# Program for Training in Cancer Epidemiology

> **NIH NIH T32** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · 2024 · $503,403

## Abstract

7. Project Summary
We propose to renew the NCI Cancer Epidemiology Training Program. In accordance with NCI
instructions limiting support to eight trainees per year, we plan a reduction from the current ten by
removing two postdoctoral positions. We leverage the enormously rich academic environment of the
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, together with the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center,
Channing Division of Network Medicine, and a multitude of affiliated institutions within the Boston
medical community, as well as with collaborators outside Massachusetts. These resources include the
Harvard cohorts (Nurses’ Health Studies I, II, and III, Health Professionals Follow-up Study,
Physicians’ Health Study, Women’s Health Study, the VITAL trial, and others). These cohorts have
millions of person-years of repeated follow-up for all cancer sites, as well as blood and tissue samples
from over 100,000 individuals. The opportunities for cancer research within this environment are
virtually limitless. We have brought together outstanding and passionate faculty mentors to provide
integrated interdisciplinary experiences and collaborative interactions, a specialized curriculum with
core and elective coursework, nondidactic practical career training, individual candidate training plans,
and ongoing program evaluation. Cutting-edge didactic training and mentoring will create a new
generation of highly skilled and enthusiastic investigators to study factors that influence cancer
incidence and survival. A major focus is to take advantage of the multitude of modern ‘omics methods,
such as genomics, metabolomics, together with the array of biologic samples, including blood, oral
swabs and stool for microbiome, and tumor tissue. The multidisciplinary training will include applying
modern epidemiologic and biostatistical methods to analyze such data and develop novel approaches
for cancer research. This training program is currently in year 48; we have constantly updated the
program, maintaining approaches that work well, initiating new aspects, and taking advantage of new
opportunities, and revising our mentor group accordingly. We have vigorously sought to increase the
number of mentors and trainees from under-represented minority (URM) groups. We recognize the
need for improvement, but are pleased that 20% of the trainees in the first three years are URM
individuals and 30% in the final two years. With this renewal application, we initiate a new program to
train co-mentors, junior faculty who will be trained to become effective mentors in the future. One
constant feature is that we have never had a shortage of outstanding candidates for the program. With
continued support, we believe this training program will continue to have a major impact to further the
mission of NCI to reduce the burden of cancer through prevention and improved survival.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10934912
- **Project number:** 2T32CA009001-49A1
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** A. Heather Eliassen
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $503,403
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1978-07-01 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10934912

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10934912, Program for Training in Cancer Epidemiology (2T32CA009001-49A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10934912. Licensed CC0.

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