Postdoctoral Training Program in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention

Overview | Program Description | Research Mentors | Stipend
Eligibility | Application | Contact Information

Overview

Northwestern University’s Postdoctoral Training Program in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a Cancer Education and Career Development Program (R25), designed to equip trainees with a foundation of knowledge and research skills that will enable them to embark on productive careers in the multidisciplinary arena of cancer prevention research. The purpose of this postdoctoral program is to train well-qualified and highly motivated individuals from a variety of backgrounds (MD, PhD, DrPH) in cancer epidemiology and prevention by offering an outstanding program of broad-based educational and research experiences.

The program draws upon the resources of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and the Department of Preventive Medicine in Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. These facilities are located on Northwestern University’s medical campus, situated along the lakefront in the heart of downtown Chicago.

The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University is the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in Illinois and one of less than 40 in the nation to hold the coveted NCI designation, which reflects the Cancer Center’s dedication to the highest standards of cancer research, patient care, cancer prevention and education. The Cancer Center is comprised of more than 250 faculty members who are located at Northwestern University’s downtown medical school campus, the Evanston campus, and at the University’s five affiliated hospitals. Members are organized into at least ten research programs, one of which is Cancer Prevention. The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University operates a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Prostate Cancer and is the headquarters for a 7-institution consortium for Phase I and Phase II trials of Cancer Chemopreventive Agents. The Cancer Center currently administers five nationally funded postdoctoral training programs and anchors the Cancer Biology track of the medical school’s Integrated Graduate Program (IGP), which awards the PhD degree.

The Department of Preventive Medicine provides a dynamic environment for epidemiologic and clinical prevention research with over 4 million dollars annually in extramural funding, and is the base for the fellowship. Four of the 26 full-time faculty members work in the area of cancer epidemiology, behavioral science and prevention. The department is home to several renowned landmark collaborative studies, such as the Women’s Health Initiative. It supports the Masters of Public Health (MPH) and the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) programs, as well as a postdoctoral training program in Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention, and a Clinical Research Scholars Program.

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Program Description

Cancer prevention research at Northwestern is organized into four thematic areas:

• Epidemiology and Biomarkers
• Screening and Early Detection
• Chemoprevention
• Behavioral Science

These themes provide the framework around which this educational program is structured. Each fellow will collaborate with their mentors to design an individualized training program tailored to their background, emphasizing at least one of these four themes.

The program has both didactic and research experience components. Following are the requirements for completion of the fellowship program:

Didactic Experience

Coursework

Most fellows will complete a minimum of 5 credit units (equivalent to 5 full courses) from the graduate school curriculum at Northwestern, and/or will be expected to pass or demonstrate competence for the equivalent of at least 9 credit units from the Core Courses (listed below with the administering program and number of credit units in parentheses).

Core Courses

Introduction to Biostatistics PUB HLTH 302	(MPH; 1)
Introduction to Epidemiology PUB HLTH 304	(MPH; 1)
Intermediate Biostatistics PUB HLTH 421	(MPH; 1)
Intermediate Epidemiology PUB HLTH 422	(MPH; 1)
Topics in Molecular Medicine CLIN SCI 301	(MSCI; 1)
Tumor Cell Biology IGP 450	(IGP; 1)
Ethical Issues in Clinical Research PUB HLTH 441	(MPH; 0.5)
Grant Writing and Peer Reviewing for Publication PUB HLTH 445	(MPH; 0.5)
Cancer Epidemiology PUB HLTH 526	(1)
Required: Choose Two out of Three
Cancer Screening: Principles and Practice PUB HLTH 527	(0.5)
Cancer Chemoprevention PUB HLTH 529	(0.5)
Behavioral Science in Cancer Prevention PUB HLTH 528	(0.5)
Other Required Courses for MSCI
Research Units (2) CLIN SCI/MSCI 499	(MSCI; 2)

Trainees may elect to enroll in additional courses through the Feinberg School of Medicine, the Integrated Graduate Program in biomedical science and the Kellogg School of Management. Fellows will have the option of obtaining the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation degree if they complete 9 credit units from among the core courses.

Other didactic experience

• Preparation of a NIH format research proposal that both the primary mentor and the Advisory Committee will approve. A Career Development Plan will accompany this proposal.
• Participation for at least 6 months as a member of the Clinical Protocol Scientific Review and Monitoring Committee of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University Clinical Research Office (CRO).
• “Shadow review” – two papers, two grants, or a combination of one paper and one grant are submitted for peer review.

The Department of Preventive Medicine, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, and other medical school departments offer a large array of seminars, symposia, and journal clubs, and trainees will be expected to attend those that are most relevant to their interests.

Research Experience

• During the two years of the fellowship, each fellow will complete a mentored research experience, culminating in an oral presentation at Northwestern and preparation of an abstract for a presentation at a national meeting.
• In addition, fellows will complete a Secondary mentored research experience of 3 to 6 months duration. This experience should provide exposure to paradigms and methodologies that differ from those encountered in the primary research project.

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Research Mentors

For their primary and secondary research experiences trainees may select one of the following mentors, all of whom are faculty whose research efforts are concentrated in the area of cancer prevention and are nationally funded:

Trainees may also select any of the following faculty to mentor their secondary research experiences. These faculty members are either beginning investigators or established investigators with a partial focus on cancer prevention.

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Stipend

PhD level trainees or MDs with no clinical experience will receive a stipend of approximately $50,000; MDs with clinical experience will receive approximately $70,000 per year. Each trainee will also receive medical and dental benefits, and ancillary funds each year to cover tuition, research expenses, and other training-related expenses, such as travel and registration to scientific conferences.

Eligibility

Applicants must have an MD or equivalent degree, a PhD in biological or behavioral science, a doctoral degree in public health or nursing, or another relevant doctoral degree. Applications from minority candidates are encouraged.

Application

We are not accepting applications for the 2008 school year. Please check back in Fall, 2008 for the 2009 Fellowship Application Deadline.

Further questions and receipt of application materials can be directed to:

Applications should include the following:

• A completed application form.
• The candidate's CV.
• An official copy of Graduate or Medical school transcripts.
• An official copy of GRE or medical board scores is required by the Graduate School. Please submit scores electronically using Institution Code 1565. No department code is needed. Please also mail or fax a photocopy of your scores to the Department of Preventive Medicine.
• Three letters of recommendation from research and/or clinical mentors.
• A 2 page personal statement detailing:
  • a description of research experiences and interests,
  • the candidate’s motivation for applying to the program and how completion of the program will further his/her career goals.

Contact Information

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