Research Education Core (REC)

Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research, New York NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Research Education Core Since the inception of the CCNY-MSK U54 in 2008, we have developed and implemented approaches to engage and mentor students and early-stage investigators in cancer research. We have provided undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on research experiences, developed cancer-related curricula, engaged students in hands-on research experiences, and provided professional mentorship for students appropriate to their academic level and career interests. We also provide individualized resources to ensure the success of our Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs) and monitor their progress. Most students from CCNY have limited access to cancer research education, including courses or laboratory-based research in cancer prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Our program is designed to provide opportunities for CCNY students to successfully conduct biomedical and behavioral research at CCNY and MSK, and to provide mentorship and guidance for careers in cancer research. Our overall goals are to: 1) Increase the number of CCNY students with biomedical training to enroll in MD, PhD or MD/PhD programs and, specifically, 2) Increase the numbers of these students who pursue cancer-related research careers, and 3) Increase the research competitiveness of CCNY and MSK ESIs. We will accomplish these goals by: (a) Providing experiential activities and opportunities, support services and Partnership activities to enhance students’ engagement and performance in cancer-related research and professions; (b) Providing academic counseling, advisement and mentoring to students to ensure that they are aware of the opportunities and prerequisites for careers in cancer research; (c) Providing translational research experiences for each student prior to graduation; (d) Providing career development resources for, and closely monitoring the progress of, ESIs; (e) Conducting an evaluation to determine the results of all program activities and resource utilization; (f) Developing and submitting proposals, e.g., through R25 mechanisms, to supplement educational and training initiatives. In the next funding cycle, we will initiate new curricula with the Partnership Community Outreach, Research, and Education/Engagement Core (PCORE) and the LinguistiC Responsiveness Shared Resource Core (LCRSRC), which includes: 1) a Minor/Major in Medical Interpretation and Translation in the Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures Department, 2) a Minor and Masters in Public Health at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, and 3) training for undergraduate and master’s students in data science and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) in the Grove School of Engineering. These new initiatives will build a didactic, institutionalized platform for trainees to develop the knowledge and research skills to conduct translational cancer research.