Cancer Biology Training Program Washington University School of Medicine Siteman Cancer Center

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Cancer Biology Training ProgramWashington
University School of MedicineSiteman Cancer
Center

• Lee Ratner MD PhD
• Program Director
• Director, Molecular Oncology

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Objectives

• To train graduate and postgraduate students in
  interdisciplinary research relevant to cancer
  biology
• To provide basic scientists in depth training in
  diverse aspects of basic, translational, and
  clinical cancer research
• To foster the development of interdisciplinary
  collaborative undertakings
• Program is devoted entirely to training students
  in the PhD program or postdoctoral fellows with a
  PhD, not those training for or have received MD
  or MD PhD degrees who have other sources of
  support our institution and other avenues of
  obtaining a background in broad issues of cancer
  biology.

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Rationale

• In light of the rapid pace and complexity of
  basic, translational, and clinical research, it
  is imperative to provide graduate and
  post-graduate trainees the necessary
  armamentarium of experimental skills and
  intellectual background to undertake cutting edge
  cancer research
• Success in an academic career pathway requires
  proficiency in research skills and mentored
  training.
• This program is closely integrated with and
  supported by the Siteman Cancer Center.
• Specific didactic courses and journal clubs
  integrates these fields with other areas of
  cancer research in providing trainees a broad and
  in-depth understanding of important issues in
  oncology.
• A clinical mentoring program is provided to give
  graduate students and post-doctoral fellows
  exposure to translational and clinical research
  approaches.
• This is the only training program at our
  university completed dedicated to research in
  cancer biology.

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Program History

• Initiated at Washington University with
  institutional funds in 2002 as a program for
  training graduate students.
• The program may be expanded to include
  postdoctoral students with funding of the T32
  application
• The Siteman Cancer Center (SCC) at Washington
  University funded at 50 stipend level for 2 yrs
  each
• 8 students in 2002
• 6 additional students in 2003
• 5 additional students in 2004
• 5 additional students in 2005
• In 2006, will provide full stipend to 3 postdocs
  4 students
• The didactic courses associated with the program
  have been ongoing since 1999
• The program has been interdisciplinary since its
  inception with students and postdoctoral fellows
  participating in cancer research in a wide range
  of fields in multiple different departments.

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Cancer Biology Graduates
Student Advisor Dept Program Thesis 2002 Andy
Bredemeyer Ley Medicine Immunology GzmB
CTL Marisa Ponpuak Weber Medicine Mol Gen ARF
nucleolar dynamics Sage Berg-Cross Marshall Bioche
m Chem Biology Modeling beta-turn
mimetics Suzanne Brady Weber Medicine Mol
Genetics Nucleophosmin in cell cycle
progression Hiliary Luderer Longmore Medicine Mol
Cell Bio Ajuba Zyxin in mets Jane
Knisely Bu Radiology Mol Cell Bio LDL receptor
protein in tumor invasion Holly
Epple Longmore Medicine Mol Cell Bio Ajuba in
motility and polarity Ellen Langer Longmore Medic
ine Mol Cell Bio Epithelial mesenchymal
transition 2003 Julia Cordero Cagan Cell
Bio Mol Cell Bio EGFR/Ras/MAPK in Drosophila So
Hee Dho Weintraub Surgery Mol Cell Bio Na-H
exchanger in antineoplastic activity Jaehong
Kim Parks Medicine Mol Cell Bio Synovial
sarcoma translocation in adhesion Gwanghee Lee
H Piwnica-Worms Cell Bio Mol Cell Bio CDC25 in
breast cancer Julie ONeal Tomasson Medicine Mol
Cell Bio Myc in myeloid leukemia Jennifer
Sprague Anderson Radiology Chem
Biology Cu-ligands and metalloproteinases
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Cancer Biology Trainees
Student Advisor Dept Program Thesis 2004 Gunjan
Choudhary Ratner Medicine Mol Genetics HTLV
receptor Rachel Delston Harbour Opthamol Mol Cell
Bio Ink4a and melanoma Snehal Naik D
Piwnica-Worms Radiology Mol Genetics Imaging
beta catenin interactions Ozge Uluckan Weilbaecher
Medicine Mol Genetics Beta3 integrin and bone
mets Bin Zhang Milbrandt Pathology Mol
Genetics Nkx3.1 target genes in prostate
Ca 2005 Meghna Das Thakur Longmore Medicine Mol
Genetics Lim proteins and epithelia
adhesion Shugaku Takeda Hsieh Medicine Dev
Biol Taspase 1 and tumorigenesis Yat
Tang Marshall Biochem Comp Biol p53-Mdm2
peptide antagonists Ho-Chou Tu Cheng Medicine Mo
l Cell Bio Regulation of Bcl2 proteins Robert
Yang Marshall Biochem Comp Biol Inhbitors of
Erb signaling
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Key recent program projects to SCC members

• The Genomics of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (PI
  T Ley), funded by the NCI as a P01 project in
  9/03
• Functional Polymorphism Analysis in Drug
  Pathways (PI H McLeod) awarded by GM as a U01
  project in 2001
• Washington University Molecular Imaging Center
  (ICMIC) (PI D Piwnica-Worms) was awarded by NCI
  in 5/02
• Biomed 21 is a 250,000 sq ft translational
  research facility to be located in the heart of
  the medical school that will add 50 new faculty
  members, funded by donations to the university,
  and to be completed 2005. The project will
  include a Center for Genomics and Human Genetics
  led by RK Wilson PhD, a Division of Clinical
  Sciences led by KS Polonsky MD, and a Center for
  Biological Imaging led by RJ Jost MD.

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Factors instrumental to the success of this
training program

• Superb and rapidly expanding medical school
• An outstanding cancer center
• Broad coverage of areas of modern cancer research
• A vigorous and enthusiastic research-oriented
  faculty
• Dedicated administrative staff
• A program committee that is actively involved in
  student and postdoctoral selection, mentoring,
  and policy formulation
• A sound financial base
• A flexible, but defined program
• Collegial atmosphere that support collaborative
  research
• Outstanding students

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Administrative Structure of Training Program
Theresa Waldhoff
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Journal Clubs Participating in Molecular Oncology
Training Program

• Molecular Developmental Journal Club K Kroll
• Experimental Hematopoiesis Journal Club D Link
• Cancer Biology Journal Club J Weber
• Genetics Journal Club S Dutcher
• Molecular Virology Journal Club A Pekosz
• Hematology Oncology Journal Club P Majerus

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Steering Committee Meetings

• Aug
• Review and select students and postdocs for the
  program
• Review plans of journal clubs and clinical and
  translational mentoring groups, and review plans
  for annual program retreat
• Review internal advisory board and trainees
  evaluations of the program
• Jan
• Review content and student critiques of journal
  clubs and clinical and translational mentoring
  groups, and plans for didactic course
• Review research progress forms for each pre- and
  post-doctoral student
• May
• Review content and student critiques of didactic
  courses
• Pre- and post-doctoral student advising

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Didactic Course
Courses started in 1999 Alternating years D
Wilson L Ratner (emphasis on pediatric vs adult
oncology
Proposed Schedule for 2006 Course Jan 17 Lee
Ratner - Introduction Jan 24 Jason Weber
Translational control in cancer Jan 31 Sheila
Stewart Senescence and Tumorigenesis Feb 7 -
Loren Michel Mitotic Checkpoints Feb 14 - Simon
Powell Radiation Repair Feb 21 Emily Cheng
Apoptosis and Cancer Feb 28 Ming You
Molecular Basis of Cancer Prevention Mar 7
Suzanne Pontow Cytoskeleton and cancer Mar 14
Jeffrey Moley - Familial Cancer and Pre-emptive
Surgery Mar 21 - James Hsieh Proteases and
Cancer Mar 28 Michael Tomasson Tyrosine
kinase inhibitors for cancer Apr 4 Matthew
Walters Chromosomal Abnormalities and
Cancer Apr 11 - Tim Graubert Stem cell
transplantation Apr 18- Jerry Linette Cancer
Vaccines Apr 25 Student sponsored speaker
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Trainee Schedule
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Other Educational Programs

• 7 SCC research programs have regular internal
  seminars or discussion groups, including
• Cancer Genetics Lunchtime Seminar Series
• Molecular and Development Biology Journal Club
• Cancer Center Research Talks
• Weekly Immunology Seminar
• Weekly Signaling/Cell Cycle Series
• Prevention and Control Seminar
• Oncologic Imaging Seminar Series
• SCC has sponsored two major conferences in 2003
  that have had national and international
  participation, including
• Small Animal Imaging Resource Advanced Symposium
• Stem Cell Symposium
• Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences has
  extensive graduate training programs
• Siteman Cancer Center Basic Science Symposia