# Research and Education Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES · 2020 · $23,268

## Abstract

RESEARCH EDUCATION CORE
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The University Of Puerto Rico (UPR) has established a strong Education Program in Cancer, leveraged by the
U54 Partnership for Excellence in Cancer Research. This Research Education Core (REC) is built upon that
base and the long-term collaboration between the UPR, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
(MDACC) and the MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). The primary goal
of the REC is to increase the number of Hispanic students, at all educational levels, committed to careers in
cancer research and cancer medicine, with a new emphasis on infection-driven malignancies. Puerto Ricans
carry a disproportionate burden of infection-driven malignancies, such as stomach and liver cancer, and HPV-
related malignancies, including cervical and penile cancer. In addition, PR has a disproportionate burden of HIV-
infected individuals, who also have an increased risk of infection-driven malignancies. The proposed educational
program will build on the existing cancer curriculum of didactic and research experiences at both institutions, by
developing and implementing a didactic and research curriculum focused on infection-driven malignancies. An
important new component of this curriculum will be the implementation of a dual-degree MD/MPH track, through
a joint agreement between the UPR School of Medicine (UPRSOM) and the University of Texas School of Public
Health (UTSPH). Initially the program will accept one student with the goal of accepting at least 2 students per
year. The MD/MPH program is modeled after the highly successful Partnership MD/PhD program: currently 7
students have completed both degrees and are pursuing residences and fellowships, all related to cancer; 8
current students are at various stages of the MD/PhD program. This program will continue in the renewal with 3
students accepted per year rather than 2. The MD/PhD students and alumni have published 38 cancer-related
papers and 2 were awarded 3 scholarships during their training. Each year 10 undergraduates, 5 pre-doctoral
students (MS, PhDs, MDs, DrPHs, PharmDs), and 1 post-doctoral learner will have the opportunity to work on
cancer research projects under the guidance of world-renowned faculty at MD Anderson. Students from any of
the 11 UPR Campuses may participate. To ensure course quality and avoid redundancies in the proposed
expanded curriculum, we will appoint a formal Partnership Cancer Curriculum Committee to oversee the
establishment of an integrated, cohesive cancer curriculum. Committee members will include co-leaders of the
established cores, the Chair of the IAC, and the leader of the new Scientific Communication (SciCom) unit. In
conclusion, this Research Education Core builds on the successes of the past and proposes new and innovative
educational efforts that address critical health disparities in Puerto Rico and beyond. It benefits both partnership
institutions as shown by the succe...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10247772
- **Project number:** 3U54CA096297-17S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** REYNOLD Eugenio LOPEZ-ENRIQUEZ
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $23,268
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2002-08-16 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10247772

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10247772, Research and Education Core (3U54CA096297-17S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10247772. Licensed CC0.

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