# Cancer Chemical Biology and Metabolism Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · 2020 · $462,866

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The faculty of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is requesting funds to support a new, integrative,
postdoctoral training program in Cancer Chemical Biology and Metabolism (CCBM) — two synergistic and
conceptually related research disciplines grounded in small molecule chemistry and biochemistry that are of
growing importance from both basic and translational research perspectives. The goals of this program are to:
1) provide training in a wide range of topics relevant to cancer chemical biology and metabolism such as
preclinical cancer target validation, chemical screens, structure-based drug discovery, tumor metabolism,
cross-talk between tumor and host metabolism, cellular bioenergetics and metabolomics, mechanistic
biochemistry, proteomics and chemoproteomics, and animal tumor modelling; 2) familiarize trainees with state-
of-the-art technologies and approaches in chemical biology and metabolic science, 3) train fellows to identify
important questions and approaches that will move the field forward and provide translational opportunities to
impact cancer treatment; 4) provide trainees with opportunities to develop and enhance their grantsmanship
and scientific communication skills; 5) coach fellows on their paths to independent careers in science by
implementing Individual Development Plans (IDPs), individual postdoctoral mentoring committees, and
customized opportunities for trainees to acquire experience in mentoring and teaching depending on their
career goals.
The CCBM Training Program will support 8 postdoctoral fellows per year for 2-year appointments. It will be
administered by a Director (Dr. Thomas Roberts, Contact PD/PI) and a co-Director (Dr. Nika Danial, PD/PI),
and will include 26 mentors and 6 co-mentors from 4 departments at DFCI. The program Director and co-
Director will work closely with a Training Oversight Committee (TOC), an External Advisory Board (EAB), and a
trainee-led advisory group consisting of current and past program fellows who will help identify ways to
optimize the program. Additional strategies to measure trainee satisfaction, quantify outcomes, and evaluate
the effectiveness of the program will include annual surveys from trainees and mentors, as well as exit and
alumni interviews. Institutional support through state-of-the-art core facilities and technology platforms, as well
as funds to support T32-specific training activities and yearly EAB meetings will significantly enhance the
training program. In addition to offering robust training in a diverse range of scientific and career development
skills, a key goal of the program is to recruit and support a more diverse group of trainees. To further ensure
the program's effectiveness in enhancing diversity, our EAB and Training Oversight Committee include leaders
with deep experience in diversity and inclusion. We believe the integrative CCBM Training Program will
prepare fellows for a range of research careers and train the next...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9904597
- **Project number:** 5T32CA236754-02
- **Recipient organization:** DANA-FARBER CANCER INST
- **Principal Investigator:** Nika N Danial
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $462,866
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9904597

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9904597, Cancer Chemical Biology and Metabolism Training Program (5T32CA236754-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9904597. Licensed CC0.

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