Document text
Principal Investigator: OLUFUNMILAYO F. OLOPADE
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $177,404
Funding agency: National Cancer Institute
Project Summary/Abstract
With the increasing complexity of cancer care, the rising numbers of diverse cancer survivors in the US
population, and the increasing global burden of cancer, it is critical that Pritzker School of Medicine (PSOM),
one of the most diverse and research-intensive medical schools, prepare a workforce trained to meet these
challenges. While the workforce for the continuum of cancer care is interdisciplinary and inter-professional, to
date, medical education has remained compartmentalized. In our first funding period, we have transformed our
approach to training medical students at PSOM for 21st Century cancer care via the Scholars in Oncology
Associated Research (SOAR) program. In a highly innovative 10-week intensive summer program for
medical students, SOAR successfully enrolled 63 participants (51 NCI funded, 12 PSOM funded in COVID 2020).
Of these, 29% are underrepresented in medicine and 20% did global work. In years when travel resumed, 33%
have been global. The SOAR program successfully inspired nearly 70% of participants to continue their cancer
research, leading to 52 cancer-related conference presentations and 37 cancer-related publications.
SOAR participants had higher research self-efficacy and intent to enter a research career than nonSOAR
peers and a deepening of their commitment to cancer research. We propose to continue SOAR to enroll
12 medical students each year, including 4 who will conduct global cancer research at UChicago Global partner
sites. Each student will conduct interdisciplinary cutting-edge cancer research with strong mentorship by
established NIH funded investigators in our Comprehensive Cancer Center or the Center for Global
Health. In addition, trainees will take part in formal instruction in responsible conduct of research, didactic
lectures on the science of oncology, interdisciplinary tumor boards, research skill development and career
planning activities as well as opportunities for career exploration, networking, and outreach that will increase
their knowledge of cancer and motivate them to pursue further education and training for future careers as cancer
researchers. Trainees will be supported by a tiered mentorship structure that includes Faculty Track Group
Leaders who will be responsible for monitoring progress along milestones of completing their projects and lead
peer mentoring sessions where they learn about each other’s research. Using didactic sessions, experiential
research training in settings that represent the diversity of cancer research, and exposure to national and global
leaders in oncology research across the care continuum, SOAR participants will have a greater appreciation for
the interdisciplinary and interprofessional nature of oncology care and research. With rigorous evaluation and
planning, we will continue to build on our success with SOAR and determine if SOAR participants show a greater
propensity to enter cancer research/oncology careers, while tracking outcomes such as publications, grants, and
entry into academic careers. SOAR will enable PSOM to maintain its tradition of excellence in preparing a diverse
and highly skilled workforce to achieve the promise of precision oncology care and promote global health equity.
Terms: <AI system><Acceleration><Aging><Area><Artificial Intelligence><Attitude><Basic Research><Basic Science><Behavioral Research><Biology><Biomedical Research><COVID-19><CV-19><Cancer Burden><Cancer Hospital><Cancer Patient><Cancer Survivor><Cancers><Career Exploration><Caring><Cause of Death><Center for Cancer Research><Cessation of life><Chemicals><Chicago><Clinical><Clinical Research><Clinical Sciences><Clinical Study><Comprehensive Cancer Center><Computer Reasoning><Continuity of Care><Continuity of Patient Care><Continuum of Care><Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019><Country><Coupled><Data Science><Death><Decrease disparity><Diagnosis><Economic Income><Economical Income><Education and Training><Educational Activities><Enrollment><Evaluation><Exposure to><Faculty><Funding><Future><Goals><Grant><Health><Health Occupations><Health Professions><Hour><Income><Instruction><Intention><Intervention><Intervention Strategies><Investigators><Investments><Knowledge><Lead><Learning><Lower disparity><MD students><Machine Intelligence><Malignant Neoplasms><Malignant Tumor><Medical Education><Medical Students><Medicine><Mentors><Mentorship><Monitor><Mortality Decline><NCI Center for Cancer Research><NIH><National Cancer Burden><National Institutes of Health><Nature><Oncology><Oncology Cancer><Outcome><Participant><Patient-Centered Care><Pb element><Physicians><Population><Population Heterogeneity><Population Sciences><Productivity><PubMed><Public Health><Publications><Reporting><Research><Research Personnel><Research Resources><Research Training><Researchers><Resources><Science><Scientific Advances and Accomplishments><Scientific Publication><Scientist><Self Efficacy><Series><Site><Specialty><Structure><Students><Survey Instrument><Surveys><Training><Training Programs><Training Support><Training and Education><Travel><United States><United States National Institutes of Health><Universities><Woman><Work><anti-cancer research><assess effectiveness><cancer care><cancer disparity><cancer health disparity><cancer research><cancer-related health disparity><career><community engaged participatory research><community engaged research><community partnered research><community setting><community-engaged study><community-partnered study><conference><convention><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease-19><coronavirus infectious disease-19><design><designing><determine effectiveness><disparity in cancer><disparity reduction><diverse populations><education cost><education research><effectiveness assessment><effectiveness evaluation><enroll><evaluate effectiveness><examine effectiveness><experience><global health><health equity><health science profession><heavy metal Pb><heavy metal lead><heterogeneous population><implementation science><incomes><individualized cancer care><individualized oncology><innovate><innovation><innovative><interdisciplinary collaboration><interest><interventional strategy><lectures><malignancy><medical college><medical school students><medical schools><medical specialties><men><metabolism measurement><metabolomics><metabonomics><mitigate disparity><multidisciplinary><neoplasm/cancer><novel><outreach><patient centered><patient oriented><peer><peer coaching><peer instruction><peer led team learning><peer mentoring><peer teaching><personalized oncology><population diversity><precision cancer care><precision cancer medicine><precision oncology><pressure><programs><proteogenomics><reduce disparity><reduction in disparity><responsible research conduct><school of medicine><scientific accomplishments><scientific advances><skill acquisition><skill development><skills><student engagement><student motivation><student participation><success><summer program><summer research><summer session><summit><symposia><symposium><transdisciplinary collaboration><tumor><work group><working group>