Our hope and vision for our trainees are not only that they are scientifically productive and technically proficient but that they become well-rounded scientists who continue to perpetuate the NCI’s mission to advance scientific knowledge and help all people live longer, healthier lives.
Overview
Empowering our trainees is a collaborative effort between the faculty and staff of the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics (LCBG) and its trainees, with trainee contributions driving format and content decisions. By empowering trainees to take ownership and shape their local training environment, relevant and specific needs can be addressed in a dynamic, rather than static, fashion to prepare trainees for their future careers.
A few of the overarching goals are described below:
- Leverage the abundant and diverse skills and perspectives of our trainees to strengthen the overall LCBG community.
- Enhance awareness of both academic and non-academic career paths by facilitating conversations with LCBG alums and current LCBG Principal Investigators (PIs).
- Provide a platform for trainees to broaden their professional network.
- Cultivate a sense of agency among LCBG trainees that empowers them to be proactive advocates for themselves and others.
- Curate training opportunities to foster scientific, professional, and personal growth.
- Make trainees aware of existing expertise and research resources available within LCBG.
- Offer a safe space to address problems in the training environment and work together to find actionable solutions.
Structure
Scheduled sessions take place from September to June. Programming content is devised each summer based on evolving trainee needs and direct trainee feedback and rotates between four general topic areas:
Meet your LCBG PIs
A principal investigator (PI) joins the meeting for an informal discussion about their career path and to share their career journey and mentoring philosophy.
Meet and network with LCBG alumni
Former LCBG staff or fellows describe their career trajectory in an informal Q&A session. Sessions include alums from various career sectors such as academia, industry (R&D, start-up, regulatory affairs, medical science liaison), publishing, non-profits, administration, grants, FDA and more.
Meet your fellow expert
Current LCBG fellows share their subject-matter expertise to other trainees. These sessions are largely technique-focused and highlight how to execute a specific experimental protocol, how to access and use relevant pieces of equipment or other technical considerations.
Past sessions include:
- Overview of metabolic analysis using Seahorse
- Live cell analysis using IncuCyte
- Organoid culture techniques and applications
- Lineage tracing and mouse modeling
- Image-based quantitative single cell biology
Meet and develop your core competencies
Additional sessions address any unmet need outlined on the National Postdoctoral Association’s list of “Core Competencies.” Topics include strategies for personal and professional growth, improving communication skills, cultivating leadership and management skills, and more.
Past sessions include:
- NIH Career Development (K) award strategies from a successful applicant
- Project management principles for laboratory research
- Optimizing mentor-mentee interactions
- Navigating difficult conversations
- Behavioral self-assessment with the DiSC model
Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences
The LCBG Trainee Empowerment initiative is supported by the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES), which also provides year-round continuing education courses and training with condensed online curriculum in the evolving biomedical sciences. Workshop topics include bioinformatics, genome editing with CRISPR, epigenetics, and public policy. Information and registration can be found at www.education.faes.org.