Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC)

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

The Duke Cancer Institute’s Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) works in close partnership with the Duke University School of Medicine and Duke University Health System. Together these entities provide a rich, collaborative academic environment committed to education, training, research, and clinical care of cancer patients. DCI CRTEC is led by Gerard Blobe, MD, PhD (PCMIT), Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology. He is a physician-scientist with laboratory and clinical research experience and director of the Lefkowitz Society - a post-graduate mentoring program for physician-scientists. The activities of DCI CRTEC and Blobe are supported by CRTEC Assistant Director, Kathryn Dickerson, PhD and CRTEC Program Manager, Colleen Bauer, MA as well as an Oversight Committee consisting of DCI members, Duke faculty and trainee representatives. Blobe reports to the DCI Executive Director and to the DCI Executive Committee and chairs the DCI CRTEC Oversight Committee. DCI CRTEC’s mission is to decrease the burden of cancer by facilitating the training of a broad cohort of cancer researchers and care providers across the training continuum, from high school students to junior faculty. The DCI CRTEC supports over 1,450 trainees engaged in cancer-related research and clinical care with a comprehensive range of educational, mentoring, and career development resources. From 2019-2023 the DCI has made direct investments of $4.1 million dollars in training and education. CRTEC works closely with Tomi Akinyemiju, PhD (CRDI), Associate Director of the DCI Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), including collaboratively initiating and implementing two new post-baccalaureate programs: the DIRECT Cancer Fellowship Program and NIGMS R25 funded PRIME-PREP. New CRTEC initiatives since prior review include an NCI R25 funded PRIME Summer Research Program, an NCI R25 funded Bioinformatics Course, and NCI R38 funded Radiation Oncology Research In Residency Program, an Internal Grant Review mechanism for DCI trainees and members, a new library of NIH funded grants (F, K and supplements), a Cancer Biology Journal Club, a CRTEC Training and Education Newsletter, trainee listservs, a DCI Onboarding Resource, and regular Drop-In Socials for the DCI community, including trainees and members.