Translational Research in Clinical Oncology (TRACO)

Overview:
Recent advances in understanding cancer biology are beginning to be translated into improvements in diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In the post-genome era, we increasingly rely on strong collaboration between basic and clinical scientists to develop novel approaches for treatment of human disease. The Center for Cancer Research (CCR) of the NCI is one of the largest centers for cancer research in the world, with approximately 250 principal investigators, and has played a major role in development and implementation of many new technologies, such as nanotechnology, genomics and proteomics.

The Translational Research in Clinical Oncology (TRACO) course will be held on Monday afternoons from September to December at the Bethesda campus, Bldg. 50 ground floor auditorium. TRACO is designed to provide an overview of general principles of cancer biology and treatment, epidemiology, mechanisms of resistance, metastasis, use of preclinical models, and identification of novel molecular targets. Participants will have an unprecedented opportunity to learn new information, glimpse into future developments of translational research in clinical oncology, meet leaders in cancer research, and interview cancer survivors. The participation of NIH postdoctoral and clinical fellows is encouraged.

Links and Related Training Opportunities:
This course is part of a curriculum for training NCI clinical and postdoctoral fellows. TRACO complements other topics in human diseases and therapies covered in "Demystifying Medicine for PhDs" which is hosted by Dr. Irwin M. Arias.  Additional classes offered by the CCR Office of Training and Education include: “Redox Biology (RB), Statistical Analysis of Research Data (SARD), Cancer Biotechnology (CB), Teaching In Medical Education (TIME), Scientific Management Training (SMT) and Cancer Scientific Writing (CSW). For additional postdoctoral training at NIH view http://www.training.nih.gov/.

Location and Time:
Two hour sessions will be on Mondays, 4-6 p.m., Bldg. 50 ground floor auditorium (Rooms 1227/1233) with videoconferencing to Frederick National Lab (Bldg. 549, Rm. A). In addition lectures will be videocast and archived (http:videocast.nih.gov). Each session will have two 50-minute lectures in basic and clinical sciences with ample time for discussion and analysis. A handout for each lecture will be distributed on site.

Final Exam, Certificate, and Course Evaluation:
Registered participants will receive a certificate after passing the final examination.

CCR:
Course registrants can attend NCI tumor boards, Grand Rounds, and/or visit technical facilities. Please contact Dr. Moody (moodyt@mail.nih.gov) to make appropriate reservations.