Psychosocial Palliative and Community Research in Cancer

Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research, New York NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Overview: Over the past 41 years, the training efforts of the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences have been greatly facilitated by the institutional research training grant, Psychosocial Palliative and Community Research in Cancer (T32 CA009461). This grant, first awarded in 1984, was the first in this country to provide support for research training in psychiatry and pain in oncology. Based on the successful establishment and maintenance of a productive research training program, this training grant has received successive five-year renewals since 1989, making it the oldest continuous research training program in the country solely dedicated to psychiatric issues in cancer. Now in its 41st year, this NCI-funded T32 program has successfully trained 134 postdoctoral and 35 predoctoral investigators in psycho-oncology (a total of 169 former/current trainees). Approximately 75% of our former fellows have established productive scientific careers with research positions mostly as faculty in NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers but also academic medical centers, universities, and in industry. We currently maintain 6 postdoctoral slots and 2 predoctoral slots (and per NCI policy changes, will reduce to 6 slots total in 9/1/2026). There are now 16 Primary Research Mentors and 21 Other Mentors who provide depth and breadth in psycho-oncology research and constitute our Participating Research Training Faculty. Goals: Our overarching programmatic goals are to strengthen the psycho-oncology workforce and expand capacity to address ongoing psychosocial challenges across the entire cancer control continuum. Our overall objective is to enable the next generation of social and behavioral science researchers to address the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sociocultural processes that contribute to behavioral risk factors for cancer, the adoption of cancer screening and early detection strategies, as well as treatment initiation and adherence. Specific Objective 1: To recruit highly qualified postdoctoral trainees to receive outstanding research training and to provide mentoring necessary for the development of new independent investigators well prepared for academic research careers in psycho-oncology. Specific Objective 2: To provide research training and mentoring for promising predoctoral fellows thereby encouraging them to pursue academic careers in psycho-oncology. Specific Objective 3: To maintain a strong didactic curriculum designed to provide pre-and postdoctoral fellows with a solid foundation in relevant literature, theoretical frameworks, research design and professional development skills needed to become independent investigators. Specific Objective 4: To monitor, evaluate, and continuously refine each component of the training program by examining the quality of recruitment strategies, faculty mentorship, didactic curriculum, trainee productivity, and early career development.