# Oncology Research Training for Surgeon-Scientists

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2020 · $324,950

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The primary focus of our training program at the University of Kentucky (UK) is to provide intensive and
interdisciplinary basic science research training to qualified individuals in the various surgical disciplines to
prepare them to become independent scientists and incorporate state-of-the-art techniques learned during
their training period into a successful academic career. Moreover, these trainees will be prepared to be active
participants in multidisciplinary teams which are required for the optimal treatment of the complex cancer
patient. Our two-year training program represents a collaboration between the Markey Cancer Center (MCC)
and the academic clinical departments at UK and benefits greatly from the experience and collegiality of the
program and associate directors who have worked together for many years and have led other successful
training programs for clinician-scientists and basic researchers. The primary training faculty is composed of
both basic and clinical-scientists who are collaborative and multidisciplinary; each primary faculty mentor is a
recognized expert in his or her field and has a long record of research productivity in the training of young
investigators from the US and abroad. The diversity of our training program is further enhanced by the
inclusion of seasoned adjunct faculty mentors who will provide additional clinical and biostatistical expertise.
Also, we have designed a “pipeline” mechanism to provide the time and instruction for promising junior faculty
members to further hone their mentoring skills so that they can become effective primary mentors in the future.
In addition to an intensive research experience, the trainees take formal courses (eg, grant writing skills, ethics
and biostatistics) and are mentored in the fine points of preparing abstracts, scientific papers and
presentations, and writing successful grant applications. Furthermore, the trainees participate in regularly
scheduled MCC, departmental and Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) seminars and
lectures. All of our trainees are required to complete coursework for a Master's degree in Clinical and
Translational Science (CTS). In addition, the option of obtaining a PhD is available and encouraged (of note,
two former trainees have successfully completed requirements for their PhD degrees and one current trainee is
enrolled in the program). The requirement to successfully complete either a Master's or PhD further adds depth
and breadth to the program and increase interactions with other scientists on campus through the required
supervisory or thesis committees. We are concerned with the alarming decrease in the number of clinician-
scientists; this decrease is most apparent in the diminishing number of those in the various surgical specialties.
We are passionate, motivated and committed to the training of future academic surgeons.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9964681
- **Project number:** 5T32CA160003-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Bernard Mark Evers
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $324,950
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9964681

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9964681, Oncology Research Training for Surgeon-Scientists (5T32CA160003-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9964681. Licensed CC0.

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