Career Enhancement Program - SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The central goal of the Career Enhancement Program (CEP) is to use the resources at the MD Anderson Cancer Center to train exceptional young investigators in the early detection, prevention, and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with the hope that their research will reduce the mortality from this disease. To achieve this goal, the CEP will provide two annual awards of $50,000 each, to two individuals for a two years period, funded from the SPORE and matching funds from MD Anderson. Over the five years of the grant, we expect to mentor up to six investigators. The intent of each CEP award is to prepare the selected scientists to become international leaders in academic research relevant to HCC. The most promising young investigators will be identified, mentored through an individualized clinical and laboratory development plan, trained in grant and manuscript writing and in developing leadership skills. Awardees will be required to attend all SPORE meetings and one national meeting where they can interact with liver cancer scholars and HCC SPORE leaders. Awardees will also be required to present their research at the annual SPORE conference and, if possible, to submit the results of their project for publication. Past awardees will be invited to all SPORE events and encouraged to apply for funding in the area of research developed under the CEP and to keep seeking advice from the SPORE leaders to further develop their careers. The CEP will be led by Drs. Michelle Barton and James Yao, who together bring to the program a large breadth of expertise and wide network of collaborators, and who are both recognized as outstanding role models and effective mentors.