students in interdisciplinary fields such as engineering and mathematics are welcome (and encouraged) to take the course if they already have some background biological knowledge, however it is encouraged to discuss enrollment with the instructor first. This course will add options for graduate students interested in cancer metastasis and related biological processes (leukocyte motility, bone and tissue remodeling, embryonic development, etc.) taught by experts in each sub-discipline through lectures and discussions of papers from the current literature. This is a didactic lecture series in which general concepts in Cancer Biology will be reviewed. Topics range from molecular biology of cancer (oncogene and tumor suppressors) to novel concepts such as cancer stem cells and therapeutic approaches.

CANB 8342: Advanced Concepts in Cancer Biology

Course Director- Barbara Fingleton Credit hours- 4 Day(s) & Time: Wed. & Fri., 10:00 am – 11:55am Location- PRB 749 Prerequisite- Must be a Cancer Biology graduate student or have consent of instructor.

Advanced concepts in Cancer Biology will be reviewed in depth using a combination of lectures and student-led discussion sessions based on current literature. This course is offered only in tandem with the Introduction to Cancer Biology course to be taken concurrently.

Spring Semester

CANB 8344: Cancer Immunotherapy

Course Director- Sebastian Joyce Credit hours- 2 Day(s) & Time: TBD Location-TBD

 The extraordinary rise of Cancer Immunotherapy is used as a platform to examine the past, current and future implications of this rapidly growing discipline. The team taught course combines didactic lecture with key literature assignments aimed at providing not only an understanding of the current immunotherapy landscape, but also an important sense of perspective. The first half of the course covers basic concepts in adaptive and innate immunology, and cancer, needed to read and understand the literature. The second half is based on recent landmark literature in “Cancer Immunotherapy”. Instructor presentations aimed at addressing overarching concepts will be coordinated with student-presentations of key papers. Joyce, Johnson, Wilson. [2]

CANB 8351: Teaching Assistantship in Cancer Biology Curriculum.

Course Director- Barbara Fingleton Credit hours- 1 Day(s) & Time: TBD Location-TBD

Prerequisites: CANB 8340 and CANB 8342, Ph.D. candidacy.

Enrollees in the course will act as teaching assistants for one of the Cancer Biology courses (8340 or 8342 in Fall; 8347 or 8384 in spring) with a maximum of 16 hours class contact time. All enrollees will also be required to participate in a monthly journal club for that semester devoted to teaching methods in STEM subjects; and to work with course directors on evaluations. Prerequisites: CANB 8340 and CANB 8342, Ph.D. candidacy.

CANB 8384: Cancer Precision Medicine

Course Director- Kimberly B. Dahlman Credit hours- 2 Day(s) & Time: TBD Location-TBD Prerequisite- CANB 8340

This course will provide a unique experience in oncology where medical and graduate students work together to explore the molecular drivers of cancer and how that information is translated into targeted cancer therapies. Students will learn the risk factors for and signaling pathways that are often deregulated in cancer through seminars and literature review sessions. This information will be used as a platform to describe how molecular changes are detected in the laboratory and leveraged in the clinic for personalized patient care. Students will examine the multidisciplinary teams necessary in the care of cancer patients through participation in tumor board meetings, clinical experiences, and roundtable discussions. Furthermore, cancer screening, imaging, pre-clinical drug discovery, the advantages and barriers of clinical trials, and socioeconomic disparities will be presented in this course. Although this course will focus on melanoma, breast cancer, and lung cancer, students will demonstrate an ability to apply their knowledge of tumor diagnosis and targeted inhibition to other tumor types through a group project.

CANB 8999: Research prior to entry into candidacy (completion of qualifying examination) and for special non-degree students. [Variable credit: 0-12]

CANB 9999: Ph.D. Dissertation Research.

SUMMER Semester

CANB 8326: Cancer Biology Grant Writing 

Course Directors- Rachelle Johnson, Ann Richmond Credit hours- 1 (P/F, no didactic credit) Day(s) & Time: TBD Location- TBD

Cancer Biology Grant Writing. This self-guided course provides applied training in grant writing for students in their first year in the Cancer Biology program, second overall year in graduate school. Students will write an NRSA proposal and are assigned two faculty reviewers and peer reviewers who will provide feedback in at least three meetings. Input from the mentor is essential but needs to be limited to verbal discussions with the student. The proposal will be written and submitted to the reviewers in stages, with three required face-to-face meetings. Passing of the course depends on the final quality of the proposal, the ability of the student to incorporate suggestions and to respond to criticism, and the adherence to deadlines laid out by the course director at the beginning of the course. Course Directors: Rachelle Johnson, Ph.D., and Ann Richmond, Ph.D. SUMMER. [1]

New Student Responsibility Form

Grad School Travel Grant Application Form

Qualifying Exam Part I

Grad School Request to Schedule Qualifying Exam Form

SACS Qualifying Examination Evaluation Form Part I

Grad School Qualifying Exam Results Form – Required in conjunction with “SACS Qualifying Exam Evaluation Form Part I”

Grad School Request to Appoint Ph.D. Committee Form

Grad School Request to Change Ph.D. Committee Form

Qualifying Exam Part II (Thesis Proposal)

SACS Qualifying Examination Results Form Part II (Thesis Proposal)

SACS 6 Mos Committee Meeting Form with RCR Form

SACS RCR Discussion Record Form

Dissertation Defense

Grad School Request to Schedule Defense Form

SACS Defense Evaluation Form

Grad School Defense Results Form – Required in conjunction with “SACS Defense Evaluation Form”

Graduate Student Outcomes

Name                          Year of PhD               Current Position

Tristin Abair                 2007                            Chief Medical writer, priME Oncology

Omozusi Andrews        2014                            Postdoctoral fellow, NIH

Meredith Brown            2008                       Intellectual property manager, Metabolon Inc.

Nikki Cheng                  2002                          Associate Professor, University of Kansas

Laura DeBusk              2008                            Scientist, Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute

Joseph Deweese          2009                            Associate Professor Pharmaceutical Science Lipscomb University

Dominique Donato        2010                         Lecturer, University of Leiden, Netherlands

Charnise Goodings      2009                     Postdoctoral fellow, St. Judes’ Children’s Hosp.

Mark Harris                  2003                           Founder and CEO, NexGxDx Inc.

Katherine Amato         2015                            Postdoctoral fellow, Yale University

Rachelle Johnson       2011                             Associate Professor, Vanderbilt University

Nuruddeen Lewis        2011                            Senior Scientist, Codiak BioSciences.

Holli Loomans             2017                           Postdoctoral fellow, NCI

Lauren Matise             2012                Business Development Manager, GlaxoSmithKline

Nicole Fowler               2008                            Medical Writer, INC Research

Ian Nicoud                   2007                       Scientist, Kiadis Pharma of Regenerative Med

Daniel O’Brien             2008                      Patent Lawyer, Seed Intellectual Property Law                                                                                 Group

Seth Ogden                 2009                        Patent Lawyer, Patterson Intellectual Property

Veronica Placencio      2010                        Project Scientist, Cedar-Sinai Medical Center

Shenika Poindexter     2014                           Assistant Professor, Xavier University

Jillian Pope                  2014                          Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Florida

Meghana Rao              2012                       Senior Consultant, InVentiv Health Consulting

Alisha Russell              2010                       Assistant Professor, Trevecca University

Jamie Ausborn            2016                       Postdoctoral fellow, Dana Farber Cancer Inst.

Jennifer Tillman           2007                          Principal Scientist, Celgene Corporation

Yee Mon Thu               2011                           Assistant Professor, Grinnell College

Nicole Neel                 2008                           Scientific Writer, INC Research

David Vaught              2011                           Grants Manager, Komen Foundation

Kimberly West             2008                           Scientist, Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute

Li Yang                        2004                            Senior Investigator, Head, Tumor Micro- environment Section, NCI

Brian Yaspan              2008                            Scientist, Genetech Inc.

Guanglei Zhuang         2010                           Assistant Professor, Shanghai Xiaotong University

Beyond the Lab

Nikki Cheng

Kim dahlman, nuruddeen lewis, meghana rao, graduate student and faculty resources.

• BRET policy for Graduate Student Travel  (for students) – Are you a student planning to travel and unsure where to start? Contact Aaron Howard in the BRET office.
• Mental Health and Wellness Resources (for students)
• Mental Health and Wellness Road Map (PDF, for faculty supporting students)
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• Core Course Topics

(L-R) Nikolaus Schultz, PhD, Tejiri Agbamu, GSK Graduate Student, and Thinh Tran, GSK Graduate Student

Cancer Biology PhD Program Overview

Pursing a Cancer Biology PhD at the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences gives you training that combines Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s basic science and clinical arms. As a student, you will join one of MSK’s more than 130 laboratories where you will examine cancer science through the lenses of basic, clinical, and translational research.

Cancer Biology PhD Curriculum

The Cancer Biology program at GSK is an integrated course that takes students from genes and proteins to human pathophysiology. Aspects of our curriculum include:

• A 10-to-1 faculty-to-new student ratio in a program that gives you training that combines Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s basic science and clinical arms
• An innovative core course in the first year that provides a foundation in experimental, mechanistic, and cancer biology, taught by over 80 MSK faculty
• Full-time thesis research by year 2 of the program
• Weekly President’s Research Seminar Series featuring renowned scientists presenting their latest research
• Opportunity to pair with a clinical mentor
• Exposure to cutting-edge science with MSK faculty

Learn more about the GSK Cancer Biology PhD curriculum

Join us at the forefront of discovery.

Gerstner Sloan Kettering is now accepting applications. Applications close December 2, 2024.

Faculty & Research

At GSK, our faculty includes 130+ scientists from MSK specializing in biomedical science, including cancer biology, genomics, immunology, structural biology, and more. Each have been recognized as leaders in their fields around the world and typically MSK labs publish over 1,000 papers and file more than 100 patents applications each year.

When you begin your Cancer Biology PhD program at GSK, you do not need to make a formal commitment to a particular laboratory. This gives you the flexibility to explore potential research mentors during the first-year curriculum as well as an opportunity to meet with faculty to learn about new areas of research before making your decision.

Learn more about GSK faculty members .

Student Life

Students in the GSK Cancer Biology PhD program are supported in both their academic and social needs, including:

• Housing options
• Career support
• Student facilities
• New York City’s scientific community
• The GSK Student Council
• GSK Women in Science

Cancer Biology PhD Admission Requirements

To apply to the PhD program at the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, you will need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

Applicants are recommended to have completed the following college-level courses:

• General biology
• General chemistry
• General physics
• Organic chemistry (two semesters)
• Mathematics (through integral calculus)
• Introductory course in biochemistry
• Physical chemistry (recommended)

Application Information

The annual application window is from August to December 2. Applications should be submitted online .

GSK welcomes international students. Learn more about how to apply .

Get more information about the admissions process .

Still have questions?

Get answers to frequently asked questions about GSK’s Cancer Biology PhD program.

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PhD Programs

For students.

• Training Grants

Cancer Biology

The Cancer Biology Program covers all areas of cancer research, including cancer genetics, stem cells, tumor microenvironment, hematopoietic malignancies, tumor immunology, systems analyses, among others. This program will foster educational, scientific and social interactions with the other cancer-focused graduate students on campus, and students will benefit from the extensive and multi-disciplinary research in cancer being conducted in the  Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC)  and many departments at CUIMC.  Students in this program are required to complete one graduate-level cancer course, such as Cancer Biology.

Directors of Graduate Studies

Ronald liem, phd.

• Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology
• [email protected]

Rebecca Haeusler, PhD

• Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology
• [email protected]

Administrative Contact

• 212-305-8393
• [email protected]

Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center

 Institute for Cancer Genetics

Graduate Programs

The committee on cancer biology.

"Applying to the Biomedical Sciences Cluster was a revealing experience for me. At the University of Chicago I found a welcoming community of students and faculty that can help me excel in my professional career as a scientist. When applying to programs I focused on finding a place with great research opportunities that would also provide me with tools to succeed as a young scientist, and I found it here at UChicago. "

PhD student in the laboratory of Alex Muir

For twenty five years, the Committee on Cancer Biology (CCB) has offered rigorous training leading to a PhD in Cancer Biology, preparing our students to be leaders in cancer research.  Our translational focus encourages students to gain a wide range of skills that will serve them well both in and out of the laboratory.  Most of our graduates pursue postdoctoral studies and remain active in cancer research pursuing careers in universities, industry, government and clinical care.  

A unique strength of the CCB PhD program is our community and environment.  Along with its medical school and hospitals, the University of Chicago is home to an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research and multiple other centers and institutes that establish our leadership in cancer discovery.  Thereby, students can work with well over a hundred of our faculty from across biology, medicine, chemistry, computer science, bioengineering, and other fields, who are targeting cancer at every level from molecular mechanisms to advanced therapies.  The CCB faculty are committed to training the next generation of cancer researchers and are mentoring hundreds of undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral trainees who participate in our program.  

The core of the CCB community is a diverse group of PhD students who share a commitment to solving the cancer problem.  We are proud to attract outstanding students each year who have succeeded both in the classroom and laboratory and are now ready to pursue independent research toward the PhD.  For 2020, CCB is introducing a streamlined curriculum that builds on the strengths and initiative of our students.  We have reduced first year coursework to shift the focus to immersing students in our community and helping them choose a thesis advisor, with the goal of beginning full-time research as soon as possible.  As part of the first year, students also find a co-mentor and form a thesis committee, with the goal of completing the last steps for candidacy for the PhD early in second year.  We hope for students to be able to get a fast start on their projects, begin presenting their work at conferences and publishing papers early on, defend their thesis and begin their next phase of training before the end of five years.

If our program fits your training goals, we look forward to your application.

Faculty in Cancer Biology Program Website

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	University of Southern California
	Sep 07, 2024   USC Catalogue 2018-2019     USC Catalogue 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE] | The PhD program in Cancer Biology and Genomics (CBG) focuses on training investigators in strategies to understand the mechanisms of cancer development and progression which includes cell biological and genomic approaches. The ultimate objective is to translate basic findings into diagnostics, treatments and ultimate cures. The program applies a multidisciplinary approach toward these goals, with the full realization that cancers in different organs represent different diseases. However all cancers relate to uncontrolled cell proliferation with many cancers having a strong genetic predisposition. Consequently, major features of this program include the breadth of medically related interests and training and faculty characterized by wide and varied skills in many cancer-related research areas. To facilitate the application of multidisciplinary approaches to make cancer a disease of the past, close and regular contact between participating faculty of different disciplines and students is a major theme of this PhD program. Cancer Biology and Genomics students are required to take CBG 580    and CBG 504    and must complete a total of 4 units from the following: INTD 549   , INTD 685   , MPTX 500   , PM 512   , PM 517a   , PM 517b   , PM 533   *, PM 534   *, PM 570   *, PM 579   , PM 599    or other courses approved by the academic adviser. In the second year, students are required to register for CBG 580    in the fall and spring semesters. In the third and subsequent years, students should register for INTD 600    every fall and spring semester. In addition, students are required to complete at least 4 units of CBG 794a Doctoral Dissertation   ,  CBG 794b Doctoral Dissertation   . PhD students must supplement course work by registering for CBG 790 Research    during the fall, spring, and summer semesters as needed to complete the minimum 60 units required for the PhD program. As part of the requirements for the PhD degree in Cancer Biology and Genomics, students must adhere to the unit/course requirements, guidance committee and dissertation committee guidelines and must complete the qualifying examination, annual research appraisal, and dissertation and oral defense as outlined in the sections following the descriptions of the PhD programs. * Course requires prerequisite. Skip to content Administration Postdoctoral Fellows Cancer Biology Curriculum Preliminary Examination Summer Research Diversity Ambassador Diversity News News & Events Event Photo Galleries Prospective Students How To Apply Financial Support Life In Ann Arbor Cancer Biology Cancer is a devastating disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2020, more than 1.8 million Americans will receive a diagnosis of cancer, and about 606,520 individuals will succumb to the disease. Clearly we need to learn more about its causes, treatment, and prevention. The Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology at the University of Michigan is an interdisciplinary program whose goal is to train the next generation of cancer researchers. We achieve this goal by providing students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills that will allow them to tackle the most pressing problems associated with this disease. Drawing on the talents of faculty mentors who are leading experts in the field, together with the substantial resources of the University and its NCI-designated Rogel Cancer Center, students pursue dissertation projects at the cutting edge of cancer biology. Nina Zhang (Shah Lab) Awarded Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant Congratulations to PhD student, Nina Zhang, for receiving $1500 in Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant funds to help defray the costs of conducting their research project. Wishing you continued success, Nina! Dana Messinger (Koschmann Lab) Awarded F31 Grant Congratulations to PhD student, Dana Messinger, who was awarded an F31 grant. The F31 grant supports promising doctoral candidates who will perform dissertation research and training for a PhD degree in a scientific health-related field. The F31 award will cover Dana's stipend, tuition, and benefits for multiple years. Congratulations, Dana! Liddy McCulla (Wahl & Shah Labs) Awarded Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant Congratulations to PhD student, Liddy McCulla, for receiving $1500 in Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant funds to help defray the costs of conducting their research project. Wishing you all the best, Liddy! Events Photo Gallery (internal link) Living With Cancer - Ally's Story Introducing the Rogel Cancer Center S M T W T F S Terrance Haanen (Narla Lab) Presents Cancer Biology Thesis Defense Kahn Auditorium - Biomedical Science Research Building Zoom Meeting ID: 953 3314 4635 Zoom Passcode: 919987 Please join us for Terrance Haanen's Thesis Defense Seminar, "Recurrent PPP2R1A Mutations Drive Tumor Initiation Potential and Presents Therapeutic Vulnerabilities Through IGFBP2/NF-kB/PP2A Axis in Uterine Serous Carcinoma." Erik Peterson (Wahl Lab) Presents Cancer Biology Thesis Defense Zoom Meeting ID: 929 1831 3483 Zoom Passcode: 101424 Please join us for Erik Peterson's Thesis Defense Seminar, "Combating treatment resistance in H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma." Cancer Biology By The Numbers Support Biology Dei council and dei faculty committee, biology diversity community, mit biology catalyst symposium, honors and awards, employment opportunities, faculty and research, current faculty, in memoriam, areas of research, biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology, cancer biology, cell biology, computational biology, human disease, microbiology, neurobiology, stem cell and developmental biology, core facilities, video gallery, faculty resources, undergraduate, why biology, undergraduate testimonials, major/minor requirements, general institute requirement, advanced standing exam, transfer credit, current students, subject offerings, research opportunities, biology undergraduate student association, career development, why mit biology, diversity in the graduate program, nih training grant, career outcomes, graduate testimonials, prospective students, application process, interdisciplinary and joint degree programs, living in cambridge, graduate manual: key program info, graduate teaching, career development resources, biology graduate student council, biopals program, postdoctoral, life as a postdoc, postdoc associations, postdoc testimonials, workshops for mit biology postdocs entering the academic job market, responsible conduct of research, postdoc resources, non-mit undergraduates, bernard s. and sophie g. gould mit summer research program in biology (bsg-msrp-bio), bsg-msrp-bio gould fellows, quantitative methods workshop, high school students and teachers, summer workshop for teachers, mit field trips, leah knox scholars program, additional resources, mitx biology, department calendar, ehs and facilities, graduate manual, resources for md/phd students, preliminary exam guidelines, thesis committee meetings, guidelines for graduating, mentoring students and early-career scientists, remembering stephen goldman (1962 – 2022). cancer gene discovery • tumorigenesis • cancer therapy and resistance • oncogenes • tumor suppressor genes • cancer models • growth control and cell proliferation • metastasis • cell proliferation • cell death • cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions • microenvironment •DNA repair and replication • transcription • chromosome stability • metabolism • immunology and cancer • immunotherapy • cancer stem cells Eliezer Calo Lindsay case, jianzhu chen, michael t. hemann, whitney henry, david housman, richard o. hynes, tyler jacks, sally kornbluth, douglas lauffenburger, jacqueline lees, alison e. ringel, francisco j. sánchez-rivera, phillip a. sharp, yadira soto-feliciano, stefani spranger, matthew vander heiden, robert a. weinberg, michael b. yaffe, omer h. yilmaz, richard a. young. Omer H. Yilmaz explores the impact of dietary interventions on stem cells, the immune system, and cancer within the intestine. Study reveals the benefits and downside of fasting New technique reveals how gene transcription is coordinated in cells “Rosetta Stone” of cell signaling could expedite precision cancer medicine Taking RNAi from interesting science to impactful new treatments Scientists develop a rapid gene-editing screen to find effects of cancer mutations News brief: Calo Lab How early-stage cancer cells hide from the immune system How phase separation is revolutionizing biology WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Key searches, cancer biology and genomics, about the cancer biology and genomics phd program. The PhD program in Cancer Biology and Genomics (CBG) focuses on training investigators in strategies to understand the mechanisms of cancer development and progression which includes cell biological and genomic approaches. The ultimate objective is to translate basic findings into diagnostics, treatments and ultimate cures. The program applies a multidisciplinary approach toward these goals, with the full realization that cancers in different organs represent different diseases. However all cancers relate to uncontrolled cell proliferation with many cancers having a strong genetic predisposition. Consequently, major features of this program include the breadth of medically related interests and training and faculty characterized by wide and varied skills in many cancer-related research areas. To facilitate the application of multidisciplinary approaches to make cancer a disease of the past, close and regular contact between participating faculty of different disciplines and students is a major theme of this PhD program. Explore more about Cancer Biology and Genomics in this infographic . Learn More! Complete the form below for information on our graduate programs. Your journey towards a rewarding academic experience starts here! Cancer Biology The primary goal of the Cancer Biology (CNB) Major is to comprehensively train the next generation of cancer researchers that will make key contributions to our understanding of the disease either in the academic or industrial setting. The focus of the CNB Major is on understanding the molecular, cellular and microenvironmental mechanisms that drive cancer initiation and progression, heterogeneity, metastasis, and therapy resistance.  Faculty in the CNB Major is at the forefront of cutting edge areas of cancer research including genetics, epigenetics, RNA biology, proteomic interrogation of signal transduction pathways, cancer metabolism, tumor microenvironment, immunology, cancer imaging techniques, cancer dormancy and metastasis. Many of the faculty also leverage the unique clinical and drug discovery resources at the Moffitt Cancer Center to conduct translational research that can directly impact our patients’ lives. Apply Now   Cancer Biology PhD About the Program Meet Our Students Funding Support Facilities and Cores About Tampa Back to Cancer Biology PhD Cambiar el idioma Si no encuentra la información que busca o si desea programar una cita, llámenos gratis al 1-888-663-3488 . Seeking Patient Care? Graduate Studies Doctoral Programs Cancer Biology (Ph.D.) Cancer Biology Application process. The Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology is a university-wide interdisciplinary training program that draws upon clinical and basic sciences from multiple departments and medical school divisions of the University of Miami. The scientific focus is cancer research, emphasizing fundamental cellular processes, the deregulation in cancer, and the identification of novel diagnostics and therapeutic targets. In addition to training in technical aspects, the curriculum places a strong emphasis on scientific reasoning as the most essential and portable aspect of Ph.D. training. The cross-disciplinary training includes novel concepts and state-of-the-art techniques of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, genomics, proteomics, structural biology, cell biology, pharmacology, and molecular medicine. This training is integrated into the extensive clinical and translational research programs of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Research in cancer biology stands out by the scale and rate at which basic science translates into tangible changes in the treatment of patients. At the same time, information flows back rapidly from the clinic to direct the next frontier in basic science and innovation. To make maximum use of this exciting research environment, scientists need training in the relevant clinical concepts to translate questions and research needs back into their setting and to engage in collaborative efforts. Cancer biology graduate students receive guidance from both a research mentor and a physician mentor to facilitate this training. The research mentor is the dissertation advisor. The physician mentor provides a clinical perspective in cancer biology, including issues of diagnosis, management, and treatment of cancer patients and clinical research. Key Areas of Research Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center The U was a phenomenal fit for me due to the culture of diversity and acceptance, academic excellence and scientific ambition. The close relationship with SCCC allows for a real bench-to-bedside perspective by giving access to clinical grand rounds, tumor boards and direct mentorship by clinicians in the field. Ph.D. in Molecular Cancer Biology General info. Faculty working with students: 41 Students: 34 Part time study available: No Application terms: Fall Application deadline: December 2 Ann Marie Pendergast Director of Graduate Studies University Program in Molecular Cancer Biology Box 3813 Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710 Phone: (919) 613-8600 Emails: [email protected] ,  [email protected] Website:  https://pcb.duke.edu/education-training/molecular-cancer-biology-phd-program Program Description The molecular cancer biologists at Duke University seek to understand the complex regulatory mechanisms that govern mammalian cell growth and differentiation, discern how these mechanisms are perturbed in malignant cells, and how our knowledge of these regulatory mechanisms might lead to improved anti-cancer therapy. This research covers the boundaries of disciplines such as pharmacology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, genomics and cell biology, and has increased our knowledge of the basic mechanisms underlying growth regulation. To understand how and why these mechanisms fail, and how their failure results in the initiation of cancer requires an understanding of the molecules involved in chemically and cellularly precise terms, so as to decipher their ultimate impact on the growth and development of the organism. The Program in Molecular Cancer Biology includes faculty from thirteen (13) participating departments. Program scientists are actively engaged in dissecting the regulatory networks that control the processes of growth and development at the cellular and molecular levels, and the defects that lead to oncogenic transformation. The approaches used by the investigators range from classical genetics and genomics to cell and molecular biology and protein biochemistry. An ultimate goal is identifying novel candidates for therapeutic intervention of oncogenesis. Graduate training in this program is greatly enhanced by the interaction between investigators. Molecular Cancer Biology Program Goals: To train students in creative and innovative approaches to dissecting the regulatory networks that control the molecular, cellular and organismic processes required for tumor progression and metastasis.  The approaches used include genomics, proteomics, genetics, bioinformatics, state-of-the art omics technologies, cell biology, molecular biology and protein biochemistry. A major goal is to identify novel candidates for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of cancer. Graduate training in this program is greatly enhanced by the collaborative interactions among investigators across the University and the School of Medicine. The curricula are designed to provide a strong foundation in cancer biology while maintaining flexibility to pursue elective courses tailored for the student’s future research interests. Molecular Cancer Biology: PhD Admissions and Enrollment Statistics Molecular Cancer Biology: PhD Completion Rate Statistics Molecular Cancer Biology: PhD Time to Degree Statistics Molecular Cancer Biology: PhD Career Outcomes Statistics Application Information Application Terms Available:  Fall Application Deadline:  December 2 Graduate School Application Requirements See the Application Instructions page for important details about each Graduate School requirement. Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts required with application submission; official transcripts required upon admission Letters of Recommendation: 3 Required Statement of Purpose: Required Résumé: Required GRE Scores – GRE General: Optional This program does not require applicants to provide GRE (Graduate Record Examination) or other graduate entrance exam scores, but does allow you to upload scores if you feel they enhance your application. If you choose to submit test scores, you may enter them on the Test Scores page. If you choose to enter self-reported test scores, official test scores will become a required component of your application. English Language Exam: TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test required* for applicants whose first language is not English *test waiver may apply for some applicants GPA: Undergraduate GPA calculated on 4.0 scale required Department-Specific Application Requirements (submitted through online application) Writing Sample None required Additional Components Optional Video Essay: How would a Duke PhD training experience help you achieve your academic and professional goals? Max video length 2 minutes; record externally and provide URL in application. We strongly encourage you to review additional department-specific application guidance from the program to which you are applying: Departmental Application Guidance List of Graduate School Programs and Degrees Current Students UTHealth - Houston's Health University Uthealth - graduate school of biomedical sciences. Why the GSBS Our Location Information Technology Digital Classroom Campus Safety Classroom Calendar Administered by MD Anderson and UTHealth Houston Located in The Texas Medical Center (TMC), the world's largest medical center Both MD Anderson and UTHealth Houston are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Over 600 faculty members with expertise in the latest biomedical research Genetic Counseling Medical Physics Milestone Requirements Faculty Seeking MS Students Explore GSBS Labs Cancer biology. Genetics & Epigenetics Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Molecular & Translational Biology Neuroscience Quantitative Sciences Therapeutics & Pharmacology Research Interests Program Directory Faculty Seeking PhD Students Message From the Director MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences McGovern Medical School MD Anderson Cancer Center Center for Clinical Translational Sciences Student Research Day 2020 Admissions Overview Requirements & Instructions Financial Assistance Recruitment Schedule What factors are considered in admissions decisions? What is the minimum GPA required to apply? Do you require interviews? When will I be notified regarding interviews? What are the application deadlines? What if my letters of recommendation are not ready by the deadline? How can I get an assistantship? How can I get an assistantship if I am seeking a MS degree? Admissions Office 6767 Bertner Avenue S3.8344 Mitchell BSRB Houston TX 77030 Summer Undergraduate Research Programs Biochemistry Bioinformatics Cell Biology Developmental Biology Epigenetics Infectious Diseases Microbiology Pharmacology Therapeutics Translational Research Discover Houston Explore Campus Career Development Parking, Transportation, Disability, Worklife, More Student Support Graduate Student Association Association of Minority Biomedical Researchers Association of Science Communication Community Outreach First Generation Student Group International Student Association LGBTQ+ Student Alliance Student InterCouncil About the GSBS Quick facts, thesis based ms programs, specialized ms, individualized ms program in biomedical sciences, phd programs, md/phd program, participating institutions/entities. Admission FAQs Biostatistics Infectious Disease Student Life Student organizations. nav = Cancer Biology The Cancer Biology Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) is dedicated to providing students with the highest quality of training in diverse areas of cancer biology research. Given the unique environment of the Texas Medical Center, the philosophy of the Cancer Biology Program is to supplement traditional graduate school training with both depth and breadth of knowledge in cancer biology.  Students will follow the standard format of choosing a single mentor who will guide an independent research project. However, our students frequently use the resources and expertise of several laboratories in different departments during the development of their cancer-related dissertation projects. This training provides a rich experience that increases the expertise and competitiveness of our graduates.  Currently, we have about 70 students and 120 faculty affiliated with the program. Our students have been among the most outstanding and productive of the GSBS. They also have been the recipients of many GSBS awards, as well as nationally competitive awards and fellowships. Like the faculty, the students bring wide-ranging perspectives and goals to their research. The program excels in accommodating these interests while fostering interactions among all of our students. The program faculty are eager to train motivated students, and will gladly provide additional information with respect to their research programs and training opportunities in their laboratories. This is an exciting new era in cancer research. A systematic training in cancer biology should allow our students to meet the challenge of Making Cancer History. Program Activities & Opportunities Under construction, check back soon for exciting new events! Cancer Biology Program Travel Award Application Virtual Travel Awards are also being accepted and will cover up to $150 towards registration to present a poster or give an oral talk. CB Travel Award Application CB Virtual Travel Award Application PURPOSE The purpose of the Cancer Biology travel award is to help defray your expenses to attend a meeting or course.  GUIDELINES & ELEGIBILITY Cancer Biology Travel awards are $500.00 each. Each student can receive only one award per academic year. Cancer Biology students presenting results at a national or international meeting, or attending a course, are eligible to apply. All applications will be reviewed by the Cancer Biology Program Directors.   Students will be notified of their award status within two weeks after the application submission date. INSTRUCTIONS Please submit these items via email in a single PDF to Dawn Wolf-Taylor:   [email protected] This completed form signed by you and your advisor Copy of your meeting registration form or course registration form Copy of your updated CV Copy of your PI’s CV – including current lab funding information Confirm if you have any fellowships that cover travel expenses Copy of your abstract and abstract acceptance, if attending a meeting. If you have not received your abstract acceptance, or course acceptance, please list an approximate acceptance date. The award will be contingent upon such acceptance. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center CPRIT Training Grant The Future of Cancer Research: Training Program for Basic and Translational Scientists The CPRIT Training Grant at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a training program funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and provides a strong academic foundation to launch the careers of new cancer researchers by leveraging the outstanding faculty expertise and cancer research environment provided by MD Anderson and GSBS. The specific goals of the program for our predoctoral trainees are to:  Generate a strong basic science platform for studies in cancer-related disciplines. Each predoctoral trainee is expected to achieve a fundamental understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms or biophysical concepts related to cancer. Provide exposure to cancer research subspecialties, translational cancer research, cross-disciplinary training and stimulate critical thinking skills. Groom future leaders in cancer research through career development and ethical training. Provide high-quality mentoring by prominent cancer researchers. The CPRIT training grant has funding for nine predoctoral (7 supported by CPRIT and 2 supported by funds from MD Anderson) + five post-doctoral trainees + fifty undergraduate summer students (20 supported by CPRIT, 10 supported by GSBS, 10 supported by MD Anderson and 10 supported by the Cancer Center Core Grant). Eligibility for predoctoral trainees : No citizenship requirement Post-candidacy GSBS Ph.D. graduate program or M.D., Ph.D. program in good academic standing GPA of 3.5 or better in all GSBS courses. Completion of qualifying examination is required Current thesis mentor is a faculty mentor of CPRIT grant Call for applications – Spring of 2018 We expect to send out the next call for applications for predoctoral trainees with application guidelines in the Spring of 2018. For graduating students interested in a postdoctoral slot for the training program, or any other questions please contact the program director, Dr. Khandan Keyomarsi, or the program manager, Mr. Alex Gomez. Program Director Khandan Keyomarsi, PhD Hubert L. and Olive Stringer Professor in Medical Oncology Distinguished Teaching Professor Director, TRIUMPH post-doctoral program Director, Cancer Biology Graduate program Department of Experimental Oncology The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 6565 MD Anderson Blvd. Unit 1052 Houston, Texas 77030-4009 [email protected] Co-Director Stephanie Watowich, PhD Professor, Department of Immunology Co-Director, Center for Inflammation and Cancer UT MD Anderson Cancer Center P.O. Box 301402, Unit 902 Houston, TX 77030-1904 MD Anderson Training Program to Reduce Breast Cancer Disparities in Black and Hispanic Women Through generous funding from a Susan G. Komen Graduate Training in Disparities Research Grant, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s   Training Program to Reduce Breast Cancer Disparities in Black and Hispanic Women   seeks to develop the next cadre of leaders in breast cancer disparities research, who will be equipped to develop novel strategies to improve the lives of black and Hispanic women with and at risk for breast cancer. The overall goal of our training program is to recruit highly-qualified graduate students (masters and doctoral) and launch them into research careers focused on reducing breast cancer disparities. Trainees will achieve this goal through the following program activities: 1) Individually-tailored, mentored research projects in breast cancer disparities; 2) Interactive, community-based and clinical breast cancer experiences; 3) Didactic coursework and seminars in breast cancer disparities; and 4) Breast cancer disparities symposium Our program will support three graduate students each year for one-year appointments, and will provide full support to trainees including a mentoring team consisting of a faculty and community mentor, tuition, stipend, and supplies. Application Materials: Discover Application Form Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume Three (3) letters of recommendation Personal statement describing your professional goals, research interests, and commitment to breast cancer disparities research Mentor letter of support (if already identified) Academic Transcripts Application Deadline:   Spring, 2018 (date to be announced) Program Leaders: Lorna McNeill, PhD, MPH Associate Professor and Chair Department of Health Disparities Research Email:   [email protected] Phone:   713-563-1103 Kelly Hunt, MD Professor and Chair Department of Breast Surgical Oncology Email:   [email protected] Phone:   713-792-7216 For more information, please contact Crystal Roberson at   [email protected]   or 713-794-1074. Cancer Biology Program Fall 2024 Retreat September 20-21, 2024 Margaritaville Resort/Conroe, TX For questions about the Retreat, please contact Dawn Wolf-Taylor, [email protected]   Gomez-Manzano named 2024 Oldham faculty award recipient TL1 trainees attend ACTS Translational Science 2024 In memoriam: Nora Navone, MD, PhD In memoriam: Cullen M. Taniguchi, MD, PhD Alumna Jovanka Gencel-Augusto, PhD, earns the UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship; offers insight into the pursuit of postdoc opportunities Cancer biology awards & publications. Congratulations to all of our Cancer Biology Students who placed in their competitions at the GSBS Virtual Graduate Student Research Day event on June 24 th , 2021!!!   2021 Virtual Oral Presentation Skills Competition: Pre-Candidacy PhD and MS: 2 nd   Place –   Ko-Chien Chen   (advisor: Dr. Ronald DePinho)   2021 Virtual Elevator Speech Competition: 1 st   year PhD & MS Category: 2 nd   place –   Daisy Diaz Rohena   (advisor: Dr. Deepa Sampath) 2 nd   year+ PhD Category: 1 st   place –   Sonia Patel   (advisor: Dr. John Heymach) 2 nd   year+ PhD Category: 2 nd   Tie –   Kimberly Rivera Caraballo   (advisor: Dr. Balveen Kaur) Congratulations to Cancer Biology Student Fellowship, Scholarship and Award Recipients  Rakhee Bajaj   (mentor: Don Gibbons, MD, PhD) 2021-2022 MD Anderson CPRIT Research Training Program Scholar 2020-2021 T.C. Hsu Memorial Scholarship Recep Bayraktar   (mentor: George Calin, MD, PhD 2021-2022 Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarship in Cancer Research Ana Bolivar   (mentor: Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez, MD, PhD) 2020-2021 Predoctoral Fellow in the training program on Translational Genomics and Precision Medicine Approaches in Cancer Emily Caggiano  (mentor: Cullen Taniguchi, MD, PhD) 2022-2023 American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship in Cancer Research Li Cai  (mentor: Ronald DePinho, MD) 2021-2022 Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarship in Cancer Research 2020 GSBS Endowment Scholarship Vidhi Chandra  (mentor: Florencia McAllister, PhD) 2022 GSBS Presidents' Research Scholarship 2020-2021 Investing in Student Futures Fellowship 2019-2020 Scholarship for Excellence in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MD Anderson Cancer Center Ko-Chien Chen  (mentor: Ronald DePinho, MD) 2021-2022 Floyd Haar, MD Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Memory of Freda Haar Olu Coker   (mentor: E. Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD) 2020-2021 Predoctoral Fellowship position in the training program on Translational Genomics and Precision Medicine Approaches in Cancer Sharvari Dharmaiah   (mentor: Jason Huse, MD, PhD) 2021-2022 Ray Meyn Scholarship for Cancer Research Daisy Diaz-Rohena  (mentor: Deepa Sampath, PhD) 2022-2023 American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship in Cancer Research Mary Fuentes  (mentor: Pawel Mazur, PhD) 2021-2022 R.W. Butcher Student Achievement Scholarship 2021-2022 MD Anderson CPRIT Research Training Program Scholar 2020-2021 The Fadine Jackson Roquemore Scholarship in Cancer Research 2019-2020 American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship in Cancer Research 2018-2019 Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation Scholarship honoring George M. Stancel, Ph.D. Carolina Garcia-Garcia  (mentor: Cullen Taniguchi, MD, PhD) 2022  Dr. John J. Kopchick Fellowship - Renewal 2021 GSBS Presidents' Research Scholarship 2021 Dr. John J. Kopchick Fellowship 2018-2019 Ellen Taylor Goldin Legacy Scholarship 2017-2018 Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation Scholarship honoring George M. Stancel, Ph.D. Deanna Glassman  (mentor: Anil Sood, MD) 2021-2022 Cancer Answers Scholarship Sarah Glazer  (mentor: David Piwnica-Worms, MD, PhD) 2017-2018 Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation Scholarship honoring George M. Stancel, Ph.D. Jincheng Han  (mentor:  Ronald DePinho, MD) 2021-2022 Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarship in Cancer Research Cheng-En Hsieh   (mentor: Michael Curran, PhD) 2021-2022 Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarship in Cancer Research 2021-2022 MD Anderson CPRIT Research Training Program Scholar 2019-2020 Ralph B. Arlinghaus, Ph.D. Scholarship Wen-Hao Hsu  (mentor: Ronald DePinho, MD) 2022-2023 Pauline Altman-Goldstein Foundation Discovery Fellowship - Renewal 2021-2022 George M. Stancel, Ph.D. Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences 2021-2022 MD Anderson CPRIT Research Training Program Scholar 2021-2022 Pauline Altman-Goldstein Foundation Discovery Fellowship Sunada Khadka  (mentor: Florian Muller, PhD) 2021-2022 Cancer Answers/Sylvan Rodriguez Scholarship 2020-2021 Renewal -  Larry Deaven Ph.D. Fellowship in Biomedical Sciences }2019-2020 Larry Deaven Ph.D. Fellowship in Biomedical Sciences 2019-2020 R.W. Butcher Student Achievement Scholarship Kyle LaBella  (mentor: Ronald DePinho, MD) 2022-2023 American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship in Cancer Research - Renewal 2022 Dr. John J. Kopchick Fellow 2021-2022 American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship in Cancer Research  Hey Min Lee  (mentor:  E. Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD) 2021-2022 Ralph B. Arlinghaus, Ph.D. Scholarship Jiexi Li   (mentor: Ronald DePinho, MD) 2022 GSBS Presidents' Research Scholarship 2021-2022 T.C. Hsu Memorial Scholarship 2019-2020 Meyn Scholarship for Cancer Research Shengxin Li   (mentor:   Hyun-Eui Kim, PhD ) 2020-2021 Sam Taub and Beatrice Burton Endowed Fellowship in Vision Disease Abdallah Mohamed  (mentor: Clifton Fuller, MD, PhD) 2018-2019 Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarship in Cancer Research Swati Mohapatra  (mentor: George Calin, MD, PhD) 2021-2022 Steve Lasher and Janiece Longoria Graduate Student Research Award in Cancer Biology Maria Monberg  (mentor: Anirban Maitra, MBBS) 2021-2022 American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship in Cancer Research  Jayanta Mondal  (mentor: Jason Huse, MD, PhD) 2022-2023 Schissler Foundation Fellowship Ryan Nini   (mentor: Peter Friedl, MD, PhD) 2018-2019 Scholarship for Excellence in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MD Anderson Cancer Center Thomaia Pamplin  (mentor: Curtis Pickering, PhD) 2021-2022 Cancer Answers Scholarship Sonia Patel  (mentor: John Heymach, MD, PhD) 2022 Linda M. Wells GSBS Outreach Award 2022-2023 Schissler Foundation Fellowship 2022 Dr. John J. Kopchick Fellow 2021-2022 MD Anderson CPRIT Research Training Program Scholar 2020-2021 Investing in Student Futures Fellowship Jing Qian   (mentor: Powel Brown, MD, PhD) 2020-2021 Ray Meyn Scholarship for Cancer Research Dhwani Rupani  (mentor: Andrew Rhim, MD) 2019-2020 Floyd Haar, MD Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Memory of Freda Haar Vivian Salama   (mentor: Clifton Fuller, MD, PhD) 2022-2023 American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship in Cancer Research Hannah Savage   (mentor: Keri Schadler, PhD) 2020-2021 Schissler Foundation Fellowship 2019-2020 Scholarship for Excellence in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MD Anderson Cancer Center  Dong Ho Shin   (mentor: Juan Fueyo, MD) 2022-2023 John and Rebekah Harper Fellowship - Renewal 2021-2022  John and Rebekah Harper Fellowship - Renewal 2020-2021 John and Rebekah Harper Fellowship 2018 Terry and Janet Klebe Fellowship Oscar Villarreal  (mentor: E. Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD) 2022 Charlene Kopchick Fellow Amanda Warner   (mentor: Don Gibbons, MD, PhD) 2021-2022 Deans Excellence Scholarship  Xiaojie Yang   (mentor: Pawel Mazur, PhD) 2020-2021 The Antje Wuelfrath Gee and Harry Gee, Jr. Family Legacy Scholarship Fatma Yasar  (mentor: Jian Hu, PhD) 2019-2020 Steve Lasher and Janiece Longoria Graduate Student Research Award in Cancer Biology 2019 Graduate Student Research Day – Elevator Speech Competition – 1 st   place as well as the winner of the People’s Choice Award Rui Ye  (mentor: Steven Lin, MD, PhD) 2022-2023 Rosalie B. Hite Fellowship - Renewal 2021-2022 GSBS Endowment Scholarship 2021-2022 Rosalie B. Hite Fellowship Er-Yen Yen  (mentor: Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD) 2021-2022 Investing in Student Futures Fellowship 2021-2022 MD Anderson CPRIT Research Training Program Scholar 2021-2022 Rosalie B. Hite Fellowship 2019-2020 Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarships in Cancer Research  Daniel Zamler  (mentor: Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD) 2021-2022 Jesse B. Heath, Jr. Family Legacy Award 2019-2020 Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarships in Cancer Research High Impact Student Publications - Current Students (This is not an exhaustive list - page currently under construction) Dance of The Golgi: Understanding Golgi Dynamics in Cancer Metastasis. Bajaj, R.; Warner, A.N.; Fradette, J.F.; Gibbons, D.L.   Cells 2022, 11, 1484. https://doi.org/10.3390/ cells11091484 Chromatin Regulator CHD1 Remodels the Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in PTEN-Deficient Prostate Cancer . Di Zhao,   Li Cai,  Xin Lu, Xin Liang, Jiexi Li, Peiwen Chen, Michael Ittmann, Xiaoying Shang, Shan Jiang, Haoyan Li, Chenling Meng, Ivonne Flores, Jian H Song, James W Horner, Zhengdao Lan, Chang-Jiun Wu, Jun Li, Qing Chang, Ko-Chien Chen, Guocan Wang, Pingna Deng, Denise J Spring, Y Alan Wang, Ronald A DePinho. Cancer Discovery. 2020 Sep;10(9):1374-1387. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-19-1352.  PMID:  32385075. Therapeutic potential of microbial modulation in pancreatic cancer Chandra V , McAllister F. Gut. 2021 Apr 27:gutjnl-2019-319807. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319807. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33906958.   Interleukin-17-induced neutrophil extracellular traps mediate resistance to checkpoint blockade in pancreatic cancer. Zhang Y*,   Chandra V* , Riquelme Sanchez E*, Dutta P, Quesada PR, Rakoski A, Zoltan M, Arora N, Baydogan S, Horne W, Burks J, Xu H, Hussain P, Wang H, Gupta S, Maitra A, Bailey JM, Moghaddam SJ, Banerjee S, Sahin I, Bhattacharya P, McAllister F. J Exp Med. 2020 Dec 7;217(12):e20190354. doi: 10.1084/jem.20190354. PMID: 32860704; PMCID: PMC7953739. *co-first authors   Mouse T cell priming is enhanced by maturation-dependent stiffening of the dendritic cell cortex. Blumenthal D,   Chandra V , Avery L, Burkhardt JK. Elife. 2020 Jul 27;9:e55995. doi: 10.7554/eLife.55995. PMID: 32720892; PMCID: PMC7417170. Predictors of Radiation-Induced Liver Disease in Eastern and Western Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Proton Beam Therapy. Hsieh CE,   Venkatesulu BP, Lee CH, Hung SP, Wong PF, Aithala SP, Kim BK, Rao A, Tung-Chieh Chang J, Tsang NM, Wang CC, Lee CC, Lin CC, Tseng JH, Chou WC, Wang YC, Krishnan S, Hong JH. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2019 Sep 1;105(1):73-86. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.02.032. Epub 2019 Feb 21. PMID: 30797890 Prognostic Value of Tumor Heterogeneity and SUVmax of Pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT for Salivary Gland Carcinoma With High-Risk Histology.                        Cheng NM , Hsieh CE,   Liao CT, Ng SH, Wang HM, Fang YD, Chou WC, Lin CY, Yen TC. Clin Nucl Med. 2019 May;44(5):351-358. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000002530. PMID: 30932974 Pretreatment Primary Tumor and Nodal SUVmax Values on 18F-FDG PET/CT Images Predict Prognosis in Patients With Salivary Gland Carcinoma. Hsieh CE , Cheng NM, Chou WC, Venkatesulu BP, Chou YC, Liao CT, Yen TC, Lin CY. Clin Nucl Med. 2018 Dec;43(12):869-879. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000002287. PMID:  30273205 Pretreatment   Primary Tumor SUVmax on 18F-FDG PET/CT Images Predicts Outcomes in Patients With Salivary Gland Carcinoma Treated With Definitive Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy. Hsieh CE , Ho KC, Hsieh CH, Yen TC, Liao CT, Wang HM, Lin CY. Clin Nucl Med. 2017 Sep;42(9):655-662. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000001740. PMID:  28650891 let-7 Modulates Chromatin Configuration and Target Gene Repression through Regulation of the ARID3B Complex . Liao TT,   Hsu WH , Ho CH, Hwang WL, Lan HY, Lo T, Chang CC, Tai SK, Yang MH. Cell Rep. 2016 Jan 26;14(3):520-533. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.12.064. Epub 2016 Jan 14. PMID:  26776511 Connective tissue growth factor   activates   pluripotency   genes   and   mesenchymal-epithelial transition   in   head and neck cancer   cells . Chang CC,   Hsu WH , Wang CC, Chou CH, Kuo MY, Lin BR, Chen ST, Tai SK, Kuo ML, Yang MH. Cancer Res. 2013 Jul 1;73(13):4147-57. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-12-4085. Epub 2013 May 16. Erratum in:   Cancer Res. 2017 Jun 1;77(11):3127 . PMID:  23687336   Localized Treatment with Oncolytic Adenovirus Delta-24-RGDOX Induces Systemic Immunity against Disseminated Subcutaneous and Intracranial Melanomas. Jiang H,   Shin DH,   Nguyen TT, Fueyo J, Fan X, Henry V, Carrillo CC, Yi Y, Alonso MM, Collier TL, Yuan Y, Lang FF, Gomez-Manzano C. Clin Cancer Res. 2019 Nov 15;25(22):6801-6814. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-0405. Epub 2019 Aug 27. PMID:  31455679 Qki regulates myelinogenesis through Srebp2-dependent cholesterol biosynthesis. Zhou X,  Shin S , He C, Zhang Q, Rasband MN, Ren J, Dai C, Zorrilla-Veloz RI, Shingu T, Yuan L, Wang Y, Chen Y, Lan F, Hu J. Elife. 2021 May 4;10:e60467. doi: 10.7554/eLife.60467. Cancer Biology Resources Introduction and Mission The goal of the Cancer Biology Program is for our basic and clinical faculty to teach graduate students, postdoctoral and clinical fellows concepts of cancer biology and its translation, enabling our trainees to become cancer biology scientists, who can conduct significant, cutting-edge, and hypothesis-driven basic, translational, and clinical research. Program Organization The administrative organization of the Cancer Biology Program is as follows: The Cancer Biology Program is under the aegis of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, a shared graduate program of the UT Health Science Center in Houston and the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Cancer Biology Program will be conducted by all members of the Program Faculty. It will elect a Program Director, through whom the Program will be administered in collaboration with the Steering Committee. Cancer Discovery Track Clinical Translational Oncology Track Cancer Biology Program Director The Director of the Program will be appointed to a two-year term by the Dean of the GSBS upon election by the Program Faculty. The Director will be allowed to be elected to serve a second, consecutive term.  The Director will be responsible to the Cancer Biology Graduate Program faculty and the Dean of the GSBS.  The Director will serve on the Program Directors Committee (PDC) of the GSBS. Coordinate Activities of the Program Steering, and any other   ad hoc   Committees as needed. Counsel students. Assist in the coordination of laboratory rotations. Grant an exception to Program course requirements for an individual student in response to a written request from the student. Organize Program faculty meetings. Present applications for membership in the Program. Review Program faculty. Cancer Biology Program Co-Directors The Program Co-Directors are appointed to a two-year term by the Dean of the GSBS upon election by the Program faculty.  Consecutive terms for Co-Directors will be allowed.  The Co-Directors must be members of the Cancer Biology Program faculty and are responsible to the Program faculty and the Dean of the GSBS. One Co-Director will be from the Cancer Discovery track, and one Co-Director will be from the Clinical Translational Oncology track. The Co-Director(s) assists with the administrative activities of the Director and conducts business (e.g., approving student forms) in the Director’s absence.  The Co-Director also oversees the administrative activities related to the track that the Co-Director represents. Program Steering Committee The Director and Co-Director(s) will be advised by a Steering Committee comprised of the Director, Co-Director(s), and a minimum of five other elected faculty members and students.  The faculty members of the Steering Committee will be elected by Program Faculty and serve staggered terms.  Steering committee membership will be for two-year terms.  There is no limit to the number of terms a member may serve. The Steering Committee will meet at least semi-annually and there will be a Program-wide faculty meeting semi-annually at which the Steering Committee will present their report and Program business will be conducted with minutes recorded for public dissemination.  The Steering Committee will formulate policies related to the academic and administrative aspects of the Program and present them to the Program faculty for approval or modification.  The Steering Committee will empanel subcommittees to advise on Program matters. The Steering Committee is responsible for the following, with input from the Program faculty: Appointing and reviewing Program faculty. Approving changes to the Program curriculum. Approving academic requirements. Overseeing the recruitment, admissions, and academic progress of Cancer Biology Program students. Appointing a Chair each year to coordinate the Annual Program Retreat. Determining the allocation of Program funds. Approving appointments to Program Committees. Organizing ad hoc committees as needed, Distributing a summary of meeting activities in a timely manner. Election Process of Program Leaders To preserve the integrity and anonymity of the election process, the Graduate School will conduct the elections for Program Director, Co-Directors and Steering Committee Members. GSBS will solicit nominations, including self-nominations, from the Program faculty at-large.  Once the slate of candidates has been approved by the Deans’ Office, GSBS will conduct the election and report the results of the election to the Program community. GSBS will also conduct the election of the two student members of the Steering Committee. GSBS will solicit volunteers from Program students.  To be eligible to serve, students must be in good academic standing, and it is recommended but not required that candidates have completed the candidacy exam.  Once the slate of volunteers has been approved by the Program Director and the Deans’ Office, GSBS will conduct the election and report the results to the Program community. Faculty Program Membership The Cancer Biology Program welcomes enthusiastic faculty who are dedicated to student education and have vigorous and well-funded research programs.  Program faculty must be members of the GSBS. Program faculty will include Regular Members, Associate Members and Distinguished Senior Lecturers as determined by the GSBS Membership Committee. Cancer Biology Program faculty will:  Participate in the formulation of Program policies Train and mentor students Serve on student committees Organize and lecture in Program courses Make changes to these bylaws by majority vote. The faculty must receive notice of the proposed changes at least ten business days prior to the vote. The method of voting will follow GSBS guidelines Participate in Program Retreats Attend Program Faculty meetings to discuss issues relevant to the Cancer Biology Program Applications for membership in the Cancer Biology Program are submitted to the Program Coordinator and are reviewed by the Cancer Biology Program Steering Committee.  In addition to the applicant’s CV and NIH biosketch, applications should include a letter stating the applicant’s reasons for requesting to join the Program. This letter should identify what the applicant expects to gain from being a Program faculty and what the applicant can contribute to the Program.  This letter should clearly outline 1) current projects of interest in lab as they pertain to cancer biology; 2) teaching experience; 3) mentoring experience. Criteria for membership include, but are not limited to:  Scientific independence Active and funded research projects in an area relevant to the Cancer Biology Program mission A willingness to participate in Program activities and assume the responsibilities of Program faculty as outlined above Prefer tenure-track Prefer at least one independent external course of peer-reviewed funding Strong interest in cancer biology research, teaching and mentoring Faculty who apply for Program membership but are denied may appeal the decision to the GSBS Membership Committee, who will make a recommendation to the Deans. The Cancer Biology Program will notify GSBS Faculty Affairs of all new Program faculty members. Review of Current Faculty Members The Cancer Biology Program will review participation by individual faculty members once every five years in conjunction with the faculty member’s five-year review by the GSBS Membership Committee.  The five-year review by the Program will be done on a schedule determined by the Program. Scoring metrics shall be used to determine membership.  The criteria will be based on a faculty member’s evidence of engagement in graduate education using the GSBS Membership Committee criteria as a guideline.  Faculty participation reports will be provided by GSBS but should be augmented by reports/statements of the Program-specific activities. The Co-Directors may discuss ways to improve participation with any faculty members who are marginally involved with the Program’s activities.  The Program will send GSBS a list of faculty they suggest are inactive.  Inactive faculty will be notified that they are on probation for an additional year.  At the end of this time, if there is no increase in activity, the Program may terminate membership.  Faculty who are asked to leave the Program or who apply for Program membership in later years but are denied may appeal the decision to the GSBS Membership Committee, who will make a recommendation to the Deans.  Faculty determined to be disengaged are subject to not being reappointed to GSBS.  Being a Program faculty member should involve a significant investment of time and energy.  To avoid dilution of this effort, faculty members may affiliate with a maximum of two Programs. The Program will notify GSBS Faculty Affairs of any terminated faculty members. Cancer Biology Program Leadership Fall 2022-Spring 2023 Dr. Jian Hu Program Co-Directors Dr. Honami Naora Dr. Cassian Yee Steering Committee Dr. Simona Calla  Dr. Yejing Ge Dr. Scott Kopetz Dr. Nami McCarty Dr. Haoqiang Ying Tanvi Visal (student member) Oscar Villareal (student member) Student Council Tanvi Visal (student member of CB Program Steering Committee) Oscar Villareal (student member of CB Program Steering Committee) Jeson Li, Council Co-Chair and Social Media Chair Lisa Huang, Council Co-Chair Kaylene Lu, Retreat Co-Chair (incoming) Sharvari Dharmaiah, Retreat Co-Chair (outgoing) Pahul Hanjra, Flyers Chair                                                                                                                                                                                              Emine Bayraktar, Student Seminar Chair Cancer Biology Spotlight Students from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences selected   Jian Hu, PhD , as the recipient of the 2019 John P. McGovern Award for Outstanding Teaching. Hu is an assistant professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has been a faculty member at the Graduate School since 2014 and he is affiliated with the GSBS Programs in Cancer Biology and Neuroscience. His current research focuses on glioblastoma, the most common type of brain tumor, and a regulatory protein called Quaking (QKI) as a glioma suppressor. Hu’s lab has been interested in a special type of glioblastoma cells called glioma stem cells, which possess an inexhaustible ability to self-renew and produce tumors that resemble the features of original tumors. His lab has recently discovered a new mechanism through which glioma stem cells maintain their stem cell features during invasion and migration. Targeting the genes involved in this mechanism may lead to novel therapeutic opportunities for this deadly disease. "I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award recognized by our students,” said Hu. “Teaching and mentoring have always been my passion. To me, teaching is never about telling students facts; instead, it is about inspiring students to think independently, critically, and deeply. I always urge the students in my class and my lab to challenge and question what they have been told as dogmas. It is really encouraging to me that our students like my style of teaching." He received this award at the GSBS Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 18. Cancer Biology Social Media Director, Graduate Program in Cancer Biology Telephone: 713.794.5238 email:  Co-Director, Graduate Program in Cancer Biology - Cancer Discovery Track Telephone: 713.563.4222 email:  Co-Director, Graduate Program in Cancer Biology - Clinical Translational Oncology Track Telephone: 713.563.3750 email:  Program Coordinator GSBS Office - BSRB S3.8332a Telephone: 713.745.0682 email: dawn.m.wolftaylor@uth.tmc.edu Welcome 2024-25 Cancer Biology PhD Program Class Ank Agarwal Stanford University Hannah Cessna UCLA Elizabeth Ener Stanford University Ryan Feitzinger UC Davis Isabela Fuentes MIT Aditi Gnanasekar UC San Diego Stewart Kim Stanford University Sharon Loa Stanford University Gabriel Lopez Lopez UC San Diego Jessica Mann MIT James Occean University of South Florida Clara Poupault Stanford University Krystina Szylo UCLA Afi Tagnedji University of Louisville Class 2023 PhD Lab Coat Ceremony September 2023 The online application will open in September 2024. Application Deadline - Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 11:59:59 PM (PST) Interview Session - Wednesday, March 5 through Saturday, March 8, 2025 Program news, pew-stewart scholars for cancer research/the pew charitable trusts cancer biology alumnae aparna bhaduri, ph.d., humsa venkatesh, ph.d., paul & daisy soros fellows james r. occean, knight hennessy scholars/quad fellows afi henriette tagnedji. Cancer Biology Annual Scientific Conference October 27-28, 2023 , chaminade resort santa cruz. Weintraub Graduate Student Award Congratulations to King Hung (and PI Howard Chang). To receive the 2023 Weintraub Award!  Biosciences PhD students began their careers at Stanford School of Medicine with crisp new lab coats, advice on graduate school success and warm words about the value of discovery. First-year graduate students in the biosciences donned lab coats provided by the Stanford Medicine Alumni Association at a ceremony marking the beginning of their studies. December 10, 2020 NASA  announced  the members of the  Artemis  team of astronauts, who will participate in missions on and around the moon. Three Stanford alumni – NICOLE MANN, MS ’01; KATE RUBINS, PhD ’06; and JESSICA WATKINS, BS ’10 – are among the 18 astronauts chosen to be part of the “Artemis Team.” According to the press release from NASA, the Artemis program will “land the first woman and next man on the moon in 2024 and establish a sustainable human lunar presence by the end of the decade.” https://news.stanford.edu/thedish/2020/12/10/three-stanford-alums-among-nasa-artemis-astronauts-heading-to-the-moon/ June 1, 2020 Student Award Excellence in Teaching Award Fiorella Grandi , Cancer Biology student in  Nidhi Bhutani Lab, has been selected for the 2019-20 Stanford Biosciences  Excellence in Teaching Award . This award recognizes a student whose teaching distinguishes them as valued contributors to the School of Medicine and Biosciences community. Student Award Excellence in Service to Graduate Students Brooks Benard , Cancer Biology student in  Ravi Majeti Lab, has been selected for the 2019-20 Stanford Biosciences  Excellence in Service to Graduate Students . This award recognizes students who devote a large amount of time trying to improve the quality of the Stanford graduate student experience. Class 2019 PhD Lab Coat Ceremony Sept 23, 2019 June 16, 2019 Julie Ko,  Cancer Biology student in  Julien Sage Lab,  has been selected for the 2018-19 Stanford Biosciences  Excellence in Service to Graduate Students . This award recognizes students who devote a large amount of time trying to improve the quality of the Stanford graduate student experience. Student Award Excellence in Teaching  Michael Dubreuil,  Cancer Biology student in  Michael Bassik Lab,  has been selected for the 2018-19 Stanford Biosciences  Excellence in Teaching Award . This award recognizes a student whose teaching distinguishes them as valued contributors to the School of Medicine and Biosciences community. New Director of the Stanford Cancer Institute Oct 1, 2018 Steven Artandi , MD, PhD, professor of medicine and of biochemistry at the School of Medicine. Keynote Speaker at the Cancer Biology Conference, September 15 James Allison, PhD, 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine James Allison , PhD, chair of  Immunology  and executive director of the  immunotherapy platform  at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.   Class 2018 PhD Lab Coat Ceremony Sept 24, 2018 June 14, 2018 Student Award for Excellence in Teaching   Caitlin Roake , Cancer Biology and MSTP student in Steven Artandi lab, has been selected for the 2017-18 Stanford Biosciences Excellence in Teaching Award . This award recognizes a student whose teaching distinguishes them as valued contributors to the School of Medicine and Biosciences community. Irene Li , Cancer Biology student in  Sylvia Plevritis Lab, has been selected for the 2017-18  2017-18 Stanford Biosciences  Excellence in Service to Graduate Students . This award recognizes students who devote a large amount of time trying to improve the quality of the Stanford graduate student experience. May 23, 2018 Howard Chang is announced as Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Howard Chang , MD, PhD, professor of dermatology, is one of the new  Howard Hughes Medical Institute  investigators. Class 2017 PhD Lab Coat Ceremony Sept 25, 2017 Oct 18, 2017 Howard Chang elected to National Academy of Medicine Howard Chang , MD, PhD, professor of dermatology, has been elected members of the  National Academy of Medicine . Oct 13, 2017 2017 STAT Wunderkind Alumnus Daniel E. Webster, Ph.D., recognized as a “2017 STAT Wunderkind”.  He was in Dr. Paul Khavari Lab and is currently a Damon Runyon Fellow at the National Cancer Institute working with Dr. Louis Staudt on B cell lymphoma genomics.  The Landers, Doudnas, and Bradners of the world grab plenty of headlines. So we set out to find the next generation of scientific superstars. Over the past several months, a team of STAT editors and reporters pored through nearly 300 nominations from across North America. We didn’t set an age limit; we were on the hunt for the most impressive doctors and researchers on the cusp of launching their careers but not yet fully independent. Most were postdocs, fellows, and biopharma employees working with more senior scientists. All are blazing new trails as they attempt to answer some of the biggest questions in medicine. Meet the 2017 STAT Wunderkinds. Oct 9, 2017 Study uncovers mutation that supercharges tumor-suppressor Laura Attardi , PhD, Professor, Departments of Radiation Oncology and of Genetics, and her collegues have found a mutation in the p53 tumor-suppressor protein that turns it into a "super" suppressor. Apr 10, 2017 Monounsaturated fats help roundworms live longer Anne Brunet and her team were surprised to find that pudgy roundworms that accumulated more monounsaturated fat in their bodies had longer life spans than thinner worms. ( Gregg Segal) Apr 6, 2017 Stanford Medicine researchers named Outstanding Investigators by the National Cancer Institute The  National Cancer Institute  has named professor of dermatology  HOWARD CHANG , MD, and professor of oncology  RONALD LEVY , MD, as recipients of the institute’s Outstanding Investigator Awards for 2016. Jan 5, 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30: Science Congratulations to Michelle Atallah (and her PIs Ed Engleman and Parag Mallick) for being selected in the top "30 under 30" by Forbes. Science judge  Cigall Kadoch was a Cancer Biology graduate student in Gerald Crabtree lab. Dec 4, 2016 Roeland Nusse wins $3 million Breakthrough Prize Roeland Nusse , PhD, the Virginia and Daniel K. Ludwig Professor in Cancer Research and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, was honored this evening with a 2017  Breakthrough Prize  in life sciences. Video: Roeland Nusse, 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Class 2016 PhD Lab Coat Ceremony Sept 28, 2016 Sept 21, 2016 One Billion Base Pairs Sequenced on the Space Station Aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins checks a sample for air bubbles prior to loading it in the biomolecule sequencer. When Rubins’ expedition began, zero base pairs of DNA had been sequenced in space. Within just a few weeks,  she and the Biomolecule Sequencer team had sequenced  their  one billionth base of DNA on the orbiting laboratory . June 30, 2016 The crew for the next mission to the International Space Station includes Kate Rubins, a NASA astronaut who left a faculty position at MIT to join the space program in 2009. Kate Rubins was a Cancer Biology graduate student at Stanford, where she studied the host response to smallpox and Ebola infection with Pat Brown and David Relman. She then left for MIT as a Whitehead fellow, where she continued that work, including field studies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the attached interview with Scientific American, she will be trying to sequence DNA on the ISS. The mission launches on July 6 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan:  http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-television-to-air-next-international-space-station-crew-launch June 13, 2016 2016 Stanford Biosciences  “Excellence in Mentoring and Service Award” Amato Giaccia , PhD, the Jack, Lulu and Sam Willson Professor and a professor of radiation oncology, received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Service. This award recognizes faculty who make distinguished contributions toward enhancing the quality of training and the educational experience for biosciences graduate students. Cancer Biology Program PhD Program Student Resources Participating Faculty Directors of Cancer Biology Program Laura Attardi Departments of Radiation Oncology and Genetics Julien Sage Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics 2024 NSF Awards: Cancer Biology Program Nsf recipients:. James Chavez  Cassandra Stawicki Cancer Biology Program Retreat 2023 Quick Links Tools & Resources Events Calendar Strauss Health Sciences Library Department A-Z Directory Campus Directory Faculty & Staff Resources Supporter & Alumni Resources Student Resources Mental Health Resources University Policies CU Campuses Cu anschutz medical campus. CU Colorado Springs School of Dental Medicine Graduate School School of Medicine College of Nursing Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Colorado School of Public Health Cancer Biology Graduate program, cancer biology program. The interdepartmental program leading to the PhD in Cancer Biology combines training in the basic biomedical sciences with opportunities to apply clinical and translational research to studies on human cancer. Would you like to make a difference by supporting graduate student training? Please consider donating to the Cancer Biology Graduate Program. I chose to join the Cancer Biology PhD program at CU Anschutz for a variety of reasons. (1) Its collaborative atmosphere and commitment to high quality mentorship for students whether they intend on pursuing academic or non-academic future roles, (2) the program's genuine concern for student well-being and commitment to inclusivity to create an empowering and diverse learning environment, and (3) the wealth of opportunities to learn about every step of bringing discoveries from bench-to-bedside. In addition to gaining technical scientific knowledge from world-class scientists, I've personally had the pleasure of learning about patient experiences and clinical trial design from Medical Oncologists at UC Health and the process of cancer therapeutic commercialization from Business Development and Licensing professionals at CU Innovations. Such experiences have made me a more well-rounded and patient-centered Cancer Biologist.  - Phoebe Cao, Cancer Biology PhD Candidate I joined the Cancer Biology Program because I wanted to explore the fundamental molecular mechanisms by which cancer cells form tumors. CU Anschutz gives me the opportunity to work with brilliant scientists from different fields of cancer biology. - Abraham Martinez, Cancer Biology PhD Candidate I joined the Cancer Biology Graduate Program at CU Anschutz to accomplish my goals of improving the standard of care and quality of life for patients through cutting edge research. CU Anschutz has stellar resources, such as the Cancer Center and the hospital which further enhance my translational studies. - Daniela Ortiz Chavez, Cancer Biology PhD Trainee I chose to join the Cancer Biology Graduate Program because of the unique position for collaboration, which is essential in cancer research. The senior students and mentors guide new students and provide an excellent research environment. As an international student, the program embraces diversity and makes me feel welcome. - Li-Wei Kuo, Cancer Biology PhD Candidate News & Events CANB Annual Retreat “Bench to Bedside” Google Calendar Donate to CANB Send me more information Summer Research Programs PIKE-PREP (Postbac Program) Academic Calendar Career Opportunities Room Scheduling PCOM Spirit Store Connect With Us Covid-19 Updates United & Ignited Programs and Degrees Course Catalog Clinical Education Graduate Medical Education Continuing Education How to Apply Admissions Events Student Stories Costs and Aid Community Outreach and Pathway Programs Student Life Mission Statement What is Osteopathic Medicine? Administration Leadership Message Programs and Initiatives Diversity News PCOM Safe Space Research Focus Areas Student Research Faculty Researchers Research News CCDA Research Division of Research Alumni Association Class Notes Get Involved Alumni Events Digest Magazine Quick Links Request Info Philadelphia Campus Offered in partnership with The Wistar Institute. Prepares graduates for careers in academic, government or industrial research. Equips students to succeed in a multidisciplinary environment. PhD in Cancer Biology The PhD in Cancer Biology program at PCOM is focused on understanding the biological and molecular basis of cancer initiation and progression with an emphasis on the process of drug discovery and therapeutic development. Offered in partnership with The Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center at The Wistar Institute , the nation’s first independent institution devoted to biomedical research and training, the PhD in Cancer Biology prepares graduates for careers in cancer biology or drug development. Students will have access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and equipment. Additionally, students will participate in a cancer biology journal club where they will have the opportunity to discuss current research in molecular oncology, cancer genetics and more. As a student in the PhD in Cancer Biology program, you will: gain further understanding of the fundamental cellular process of cancer; learn to successfully collaborate with others in a multidisciplinary environment; develop effective work habits including the time management and organizational skills critical for career success; apply clinical and translational research to human cancer studies; and prepare for careers in academic, government or industrial research. About the PhD in Cancer Biology Program The PhD in Cancer Biology program is designed to be completed in 5-7 years of full-time study. The program is offered on PCOM's main campus in Philadelphia, PA and requires 99-121 credit hours to complete. All full-time students will receive a full scholarship, health insurance through PCOM and a stipend while they are in the program. PhD in Cancer Biology Career Options Graduates of our PhD program may choose to pursue careers in academia or the corporate sector. Potential career options include: Principal investigator Bench scientist Faculty research or teaching positions Drug development Postdoctoral fellow Clinical research coordinator Health educator Clinical investigator Science policy, management and administration In the first year of the program, students will take classes in biostatistics, vaccine and immune therapeutics, the molecular basis of medicine, medical pharmacology and physiology at PCOM and will do lab rotations and participate in a cancer biology journal club at The Wistar Institute. Year two classes include cancer biology and bioinformatics. Students will continue pre-doctoral research and participation in the journal club at The Wistar Institute. Beginning in the third year, students will focus exclusively on their doctoral research. Application Process and Requirements Visit our application requirements page to learn about course prerequisites, program requirements, the application process and more for the PhD in Cancer Biology program. For more information, please contact: PCOM Office of Admissions Email: [email protected] Phone: 215-871-6700 | Fax: 215-872-6719 PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS Request Information Costs and Financial Aid Diversity and Inclusion Housing Options CURRENT STUDENTS Financial Aid Commencement FACULTY AND STAFF Off-Campus Access Administrative Departments Academic Departments Technical Support Website Support Faculty Directory Alumni Portal Alumni Resources President's Podcast Community Wellness Initiative Primary Care Innovation Fund Events Calendar Patient Services For the Media Commitment to Diversity MORE INFORMATION Maps and Directions Virtual Tour Accreditation HEOA Disclosures and Policies Program Statistics Non-Discrimination State Licensure Information Philadelphia, PA Suwanee, GA Moultrie, GA Terms of Use Privacy Policy Accessibility Manage Cookies © 2024 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine An official website of the United States government The .gov means it’s official. 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Search in PubMed Search in NLM Catalog Add to Search COVID-19 and Rates of Cancer Diagnosis in the US Affiliations. 1 Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington. 2 Division of Cancer Biostatistics, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington. 3 Kentucky Cancer Registry, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington. 4 Department of Epidemiology & Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington. 5 Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington. 6 Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington. 7 Kentucky Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington. PMID: 39240562 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.32288 Importance: US cancer diagnoses were substantially lower than expected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A national study on the extent to which rates recovered in 2021 has not yet been conducted. Objective: To examine observed vs expected cancer rate trends for January 2020 to December 2021. Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional, population-based study of cancer incidence trends used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 22 (SEER-22) Registries Database, which covers 47.9% of the US population. Included individuals were those with an invasive cancer diagnosis reported to registries included in SEER-22 between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2021. Exposures: Age, sex, race and ethnicity, urbanicity, and stage at diagnosis. Main outcomes and measures: Expected cancer incidence rates were measured for the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 from prepandemic trends using ensemble forecasting methods. Relative difference between observed and expected cancer incidence rates and numbers of potentially missed cases were measured. Results: The SEER-22 registries reported 1 578 697 cancer cases in 2020 and 2021, including 798 765 among male individuals (50.6%) and 909 654 among persons aged 65 years or older (57.6%). Observed all-sites cancer incidence rates were lower than expected by 9.4% in 2020 (95% prediction interval [PI], 8.5%-10.5%), lower than expected by 2.7% in 2021 (95% PI, 1.4%-3.9%), and lower than expected by 6.0% across both years combined (95% PI, 5.1%-7.1%), resulting in 149 577 potentially undiagnosed cancer cases (95% PI, 126 059-176 970). Of the 4 screening-detected cancers, only female breast cancer showed significant recovery in 2021, exceeding expected rates by 2.5% (95% PI, 0.1%-4.8%), while significant reductions remained for lung cancer (9.1% lower than expected; 95% PI, 6.4%-13.2%) and cervical cancer (4.5% lower than expected; 95% PI, 0.4%-8.0%), particularly for early stage at diagnosis. Rates of all-sites cancer incidence returned to prepandemic trends in 2021 among female individuals, persons aged younger than 65 years, and persons of non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander race and ethnicity. Conclusions and relevance: This population-based cross-sectional study of US cancer incidence trends found that rates of diagnosis improved in 2021 but continued to be lower than expected, adding to the existing deficit of diagnosed cases from 2020. Particular attention should be directed at strategies to immediately increase cancer screenings to make up lost ground. PubMed Disclaimer Search in MeSH Citation Manager NCBI Literature Resources MeSH PMC Bookshelf Disclaimer The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. Working together, we can reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. Principal Scientist with PhenoCycler Fusion experience (PhD) About the role. Internal Job Title: Principal Scientist I/II Position Location: Cambridge, MA, onsite About the Role: We are seeking a highly motivated individual passionate about cutting-edge technology to explore single cell multiplex spatial proteomics. This role involves working with the latest generation PhenoCycler Fusion instrument and collaborating with translational immunologists, cancer biologists, and other researchers to advance our understanding of cellular processes in complex tissues and their application to drug development. This role offers exciting opportunities for career development, enhancing leadership skills and influencing collaborative efforts within various disease areas. Key Responsibilities: Operate, maintain, and utilize the PhenoCycler Fusion (formerly CODEX). Build and optimize antibody panels. Conjugate and perform quality control of reagents. Consult with users on potential projects, including sample accessibility and experimental design. Optimize procedures, design panels, and provide data analysis consultation. Conduct multiplex imaging experiments. Perform basic data quality evaluation. Analyze data using licensed software. Maintain records of procedures and resultant data, both manually and on the computer. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Serve as a leader in spatial proteomic single cell biology and translational research applications, focusing on new targets, biomarkers/patient population selection, and treatment strategies. Focus efforts in priority application areas in Biomedical Research (BR) at Novartis to deliver impactful results through matrix collaboration with DA teams. Building on success from initial focused efforts, develop broader application strategies at BR in translational and reverse translation research, with support from leaders in Discovery Science, Disease Areas and Biomedical Research. Strong interpersonal and communication skills for close collaboration with team members. Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, diverse environment. Good judgment, technical problem-solving, and analytical skills. Flexibility and adaptability as technology evolves. Prior experience in imaging techniques and applications in biological research. General lab skills and knowledge of lab safety and infection control. Qualifications: Ph.D. in immunology, biological sciences, biochemistry, or a related field, and 2+ years of related postgraduate work experience Other technical and academic degrees will be considered with relevant research experience. 3+ years of demonstrated skill and experience using CODEX/PhenoCycler. Possess deep knowledge and expertise in immunology, biology, and multi-omics applications in translational research across various disease areas such as oncology (ONC), immuno-oncology (IO), immunity-driven diseases, and related treatment strategies. Understanding sample preparation, instrument optimization, and data analysis. Interest in bioinformatics and experience with software. Ability to identify and troubleshoot critical issues. Detail-orientated Why Novartis: Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives and our vision is to become the most valued and trusted medicines company in the world. How can we achieve this? With our people. It is our associates that drive us each day to reach our ambitions. Be a part of this mission and join us! Learn more here: https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture You’ll receive: You can find everything you need to know about our benefits and rewards in the Novartis Life Handbook: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion / EEO: The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers and take pride in maintaining a diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to building diverse teams, representative of the patients and communities we serve, and we strive to create an inclusive workplace that cultivates bold innovation through collaboration and empowers our people to unleash their full potential. Novartis Compensation and Benefit Summary: The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $112,800 to $186,000/year; however, while salary ranges are effective from 1/1/24 through 12/31/24, fluctuations in the job market may necessitate adjustments to pay ranges during this period. Further, final pay determinations will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to geographical location, experience level, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a sign-on bonus, restricted stock units, and discretionary awards in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. Join our Novartis Network: If this role is not suitable to your experience or career goals but you wish to stay connected to hear more about Novartis and our career opportunities, join the Novartis Network here: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams' representative of the patients and communities we serve. Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture Join our Novartis Network: Not the right Novartis role for you? Sign up to our talent community to stay connected and learn about suitable career opportunities as soon as they come up: https://talentnetwork.novartis.com/network Benefits and Rewards: Read our handbook to learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally: https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards EEO Statement: The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers who are focused on building and advancing a culture of inclusion that values and celebrates individual differences, uniqueness, backgrounds and perspectives. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the world around us and connects us to the patients, customers and communities we serve. Accessibility & Reasonable Accommodations The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call +1(877)395-2339 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message. 411 COMMENTS Cancer Biology PhD Cancer Biology PhD Program. Established in 1978, the interdisciplinary Cancer Biology PhD Program is designed to provide graduate and medical students with the education and training they need to make significant contributions to the field of cancer biology. The program is led by Laura Attardi, PhD, and Julien Sage, PhD, and currently has over ... Cell and Molecular Biology: Cancer Biology, PhD The Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group (CAMB) is an interdisciplinary graduate program, providing rigorous training in modern cell and molecular biology, preparing students for leadership careers in biomedical research. Within this integrated program are six discipline areas: Cancer Biology; Cell Biology, Physiology, and Metabolism ... Cancer Biology PhD Program The GW Cancer Biology PhD program is designed to equip the next generation of researchers with the knowledge, research training and leadership skills necessary to foster progress in the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. 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All full-time students will receive a full scholarship, health insurance through PCOM and a stipend while they are in the program. COVID-19 and Rates of Cancer Diagnosis in the US Importance: US cancer diagnoses were substantially lower than expected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A national study on the extent to which rates recovered in 2021 has not yet been conducted. Objective: To examine observed vs expected cancer rate trends for January 2020 to December 2021. Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional, population-based study of cancer ... Principal Scientist with PhenoCycler Fusion experience (PhD) Internal Job Title: Principal Scientist I/IIPosition Location: Cambridge, MA, onsiteAbout the Role:We are seeking a highly motivated individual passionate about cutting-edge technology to explore single cell multiplex spatial proteomics. This role involves working with the latest generation PhenoCycler Fusion instrument and collaborating with translational immunologists, cancer biologists, and ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis