Career Development Program

Directors

George M. Stancel, Ph.D., David M. Gershenson, M.D., and Diane C. Bodurka, M.D.

SPORE guidelines mandate the identification and funding of career development research projects to attract new investigators or redirect established investigators to translational research in uterine cancer. Fellowship training for physicians in gynecologic oncology and gynecologic pathology usually emphasizes clinical care and clinical trials. Few graduates of such programs receive training that allows them to develop independent laboratory or translational research programs. Likewise, research specifically related to uterine cancer is not well represented in the basic sciences. Thus, there is a shortage of physician-scientists and basic scientists working in uterine cancer research.

Investigators awarded under this project convey new innovative ideas that can reduce the incidence and mortality of uterine cancers or improve the survival or quality of life of uterine cancer patients. The development of innovative translational researchers in uterine cancer is critically dependent on the availability of flexible funding for career development projects. The purpose of the Uterine SPORE Career Development Program (CDP) is to encourage and develop such translational research investigators. The CDP is designed to encourage investigators to develop translational research projects that will lead to clinically testable hypotheses with the potential to reduce incidence and mortality of uterine cancers or improve the survival and quality of life of uterine cancer patients. Both clinical and laboratory-based researchers are eligible for funding providing that they are proposing projects that are translational in nature. Funding is limited to a maximum of $50,000 per year per project, and two or more projects will be funded each year. Funding for additional projects may be provided from institutional commitment and the Uterine Cancer Research Program at M. D. Anderson. Awards are for 1 year, and awardees will be given the option to competitively renew for one additional year.

The objectives of the Career Development Program are as follows:

1. Recruit and train new investigators to enable them to become highly skilled translational investigators in the field of uterine cancer.
2. Redirect individuals who already have shown considerable scientific promise into uterine cancer research.
3. Provide specific knowledge of research in uterine cancer that will enhance the ability of awardees to conduct innovative translational science that will directly impact on the understanding and treatment of this disease.
4. Provide young investigators and those who are redirecting their research interests with an awareness of state of the art techniques that may be applied to human uterine cancer research, including microarray analysis, high throughput quantitative PCR, reverse phase protein arrays, laser microcapture dissection, proteomic analyses, informatics approaches, etc.
5. Provide career enrichment activities such as grant writing skills, oral and poster presentation skills, and networking contacts to trainees.
6. Provide a highly visible seminar program with outstanding speakers within the Texas Medical Center to attract undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, postdoctoral trainees, and faculty to the field of uterine cancer research and make them aware of major problems and opportunities existing in uterine cancer.
7. Facilitate research collaborations with program faculty.

It is proposed that these objectives will be accomplished through strong individual mentorship and faculty relationships in which trainees are instructed in scientific methods, statistical analysis, biomedical communications, the principles of cancer biology, and strategies to become successful in the translational and uterine cancer research communities. Thus, the program will develop trainees who can readily identify basic science findings with translational potential and design protocols for clinical trials based on that translation.

Funding Information

• Solicitations for proposals come out late spring/early summer each year.
• Funding is for $50,000 total costs.
• Funding is for 1 year beginning September 1 and ending August 31 each year.
• A SPORE mentor must be contacted prior to submission of proposals/pre-applications.
• A progress report will be due at the end of the funding period.
• Competitive renewal for 1 additional year is allowed.

Please call or email Jennifer Stanley (713-792-8451, jlstanle@mdanderson.org) for further information or to get on the email list for solicitations. Also, you may check the SPORE website for updates on solicitations.

Career Development Awards

2003-2004

• Limin Gong, Ph.D.
  UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  Study of MR-1 in human endometrial cancer cells
• Jubilee Brown, M.D.
  UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  Analysis of racial and ethnic differences in endometrial cancers

2004-2005

• Brian Slomovitz, M.D.
  UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  Clinical and translational evaluation of mTOR inhibition for the treatment of endometrial carcinoma
• Limin Gong, Ph.D. (Renewal)
  UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  Study of MR-1 in human endometrial cancer cells

2005-2006

• Jennifer Richer, Ph.D.
  University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
  ZEB1 in endometrial cancer
• Salama A. Salama, Ph.D.
  UT Medical Branch
  Catechol estrogens and estrogen-metabolizing genes in endometrial cancer

2006-2007

• Jae-Wook Jeong, Ph.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine
  The role of ERRFI1 in the tumorigenesis of endometrial cancer
• Lei Deng, Ph.D.
  UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  EIG121 as a molecular switch for endometrial carcinoma differentiation

2007-2008

• Jae-Wook Jeong, Ph.D.
  Baylor College of Medicine
  The role of Mig-6 in the tumorigenesis of endometrial cancer
• Jinping Li, M.D., Ph.D.
  Mayo Clinic/Mercer University
  Tumor promoting activity of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in endometrial cancer progression
• Shannon Westin, M.D.
  UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  Use of estrogen-regulated transcripts to predict response to intrauterine progesterone therapy in early endometrial disease

2008-2009

• Bryan T. Hennessy, M.D.
  UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  Targeting the PI3K Signaling Pathway in Endometrial Carcinoma