Cancer Research Experience Program. Opportunities for Howard University Students Program Year

Transcription

1 R O S W E L L PA R K C A N C E R I N S T I T U T E S Cancer Research Experience Program Opportunities for Howard University Students 2016 Program Year

2 THE ROSWELL PARK/HOWARD UNIVERSITY CANCER SCHOLARS PROGRAM Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. is America's first cancer center and a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center conducting clinical care, research, education, and community outreach. The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute is to understand, prevent, and cure cancer. Howard University students accepted into the one of the Roswell Park Internship Programs will: deeply explore their interest in cancer under the direction of active researchers at a leading Comprehensive Cancer Center; prepare for graduate education in the cancer sciences by reading cutting-edge scientific literature, participating in an intensive hands-on research experience, developing scientific communication skills, and experiencing the bench-to-bedside continuum of modern translational research; understand and become empowered to address issues of cancer health disparity in African-American and other underserved communities; and learn about the variety of career pathways and research areas within the cancer team, such as prevention, epidemiology, cancer biology, therapeutics development and clinical research. 1

3 School Year Research Tele-mentorship: Howard University students participate in an academic year tele-mentorship with an RPCI faculty TM research member. Students will read scientific literature relevant to the Roswell Park investigator s field of study, including publications from their laboratory. Students will discuss these readings weekly for one hour via video chat with the Roswell Park faculty or graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in their labs. Students will be prepared through this pre-internship learning module to readily integrate background knowledge into their summer research internship and be productive in their research project. Summer Research Experience Program in Cancer Science Internship: Common to all three research experience programs is the Summer Research Experience Program RI in Cancer Science. This is a 10-week summer research internship program hosted at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Students conduct a research project under the mentorship of their RPCI research faculty member and his/her laboratory staff. This core research experience is supported by curricular and professional development activities. The internship culminates in a cap-stone scientific talk and poster on the intern s summer research project which they present to their fellow interns, faculty and staff at a concluding program-wide summer scientific conference. R O S W E L L PA R K C A N C E R I N S T I T U T E S C A N C E R R E S E A R C H E X P E R I E N C E P R O G R A M S : TM RI Howard Cancer Scholars Program For Honors Program Sophomores interested in cancer science TM RI Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars Program For Honors Program Sophomores and non-honors Juniors interested in prostate cancer science RI Summer Research Experience Program in Cancer Science For Juniors interested in cancer science Mentor Index

4 P R O G R A M O V E R V I E W : Howard Cancer Scholars Program: Funded by National Institutes of Health (R25CA181003) Howard University Sophomores enrolled in the Honors Program and majoring in biology can explore a cancer topic in the field of expertise of a Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) faculty researcher across a variety of disciplines: cancer cellular and molecular biology, cancer biophysics, cancer epidemiology, cancer pharmacology/therapeutics or tumor immunology. Accepted Scholars develop an understanding of their selected research topic through mentored directed readings in preparation for conducting their own project in an immersive funded summer research internship experience. An Honors student successfully completing this program will satisfy Howard University s Honors requirements and will be able to make an informed decision and competitive application to enter a graduate school in preparation for a career in cancer research. Funding support is provided by the National Institutes of Health (R25CA ) E L I G I B I L I T Y R E Q U I R E M E N T S : H O W A R D C A N C E R S C H O L A R S P R O G R A M Mentors Available in Who May Apply When To Apply Citizenship Any Cancer Field Sophomore Honors Students November of Sophomore Year U.S. or Permanent Resident of the U.S. Pre-Internship Internship Post-Internship Funding 3 Semesters of Tele-Mentored Directed Readings I-III Courses Beginning Spring of Sophomore Year 10-week Summer Research Internship at Roswell Park between Junior and Senior years Use summer research as basis for writing an Honors Thesis $4000 subsistence allowance Application Deadline October 30, 2015 Details & Application RoswellPark.edu/education/summer-programs/cancer-scholars-application 3

5 1. SOPHOMORE FALL APPLICATION, SELECTION AND PLACEMENT Apply online by, October 30, 2015 Identify which mentors match your interests. P R O G R A M T R A C K : f Roswell Park and Howard University faculty will place five Cancer Scholars and match them to mentors. 2. SOPHOMORE SPRING TELE-MENTORED DIRECTED READINGS I Complete Directed Readings I, II, and III courses under the tele-mentorship of Roswell Park research faculty. 2. JUNIOR FALL TELE-MENTORED DIRECTED READINGS II Read scientific literature relevant to the Roswell Park mentor s field of study, including publications from their laboratory. Discuss these readings weekly for one hour via video chat with the Roswell Park faculty or graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in their labs. 2. JUNIOR SPRING TELE-MENTORED DIRECTED READINGS III 3. JUNIOR SUMMER PAID RESEARCH INTERNSHIP AT ROSWELL PARK Upon satisfactory completion of the Directed Readings courses: - Admitted into Roswell Park s summer research program. - Conduct your honors research project with your mentor. - Present a cap-stone scientific talk and poster on your summer research project to intern peers. 4. SENIOR YEAR PRESENTATION AT SCIENCE CONFERENCE AND HONORS THESIS Present an Honors Thesis based on your Roswell Park research. Summer Internship Funding: You will receive a subsistence allowance of $4000 to cover your summer living expenses and lodging expenses at Canisius College dormitories for the 10 week duration of the program. Payments are made to interns on a bi-weekly basis during the summer internship period. 4

6 P R O G R A M O V E R V I E W : Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars Program: Funding support is provided by the Department of Defense (PC ) African American men are more likely to develop more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, have earlier on-set of the disease and succumb to the disease at a higher rate than Caucasians. Howard University Sophomores enrolled in the Honors Program or non-honors Juniors majoring in biology can select to be mentored by an RPCI Faculty researcher with prostate cancer expertise to conduct an in-depth learning and research experience on prostate cancer which includes a focus on underlying biological racial disparities in disease diagnosis and treatment. Accepted Scholars develop an understanding of their selected prostate cancer research topic through school year tele-mentorship with their RPCI Faculty researcher. These tele-mentored readings will satisfy course requirements of the Directed Readings (I-III) for Honors students and Topics in Cell and Molecular Biology for non-honors students. Completion of the tele-mentored readings phase prepares students for a funded summer research experience in their mentor s laboratory at Roswell Park where they will work on their own research project. Students will present a poster of their summer research at a national conference in their Senior year and receive continued mentorship. Honors students can satisfy Howard Honors requirements by completing all phases of this program. After his/her research experience, a Prostate Cancer Scholar is poised to enter a graduate training program and pursue a career in prostate cancer. Funding support is provided by the Department of Defense (PC ) 5

7 E L I G I B I L I T Y R E Q U I R E M E N T S : H O W A R D P R O S TAT E C A N C E R S C H O L A R S P R O G R A M Mentors Available in Prostate Cancer Who May Apply Sophomore Honors Students Juniors ( only) When To Apply November of Sophomore Year November of Junior Year Citizenship U.S. or Permanent Resident of the U.S. Pre-Internship 3 Semesters of Tele-Mentored Directed Readings I-III Courses Beginning Spring of Sophomore Year 1 Semester of Tele-Mentored Topics in Cell and Molecular Biology in Spring of Junior Year Internship 10-week Summer Research Internship at Roswell Park between Junior & Senior years Post-Internship Funding Use summer research as basis for writing an Honors Thesis. Present research at national scientific meeting $6000 stipend Present research at national scientific meeting Application Deadline October 30, 2015 Details & Application RoswellPark.edu/education/summer-programs/cancer-scholars-application 6

8 P R O S TAT E C A N C E R S C H O L A R P R O G R A M P R O G R A M T R A C K : S O P H O M O R E H O N O R S B I O L O G Y M A J O R S 1. SOPHOMORE FALL APPLICATION, SELECTION AND PLACEMENT Apply online by, October 30, 2015 f Identify which prostate cancer mentors match your interests. Roswell Park and Howard University faculty will place five Cancer Scholars and match them to mentors. 2. SOPHOMORE SPRING TELE-MENTORED DIRECTED READINGS I Complete Directed Readings I, II, and III courses under the tele-mentorship of Roswell Park research faculty. 2. JUNIOR FALL TELE-MENTORED DIRECTED READINGS II Read scientific literature relevant to the Roswell Park mentor s field of study, including publications from their laboratory. Discuss these readings weekly for one hour via video chat with the Roswell Park faculty or graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in their labs. 2. JUNIOR SPRING TELE-MENTORED DIRECTED READINGS III 3. JUNIOR SUMMER PAID RESEARCH INTERNSHIP AT ROSWELL PARK Upon satisfactory completion of the Directed Readings courses: - Admitted into Roswell Park s summer research program. - Conduct your honors research project with your mentor. - Present a cap-stone scientific talk and poster on your summer research project to intern peers. 4. SENIOR YEAR PRESENTATION AT SCIENCE CONFERENCE AND HONORS THESIS Write & Present an Honors Thesis based on your research. Present your research at a national scientific conference Receive extended advisement from their RPCI faculty mentor on: - preparation of your research poster - preparation of graduate school applications and interviewing for graduate programs. 7 Summer Internship Funding: You will receive a stipend of $6000 to cover your summer living expenses and lodging expenses at Canisius College dormitories for the 10 week duration of the program. Payments are made on a bi-weekly basis during the summer internship period.

9 P R O S TAT E C A N C E R S C H O L A R P R O G R A M P R O G R A M T R A C K : N O N - H O N O R S J U N I O R B I O L O G Y M A J O R S 1. JUNIOR FALL 2. JUNIOR SPRING APPLICATION, SELECTION AND PLACEMENT TELE-MENTORED DIRECTED READINGS III Apply online by, October 30, 2015 f Identify which prostate cancer mentors match your interests. Roswell Park and Howard University faculty will place five Cancer Scholars and match them to mentors. Complete Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology course under the tele-mentorship of Roswell Park research faculty. Read scientific literature relevant to the Roswell Park mentor s field of study, including publications from their laboratory. 3. JUNIOR SUMMER PAID RESEARCH INTERNSHIP AT ROSWELL PARK Upon satisfactory completion of the Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology : - Admitted into Roswell Park s summer research program. - Conduct your honors research project with your mentor. - Present a cap-stone scientific talk and poster on your summer research project to intern peers. 4. SENIOR YEAR PRESENTATION AT SCIENCE CONFERENCE AND HONORS THESIS Present your research at a national scientific conference Receive extended advisement from their RPCI faculty mentor on: - preparation of your research poster - preparation of graduate school applications and interviewing for graduate programs. Summer Internship Funding: You will receive a stipend of $6000 to cover your summer living expenses and lodging expenses at Canisius College dormitories for the 10 week duration of the program. Payments are made on a bi-weekly basis during the summer internship period. 8

10 P R O G R A M O V E R V I E W S : Summer Research Experience Program in Cancer Science: Funding support is provided by the National Institutes of Health (R25CA ) Undergraduate biology/science majors enrolled in their junior year at colleges nationwide may choose to explore a cancer topic at RPCI in one of several disciplines: cancer cellular and molecular biology, cancer biophysics, cancer epidemiology, cancer pharmacology/therapeutics or tumor immunology. Accepted students receive a funded summer research internship experience in the laboratory of a selected RPCI faculty researcher. Interns attend curricular and professional development activities as part of a formal program to support their core research experience. After his/her summer research experience, an intern is able to make an informed decision and competitive application to graduate school in preparation for a career in cancer research. This program is not specific to Howard University students; rather Howard applicants compete within a national applicant pool. Funding support is provided by the National Institutes of Health (R25CA ) E L I G I B I L I T Y R E Q U I R E M E N T S : S U M M E R R E S E A R C H E X P E R I E N C E P R O G R A M I N C A N C E R S C I E N C E Mentors Available in Who May Apply When To Apply Any Cancer Field Juniors January of Junior Year Citizenship U.S. or Permanent Resident of the U.S. Pre-Internship None Internship Post-Internship Funding 10-week Summer Research Internship at Roswell Park between Junior and Senior years None $4000 subsistence allowance Application Deadline January 10, 2016 Details & Application RoswellPark.edu/education/summer 9

11 THE ROSWELL PARK/HOWARD UNIVERSITY CANCER SCHOLARS PROGRAM Summer Research Experience Program in Cancer Science: P R O G R A M T R A C K : 2. JUNIOR SPRING APPLICATION, SELECTION AND PLACEMENT f Apply online by, January 10, 2016 Identify which prostate cancer mentors match your interests. The Department of Educational Affairs at Roswell Park Cancer Institute finalizes placement of 20 funded internships from a national pool of applicants. 3. JUNIOR SUMMER PAID RESEARCH INTERNSHIP AT ROSWELL PARK Students admitted to the Summer Research Experience Program in Cancer Science. Present your research at a local scientific conference Summer Internship Funding: You will receive a subsistence allowance of $4000 to cover your summer living expenses and lodging expenses at Canisius College dormitories for the 10 week duration of the summer internship program. Payments are made to interns on a bi-weekly basis during the summer internship period. 10

12 M E N T O R D I R E C T O R Y Available mentors and their research profiles: The following Roswell Park Cancer Institute researchers have volunteered to participate as mentors to Howard University students accepted into the Howard Prostate Cancer Scholar and Howard Cancer Scholar programs. These mentors and their laboratory staff will tele-mentor on pertinent scientific literature, supervise the summer research internship and provide extended mentoring activities. Mentors in the directory are categorized by their department affiliation. Highlighted in each mentor s profile is their availability to serve as a mentor in the Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars Program or Howard Cancer Scholars Program. Eligible Howard students will indicate on the application the program for which they wish to be considered: Howard Cancer Scholars, Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars or both. Students applying to ONLY the Howard Cancer Scholars program may indicate on the application their preferences for any mentors listed as Available to mentor in the Howard Cancer Scholars Program. Students applying to ONLY the Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars program must indicate on the application their preferences ONLY for mentors listed as Available to mentor in the Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars Program. Students applying to BOTH the Howard Cancer Scholars and Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars should indicate at least TWO preferred mentors from among those listed as Available to mentor in the Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars Program. Note: A Directory of Mentors for the Summer Research Experience Program in Cancer Science is not included here but will be available on-line ( beginning in December after mentors have registered. PS Available to mentor in the Howard Cancer Scholars Program Available to mentor in the Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars Program 11

13 M E N T O R D I R E C T O R Y C A N C E R G E N E T I C S Andrei Bakin, PhD Assistant Professor of Oncology Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo Research Interests: A significant proportion of cancer patients develop life-threatening recurrent disease that progresses to the metastatic stage and becomes refractory to therapies. Advanced cancers are frequently resistant to conventional anti-cancer therapy and the mechanisms that drive metastatic progression are not fully understood. Our team explores the molecular mechanisms that drive the metastatic progression and how we can eliminate the mortality associated with metastatic disease. 12

14 M E N T O R D I R E C T O R Y C A N C E R P R E V E N T I O N A N D P O P U L AT I O N S C I E N C E S Lara Campbell, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Cancer Prevention and Control Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo PS Research Interests: My research aims to establish a genome-wide understanding of how mirna contribute to prostate cancer progression and the health disparity observed in prostate cancer of African American men using prostate cancer tissue specimens. Chi-Chen Hong, PhD Assistant Member Department of Cancer Prevention and Control Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Research Interests: Our research is largely focused on breast cancer etiology, survivorship, and prognosis. Specifically, my interests are on the influence of lifestyle, comorbidity, genetics, and immune factors on breast cancer outcomes. We have an ongoing prospective cohort study of early stage breast cancer patients to examine issues in breast cancer survivorship, and with colleagues at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers University, we have a study examining the role of obesity, related comorbidities, and their management on quality-of-life and breast cancer survival among African American women who generally demonstrate worse prognosis compared to women of other races diagnosed with breast cancer. Song Yao, PhD Associate Professor of Oncology Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo Research Interests: We are interested in unraveling the biological factors and related genetic variations in breast cancer etiology. In particular, we focus on racial disparities in breast cancer between African American and European American women with an emphasis on discovery and validation of genetic biomarkers in breast cancer prognosis and prediction of treatment outcomes. 13

15 M E N T O R D I R E C T O R Y I M M U N O L O G Y Kelvin Lee, MD Professor of Oncology and Jacobs Family Chair Department of Immunology Vice Chair, Department of Medicine Chair, PhD Program in Immunology Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo Research Interests: Our laboratory is focused on 2 main areas of investigation: 1). Understanding the molecular interactions with the microenvironment that support the survival of normal plasma cells and their malignant counterparts multiple myeloma cells and 2). The mechanisms that regulate dendritic cell (DC) differentiation in normal and cancer settings. Solving these problems is essential for development of new therapies which can treat malignancies such as multiple myeloma and several other cancers. Ashwani Sood, PhD Assistant Member Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo Research Interests: My laboratory first reported that PDEF (prostate derived Ets factor, a member of the Ets family of transcription factors) is overexpressed in >70% of human breast tumors. The goal of the laboratory is to: To evaluate PDEF as an antigen for primary prevention of breast cancer; To develop PDEF based vaccines and T cell therapies against metastatic breast cancer; To identify PDEF regulated genes and determine their role in breast cancer; To develop PDEF induced proteins as additional targets of vaccine/immunotherapy of breast cancer. 14

16 M E N T O R D I R E C T O R Y M O L E C U L A R P H A R M A C O L O G Y A N D T H E R A P E U T I C S Moray Campbell, PhD Associate Professor of Oncology Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Program, University at Buffalo PS Research Interests: My research aims to establish a genome-wide understanding of how mirna contribute to prostate cancer progression and the health disparity observed in prostate cancer of African American men using prostate cancer tissue specimens. Leigh Ellis, PhD Assistant Professor of Oncology Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo PS Research Interests: Work within my laboratory focuses on dissecting underlying genetic/epigenetic mechanisms of initiation and progression of aggressive cancer, with emphasis on prostate cancer. Our overall goal is identify novel genomic/epigenomic mechanisms that will lead to discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets for clinical testing. 15

17 M E N T O R D I R E C T O R Y M O L E C U L A R P H A R M A C O L O G Y A N D T H E R A P E U T I C S Barbara Foster, PhD Associate Professor of Oncology Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Program, University at Buffalo PS Research Interests: My lab is interested in determining how nuclear steroid receptors lose their anti-cancer activity in advanced disease. This basic research will form the platform to design better strategies for intervention and identify patients most/least likely to benefit from nuclear receptor-based therapy. Anna Woloszynska-Read, PhD Assistant Professor of Oncology Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo PS Research Interests: Focusing on genitourinary malignancies, my work merges basic and translational research. My group s goal is to understand the genetic landscape of invasive bladder cancer in order to enhance biological knowledge of the malignancy, and to point to novel strategies for diagnostics and treatment. I also focus on cancer health disparities in prostate cancer. Specifically, I am interested in the role of DNA methylation and vitamin D deficiency in aggressiveness of prostate cancer among African-American men. 16

18 M E N T O R D I R E C T O R Y U R O L O G I C O N C O L O G Y James Mohler, MD Associate Director and Senior-Vice President for Translational Research Department of Urology PS Research Interests: Dr. Mohler is a clinician-scientist. His practice focuses upon prostate cancer and robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery. His laboratory focuses upon the role of the androgen receptor in racial differences in prostate cancer aggressiveness and prostate cancer recurrence during androgen deprivation therapy. He has authored or co-authored more than 250 publications and book chapters and a book Androgen Action in Prostate Cancer. Beth Pflug, PhD Associate Professor of Oncology Department of Urology PS Research Interests: My laboratory is interested in understanding tumor signaling and growth regulation in prostate cancer and using this information to identify novel therapeutic and imaging targets for this disease. We use molecular and cell biology approaches as well as mouse models of prostate cancer to characterize targets and test potential new agents. 17

19 M E N T O R D I R E C T O R Y U R O L O G I C O N C O L O G Y Yue Wu, PhD Assistant Professor of Oncology Department of Urology Member, Graduate Faculty Roswell Park Graduate Division, University at Buffalo PS Research Interests: My research interest is in androgen metabolism and androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer. Specifically, his research projects are focused on prostatic androgen trafficking and metabolism by prostatic epithelial cells and cancer cells, and how androgen metabolism affects biology and clinical characteristics of prostate cancer. The ultimate goal is to delineate mechanisms underlying the progression of prostate cancer to castration recurrent disease, and to identify novel modalities to prevent or treat castration recurrent prostate cancer. 18

20 FUNDING SUPPORT: The Howard Cancer Scholars Program and the Summer Research Experience Program in Cancer Science are supported by funding from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number: R25CA The Howard Prostate Cancer Scholars Program is supported by funding from the Department of Defense under award number: PC Elm & Carlton Streets Buffalo, New York ASK-RPCI ( ) A National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center A National Comprehensive Cancer Network Member A Blue Distinction Center for Complex and Rare Cancers A Blue Distinction Center for Transplants (9/15)