In This Section

Program

This is an intensive workshop providing a substantive overview of key areas in molecular biology, translational cancer research, current lab techniques, career development, and the best practices of grant writing for the aspiring physician-scientist. 

Lectures: Our faculty experts will give overview lectures on key areas of translational cancer research, using examples of their research to demonstrate the process of developing experiments to interrogate hypothesis-driven scientific questions. Lecture faculty will facilitate stimulating discussion and will integrate career development advice through personal examples from their career paths.  

Laboratories: Our laboratory faculty will run four hands-on laboratory sessions, demonstrating and discussing current lab techniques. These labs are conducted in small groups to maximize the learning experience and faculty interaction and will include topics such as gene expression analysis, proteomics, next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, data analysis, CRISPR/gene editing, troubleshooting, and more. 

Career Development and Mentoring: Participants will also benefit from sessions on career development, several opportunities to meet with faculty members during scheduled “office hours” and informal networking at meals. 

Guidance in Grant Writing: Participants will develop the specific aims of an imminent grant, career development award, or future proposed research project (submitted at least one week prior to the workshop).  Small groups of three or four participants and one or two faculty mentors will examine the research question, hypothesis, and aims and refine their work over the week. 

The program for the 2024 workshop is currently under development. For an example of the program and topics covered during the in-person workshop, please see the sample program from the 2023 Molecular Biology in Clinical Oncology Workshop.