Cancer Biology Training ProgramWashington University School of
MedicineSiteman Cancer Center
Lee Ratner MD PhDProgram Director
Director, Molecular Oncology
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.
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.
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.
Cancer Biology GraduatesStudent 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 Biochem 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 Medicine 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 O’Neal Tomasson Medicine Mol Cell Bio Myc in myeloid leukemia
Jennifer Sprague Anderson Radiology Chem Biology Cu-ligands and metalloproteinases
Cancer Biology TraineesStudent 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 Mol Cell Bio Regulation of Bcl2 proteins
Robert Yang Marshall Biochem Comp Biol Inhbitors of Erb signaling
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.
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
Administrative Structure of Training Program
Theresa Waldhoff
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
Clinical Mentoring Session
Clinical Mentors Goals
Medical Oncology – Breast Cancer Research
Matthew Ellis MD PhDKatherine Weilbaecher MD
1. Half day session in comprehensive breast cancer clinic2. Educate students on screening for breast cancer3. Discuss chemoprevention for breast cancer4. Understand genetic risk factors for breast cancer5. Review the molecular basis of breast cancer6. Review breast cancer endocrine treatment7. Review breast cancer targeted therapies
Radiation Oncology
Jeffrey Bradley MDJeff Michalski MD MBA
1. Introduce students to technical aspects of radiation therapy treatment planning and delivery.2. Students will have the opportunity to witness the clinical care of patients receiving radiotherapy for a variety of malignancies3. Students will be introduced to multidisciplinary aspects of cancer management4. Students will participate in interdepartmental patient management conferences and tumor boards
Gynecologic Oncology
Janet Rader MDMatthew Powell MD
1. Educate the students on the screening and treatment of gynecologic malignancies2. They will see many integrated therapies particularly in the treatment of ovarian cancer.3. The students will have exposure to the operating room, clinics and in-patient service. 4. They can participate in the weekly tumor board and evaluation of patients for clinical trials.
Oncologic Surgical Pathology
John Pfeiffer MD PhDRichard Burack MD
1. Review slides of cancer cancers with students to highlight pathologic basis of diagnosing and staging cancer2. Review immunohistochemical, FACS, gene rearrangement studies used by the pathologist
Oncologic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine
Dennis Balfe MDBarry Siegel MD
1. Review techniques of radiology, including CT, MRI, and PET scans, and nuclear medicine approaches to diagnosis and staging of cancer2. Review examples in which radiological techniques are used in monitoring therapeutic responses
Bone Marrow Transplantation
John DiPersio MD PhDRavi Vij MD
1. Clinical care and follow-up of autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients2. Molecular basis of tracking patients with hematologic malignancies3. Molecular basis of tracking chimerism, minimal residual disease and GvHD after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.4. Biology and clinical methods for stem cell mobilization and ex-vivo manipulation.5. Assessing risk of relapse, treatment related mortality and GvHD in patients who are planning allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Surgical Oncology
Jeffrey Moley MDDavid Linehan MD
1. Introduce student to concepts and approaches in surgical oncology2. The students will have exposure to the operating room, clinics, and in-patient service3. The students will participate in the weekly tumor board and evaluation of patients for clinical trials
Genomics & Proteomics
Reid Townsend MDPhD Purpose, methodology, instrumentation, and clinical sample preparation and analysis for genomic expression, SNP, and proteomics analyses
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
Didactic Course
Proposed Schedule for 2006 CourseJan 17 – Lee Ratner - Introduction
Jan 24 – Jason Weber – Translational control in cancerJan 31 – Sheila Stewart – Senescence and Tumorigenesis
Feb 7 - Loren Michel – Mitotic CheckpointsFeb 14 - Simon Powell – Radiation Repair
Feb 21 Emily Cheng – Apoptosis and CancerFeb 28 – Ming You – Molecular Basis of Cancer Prevention
Mar 7 – Suzanne Pontow – Cytoskeleton and cancerMar 14 – Jeffrey Moley - Familial Cancer and Pre-emptive Surgery
Mar 21 - James Hsieh – Proteases and CancerMar 28 – Michael Tomasson – Tyrosine kinase inhibitors for cancerApr 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
Courses started in 1999
Alternating years – D Wilson & L Ratner (emphasis on pediatric vs adult oncology
Trainee ScheduleAverage Number of
Hours/Week
Fall Semester Year 1 Journal ClubClinical Mentoring Program
Other LecturesLaboratory Research
11 (4 hrs once per
month)1-236
Spring Semester Year 1
Molecular Basis of Cancer Course (even years)
Other LecturesLaboratory Research
1.51-236
Fall Semester Year 2 Journal ClubClinical Mentoring Program
Other LecturesLaboratory Research
11 (4 hrs once per
month)1-236
Spring Semester Year 2
Special Emphasis Pathway in Cancer Biology (odd years)
Other LecturesLaboratory Research
1.51-236
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