Cancer Biology Training Program 2015 Washington University School of Medicine Siteman Cancer Center Lee Ratner MD PhD Program Director Director, Molecular.

Cancer Biology Training Program 2015 Washington University School of MedicineSiteman Cancer Center

Lee Ratner MD PhDProgram Director

Director, Molecular Oncology

Objectives

• To train graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in cancer biology research

• Provide basic scientists training in basic, translational, and clinical cancer research

• Foster interdisciplinary collaborative undertakings

Program History• Initiated with institutional funds in 2002 for graduate

students • Program expanded to postdoctoral students with

funding of the T32 application in 2006 and full stipends. Successful recompetition in 2011-12

• 74 trainees thus far (>250 publications)– 3 students in 2013 & 2 postdocs in 2013– 5 students & 3 postdocs in 2014– Up to 3 students & 1 postdoc in 2015

• Didactic courses since 1999 • Interdisciplinary - students and fellows participating

from many different fields in multiple departments.

Recent Changes in Program• Face-to-face ethics training required for postdocs

(Mar PERCS)• Visiting speaker/External advisor• Individual advising meeting annually• Research presentations by 2nd yr students &

postdocs at luncheon• Poster presentations by 1st yr students & postdocs

at luncheon• Career advice speaker at annual luncheon

(if time permits)

Cancer Biology Pre-Doc Trainees

PreDoc Applicants Admitted in 2013Caitlin Purman Sleckman

Transcription and DNA dsbreak repair

Melissa Meyer Denardo

Immune response & cancer stem cells

#Greg Sibbel Mills Gastric neoplasia in mice

PreDoc Applicants Admitted in 2014*Benjamin Ainscough Mardis Genetics Genetics3rdyr

Computations approaches to detect genetic mutations

^*Melanie Sparks You

Cell Biology MolCellBio2nd yr

RNA damage response to cancer therapy

Sanghyun Kim Walter Medicine MolCellBio3rdyr Role of U2AF in splicing

Bhavana Murali StewartCell Biology MolCellBio3rd yr

Senescent osteoblasts and tumor microenvironment

Tianjiao Wang Welch Medicine MolCellBio3rd yrRole of STAG2 in hematopoietic differentiation

Cancer Biology Post-Doc TraineesPostDoc Applicants Admitted in 2013

Alison Esser Weilbaecher Medicine Nanoparticle therapies for metastatic tumor

Bryan Anthony Link Medicine Heme stem cell mobilization

PostDoc Applicants Admitted in 2014**Jessica Silva-Fisher Maher Medicine

Polycomb lncRNAs in metastatic colon cancer

Casey Wilson Tomasson Medicine

TheodoreKeppel Bose Medicine Cterm tail EGFRs structure-function

Administrative Structure of Training Program

K Neeley, K Kharash, C Lyons

F Dehdasthi, B SiegelHanson, Diamond, Johnson

D Link

Co-Director: G Longmore

S StewartT Ley

R Govindan,

R Fields

Journal Clubs Participating in Molecular Oncology Training

Program

• Experimental Hematopoiesis Journal Club D Link• Cancer Biology Journal Club J Weber• Hematology & Oncology Journal Club S Kornfeld• Developmental Biology Journal Club K Kornfeld• Student-Run Cell Biology Journal Club Hanson• Genetics Journal Club Johnson• Molecular Virology Journal Club Diamond

Clinical Mentoring Session Clinical Mentors

Medical Oncology Lee Ratner MD PhDRamaswamy Govindan MD

Radiation Oncology Jeffrey Bradley MDJeff Michalski MD MBA

Stem Cell Transplantation John DiPersio MD PhDRavi Vij MD

Gynecologic Oncology Premal Thaker MDMatthew Powell MD

Surgical Oncology Jeffrey Moley MDRyan Fields MD

Oncologic Surgical Pathology D Novack MD

Oncologic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine

Barry Siegel MDFarrokh Dehdashti MD

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

– 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

– Review content and student critiques of didactic courses – Pre- and post-doctoral student advising

Trainee ScheduleAverage Number of

Hours/Week

Fall Semester Year 1 Journal ClubClinical Mentoring Program

Other LecturesLaboratory Research

11 (4 hrs once per mo)

1-236

Spring Semester Year 1

Molecular Basis of Cancer Course (even years)

Other LecturesLaboratory Research

1.5

1-236

Fall Semester Year 2 Journal ClubClinical Mentoring Program

Other LecturesLaboratory Research

11 (4 hrs once per mo)

1-236

Spring Semester Year 2

Special Emphasis Pathway in Cancer Biology (odd years)Other Lectures

Laboratory Research

1.5

1-236

Other Educational Programs

• SCC research programs internal seminars or discussion groups – Breast, Neuro-Oncology, Prostate Ca Programs– Weekly Immunology Seminar Series– Weekly Cell-Cell Communication Seminars– Prevention and Control Seminars– Oncologic Imaging Seminar Series

• Genomics Tumor Board monthly• Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences has

extensive graduate training programs

Didactic CourseTuesdays, 12 noon, Holden Auditorium All students, postdocs, faculty, staff welcomeSchedule for 2013 Course1/20 Joshua Rubin, MD Sexual dimorphism in cancer pathogenesis1/27 Kimberly Johnson, PhD Harnessing epidemiology to study cancer:

focus on NF12/3 Luis Batista, PhD Telomere dysfunction in cancer; IPSCs as a model

system2/10 David DeNardo, PhD * Tumor stem-like cells and immune responses

2/17 Deb Novack, MD, PhD Molecular basis of cancer metastasis2/24 Jason Weber, PhD * Tumor suppressors and the cell cycle3/3 Grant Challen, PhD Role of epigenetics in cancer pathogenesis3/10 SPRING BREAK3/17 Sergej Djuranovic, PhD Non-synonymous ≠ innocent: somatic mutations &

translation in cancer cells3/24 Jeff Bednarski, MD, PhD Breaking bad: DNA repair and oncogenesis 3/31 Jeff Magee, MD, PhD Stem cells and leukemogenesis4/7 Todd Druley, MD, PhD How rare germline DNA variants conspire to trigger

childhood cancer4/14 Katherine Fuh, MD, PhD Modeling ovarian carcinoma4/21 Brian van Tine Novel approaches to sarcoma therapy

Attendance of all sessions & active discussion esp during presentation classic paper