Tumor Cell Biology - Carcinogenesis T32 Training Grant

The Carcinogenesis Training Program, funded by an Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI T32 CA009560), provides comprehensive laboratory research training to nine predoctoral students per year in current principles of basic and translational cancer biology. The program promotes interdisciplinary interactions among students, postdoctoral fellows, clinicians and faculty scientists in oncology research, with complementary strengths in signal transduction, cell adhesion and motility, angiogenesis, viral oncogenesis, tumor microenvironment, therapeutic strategies, translational studies, chemoprevention, immunotherapy, metabolism, epigenetics and cancer genomics.

Program highlights include intensive research in progress meetings with program faculty, focused “nanocourses” in emerging cancer research fields, cross-disciplinary translational career and communication skills development and additional funding for travel to scientific meetings and laboratory supplies.

Competitive candidates for the program include students with an interdisciplinary interest in cancer biology who have matriculated into the Driskill Graduate Program (DGP), the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program (IBiS), the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), or other PhD programs. Students are eligible to apply following selection of a participating thesis advisor and cancer research thesis topic. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must first apply to DGP, IBiS or other appropriate graduate programs at Northwestern.

A request for nominations to fill available training positions is posted and sent to program preceptors each year in the spring, for appointments beginning in fall of the following year (eg, applications submitted in 2021 are considered for appointment in the fall of 2022, contingent upon successful completion of the preliminary exam).

Applications must include a letter of nomination from your thesis advisor, a Biosketch or CV, no more than one page describing your research project, and a statement of the cancer research purpose, including your future career goals and suitability for the program. Applications are reviewed by the program steering committee and candidates are invited to interview in late summer/early fall. The program welcomes and encourages application by individuals from underrepresented groups and diverse backgrounds.

For additional information, contact Kathleen Green, PhD.

Program Directors

	Kathleen Green, PhD Program Director Professor, Department of Pathology Function and regulation of intercellular junctions in tumor progression
	Jindan Yu, MD, PhD Program Co-Director Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Oncology) and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Molecular regulation of prostate cancer
	Gina Kirsammer, PhD Administrative Director Research Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Oncology)
	Jodi L. Johnson, PhD Basic Research Program Coordinator Research Assistant Professor of Pathology and Dermatology

Program Preceptors

	Xiaomin Bao, PhD Assistant Professor of Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and Dermatology Molecular determinants of stemness
	Paul Burridge, PhD Assistant Professor in Pharmacology induced pluripotent stem cells to study cancer progression and drug resistance
	Navdeep Chandel, PhD Professor, Department of Medicine Mitochondria signaling and cancer
	Jaehyuk Choi, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine Molecular biology of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
	Elizabeth Eklund, MD Professor, Department of Medicine Molecular mechanisms of hematopoiesis
	Daniel Foltz, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Chromosome instability and cancer
	Cara Gottardi, PhD Associate Professor, Medicine, Pulmonary Division Regulation of catenin-dependent signaling and adhesion
	Sui Huang, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Perinucleolar compartment and cancer
	Hiroaki Kiyokawa, PhD Professor, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry Cell cycle regulation in differentiation and tumor progression
	Carol LaBonne, PhD Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology Mechanisms of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
	Monica Laronda, PhD Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Endocrinology) Reproductive Biology, Endocrinology
	Laimonis Laimins, PhD Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology-Immunology Human papillomaviruses and cancer
	Huiping Liu, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine Molecular mechanisms of metastasis
	Richard Longnecker, PhD Professor, Department of Microbiology-Immunology Epstein-Barr virus and hematopoietic cancers
	Richard Morimoto, PhD Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology Protein misfolding and cancer
	Panagiotis Ntziachristos, PhD Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Medicine Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of acute leukemia
	Marcus Peter, PhD Professor, Department of Medicine Micro RNAs in cancer progression
	Leonidas Platanias, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Medicine Cytokines and signal transduction pathways
	Karla Satchell, PhD Professor of Microbiology-Immunology Secreted factors and immune regulation
	Ali Shilatifard, PhD Professor and Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Epigenetics of hematologic malignancies
	Alexander Stegh, PhD Associate Professor of Neurology (Neuro-oncology) and Medicine Pathogenesis of glioblastoma
	C. Shad Thaxton, MD PhD Associate Professor, Department of Urology Nanotechnology for cancer therapy
	Derek Wainwright, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine Immunotherapy for brain tumors
	Gayle Woloschak, PhD Professor, Department of Radiology Nanocomposites; radiation sensitivity

Current Students

	Caleb Stubbs Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences Laboratory of Karla Satchell, PhD
	Alina Murphy Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences Laboratory of J Julie Kim, PhD
	Kevin Murnan Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences Laboratory of Alexander Stegh, PhD
	Carly Weddle Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences Laboratory of Paul Burridge, PhD
	Gabriel Cavin Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program Laboratory of Sadie Wignall, PhD
	Jay Daniels Medical Scientist Training Program Laboratory of Jaehyuk Choi, MD, PhD
	Anthony Smith Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences Laboratory of Gayle Woloschak, PhD
	Elizabeth Tsui Medical Scientist Training Program Laboratory of Monica Laronda, PhD
	Lourdes Brea Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences Laboratory of Jindan Yu, MD, PhD