INNOVATIVE MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION: THE STATISTICAL GENETICS OF ADDICTION
Shine Chang, Associate Prof/director, Cprtp
University Of Texas Md Anderson Can Ctr, Unit 0176, Houston, Tx 77030-4009
Grant 1R25DA026120-01A1 from National Institute On Drug Abuse
Abstract: The proposed research education program, has three objectives 1) to provide innovative education in statistical genetics methods for addictive behaviors to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows; 2) to involve and mentor them in the development and application of new statistical methods and computational models relevant to analyze the vast and ever increasing genetic data being generated from emerging high throughput technologies; and 3) to apply such methods to critical questions in the genetics of addiction. We have focused on two overarching and inter-related addictive disorders with which our Program leaders and mentors have significant expertise nicotine and opiate dependence. We offer a rich data infrastructure of ongoing and completed studies pertinent to the genetics of select addictive behaviors. We propose to develop curriculum-based methods that provide new knowledge and opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to work with faculty mentors on research projects focusing on statistical genetics and computational modeling approaches to nicotine and prescription opioid addiction. We will select two pre-doctoral students and one postdoctoral fellow in the first year. Each subsequent year, we will increase the number of participants and at the end of 5 years we will have appointed 5 predoctoral students and 5 postdoctoral fellows each for a maximum of five years. Mentors have been identified from the faculty of collaborating institutions where participants will have their primary appointments including The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, UT Health Science Center and School of Public Health, Baylor College of Medicine, and Rice University. Additional mentors who are leaders in addiction and statistical genetics also serve on the Program Advisory Committee from the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockefeller University, and Texas A&M. These mentors have agreed to join the Program for their expertise and experience in addiction research, statistical genetics and computational models, behavioral science, and genetic epidemiology. The significance of this research education program then is multi-fold. In addition to teaching students to become statistical genetic leaders with a focus in addiction research, it is anticipated that robust new statistical methodologies will be tested and validated and finally that novel genetic targets will be identified. The identification of novel genetic risk factors and their interaction with the environment can contribute to understanding the genetic etiology of nicotine and opiate addiction and help to identify individuals at highest risk as well as to develop targeted therapies on the basis of their personal exposure patterns and their genetic risk profiles. In summary, changing patterns of tobacco use and growing illicit use of prescription pain killers, particularly by children, make the significance of educating these new scientists and launching them in research paramount. This research education program for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows will provide mentored training in statistical genetics methods applied to addictive disorders focused on nicotine and opiate dependence. The trainees and their faculty mentors will develop and apply new statistical methods and computational models relevant to analyze the vast and ever increasing genetic data being generated from emerging high throughput technologies; and they will apply such methods to critical questions in the genetics of addiction
Keywords: 0-11 years old; Academy; Addiction, Opiate; Addictive Behavior; Adopted; Advisory Committees; Alcohol abuse; Alcoholism; Analgesic Agents; Analgesic Drugs; Analgesic Preparation; Analgesics; Anodynes; Antinociceptive Agents; Antinociceptive Drugs; Appointment; Area; Authorship; Behavioral; Behavioral Sciences; Biological; Biometrics; Biometry; Biometry and Biostatistics; Biostatistics; Cancer Center; Cancer of Brain; Chalk; Child; Child Youth; Children (0-21); Clinical; Clinical Trial Overviews; Collaborations; Commit; Complement; Complement Proteins; Complex; Computer Simulation; Computerized Models; Curriculum; DCP; Data; Data Banks; Data Bases; Data Pooling; Data Poolings; Databank, Electronic; Databanks; Database, Electronic; Databases; Dependence, Opiate; Development; Discipline; Division of Cancer Prevention; Doctor of Philosophy; Education; Education Projects; Educational Activities; Educational Curriculum; Educational aspects; Educational process of instructing; Environment; Epidemiology; Equipment and supply inventories; Ethics Committees, Research; Evaluation; FLR; Faculty; Failure (biologic function); Fostering; Funding; GWAS; Gene variant; Genes; Genetic; Genetic Algorithm; Genetic Diversity; Genetic Predisposition; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic Programming; Genetic Risk; Genetic Susceptibility; Genetic Variation; Hawks; Head; Health Care Research; Health Sciences; Health Services Evaluation; Health Services Research; Healthcare Research; Human, Child; IRBs; Individual; Infrastructure; Inherited Predisposition; Inherited Susceptibility; Institutes; Institution; Institutional Review Boards; International; Inventory; Investigation; Investigators; Journals; Knowledge; Leadership; Lectures; Lectures (PT); Lectures [Publication Type]; Letters; Lung; MDACC; Magazine; Malignant Tumor of the Brain; Malignant neoplasm of brain; Mathematical Model Simulation; Mathematical Models and Simulations; Mediation; Medical Care Research; Medicine; Mentors; Mentorship; Meta-Analyses; Meta-Analysis; Method LOINC Axis 6; Methodology; Methodology, Research; Methods; Modeling; Models, Computer; Monitor; NIDA; National Institute of Drug Abuse; Nature; Negotiating; Negotiation; Nicotine; Operation; Operative Procedures; Operative Surgical Procedures; Opiate Addiction; Opioid; Outcome; Paper; Participant; Pathway interactions; Pattern; Ph.D.; PhD; Play; Policies; Population Sciences; Position; Positioning Attribute; Postdoc; Postdoctoral Fellow; Prevention Research; Procedures; Process; Program Evaluation; Programs (PT); Programs [Publication Type]; Progress Reports; Public Health Schools; Pyridine, 3-(1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)-, (S)-; Qualifying; R01 Mechanism; R01 Program; R25 Mechanism; R25 Program; RPG; Recruitment Activity; Research; Research Associate; Research Ethics Committees; Research Grants; Research Infrastructure; Research Methodology; Research Methods; Research Personnel; Research Project Grants; Research Projects; Research Projects, R-Series; Research Resources; Research Training; Researchers; Resources; Respiratory System, Lung; Rice; Role; Schools; Science; Science of Medicine; Science of genetics; Scientist; Series; Simulate; Simulation, Computer based; Statistical Methods; Students; Surgical; Surgical Interventions; Surgical Procedure; Task Forces; Teaching; Testing; Texas; Time; Tobacco Consumption; Tobacco use; Training; Training Programs; Universities; University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Update; Variation (Genetics); Washington; Work; addiction; alcohol problem; allelic variant; analgesia; base; behavioral health; biobehavior; biobehavioral; cancer prevention; children; clinical data repository; clinical data warehouse; college; computational modeling; computational models; computational simulation; computer based models; computerized modeling; computerized simulation; cost; data repository; environment effect on gene; ethanol abuse; experience; failure; gene environment interaction; genetic epidemiology; genetic etiology; genetic mechanism of disease; genetic risk factor; genetic vulnerability; genome wide association scan; genome wide association studies; genome wide association study; genome-wide scan; genomewide association scan; genomewide association studies; genomewide association study; genomewide scan; graduate student; hazardous alcohol use; health disparities; health disparity; high risk; high throughput technology; improved; in silico; inherited factor; innovate; innovation; innovative; interest; lectures; medical schools; member; multidisciplinary; novel; opioid addiction; opioid dependence; pathway; post-doc; post-doctoral; pre-doc; pre-doctoral; predoc; predoctoral; prescription opioid; prevent; preventing; problem drinking; programs; psychosocial; public health relevance; pulmonary; recruit; relational database; services research; social role; statistics/biometry; success; surgery; tool; virtual simulation; whole genome association studies; whole genome association study; youngster
Relevance: This research education program for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows will provide mentored training in statistical genetics methods applied to addictive disorders focused on nicotine and opiate dependence. The trainees and their faculty mentors will develop and apply new statistical methods and computational models relevant to analyze the vast and ever increasing genetic data being generated from emerging high throughput technologies; and they will apply such methods to critical questions in the genetics of addiction
Project start date: 2010-08-01
Project end date: 2015-03-31
Budget start date: 1-AUG-2010
Budget end date: 31-MAR-2011
PFA/PA: PAR-08-081
1R25DA026120-01A1 (2010): $324009
Sponsored Links Excellgen http://Excellgen.com
Grants awarded to Shine Chang
CANCER PREVENTION EDUCATION: STUDENT RESEARCH EXPERIENCES
Shine Chang, Associate Prof/director, Cprtp
University Of Texas Md Anderson Can Ctr, Unit 0176, Houston, Tx 77030-4009
Grant 5R25CA056452-19 from National Cancer Institute
Abstract: This is a competitive R25E renewal application for years 16 to 20 of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Cancer Prevention Education Student Research Experiences (the Program, www.cancerpreventiontraining.org). Since the beginning in 1992, the objective has been to provide short-term research experiences in cancer prevention research and education to students as a means to recruit them to careers in cancer prevention research. We have developed curriculum-based methods that provide new knowledge and opportunities for graduate students and minority undergraduates from the basic biomedical sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, genetics, behavioral and social sciences, nursing, medicine, and related public health disciplines to work with faculty mentors on cancer prevention research projects. Beginning with 10 budgeted positions and increasing by 2 per year to 18 positions supported annually since year 5, the Program now requests 7 additional three-month positions to add flexibility for more involved and complex projects. The request is based on our documented greater faculty capacity to provide high-quality mentored research opportunities and increased demand for the existing positions. To date, all positions have been filled annually. Before beginning the experience, each student develops with his or her mentor and the Program Directors an educational plan with research objectives, a timeline, and learning objectives. The Advisory Committee reviews and selects the students based on the merit of their educational objectives and research plan. Students receive a stipend with limited funds available for tuition for required courses, "Topics in Cancer Prevention I & II." Students deliver an oral report on their research experience at our Cancer Prevention Trainee Brown Bag seminars. A mentor´s evaluation and students self-evaluations identify strengths and limitations of the research experience, based on the specific goals in the student´s educational plan. The Specific Aims are to recruit and select students to fill 25 positions annually; to maintain and increase pool of potential faculty mentors and to recognize model mentors; to maintain innovative and effective recruitment and application processes; to maintain the review and oversight functions of the Advisory Committee; to maintain process and outcome evaluation, and long-term tracking of trainees; and to update and expand the Program´s multi-disciplinary curriculum in cancer prevention. Several innovations to the Program are proposed 1) to add to the curriculum a course in bio-behavioral methods in cancer prevention and a seminar series, "Decision-making for Next Career Steps in Cancer Prevention"; and to improve the Program´s Internet tools for recruitment, mentor and project selection, alumni follow-up, and on-demand learning (e.g., videocasting). Overall, the Program´s success takes many forms, from students´ research presentations and publications, to development of master´s theses and doctoral dissertations, as well as the growing number of alumni who have completed training and currently hold academic positions in cancer prevention research
Keywords: Active Follow-up; Advisory Committees; African American; Afro American; Afroamerican; Authorization; Authorization documentation; Behavioral; Biometrics; Biometry; Biometry and Biostatistics; Biostatistics; Black Populations; Black or African American; Budgets; Cancers; Comment; Comment (PT); Comment [Publication Type]; Commentary; Commentary (PT); Complex; Curriculum; DCP; Decision Making; Development; Discipline; Discipline of Nursing; Division of Cancer Prevention; ELIG; Editorial Comment; Editorial Comment (PT); Education; Educational Curriculum; Educational aspects; Educational process of instructing; Electronics; Eligibility; Eligibility Determination; Evaluation; Faculty; Funding; Goals; Grant; Hispanic Populations; Hispanics; Hispanics or Latinos; Institution; Internet; Knowledge; Latino Population; Learning; MDACC; Malignant Neoplasms; Malignant Tumor; Medical; Medicine; Mentors; Methods; Minority; Modeling; NIH RFA; Nursing; Nursing Field; Nursing Profession; Oral; Outcome; Permission; Population Sciences; Position; Positioning Attribute; Postdoc; Postdoctoral Fellow; Prevention Research; Prevention education; Process; Programs (PT); Programs [Publication Type]; Progress Reports; Protocol Screening; Public Health; Publications; Published Comment; Qualifying; R01 Mechanism; R01 Program; RPG; Recruitment Activity; Reporting; Request for Applications; Research; Research Associate; Research Grants; Research Project Grants; Research Projects; Research Projects, R-Series; Science; Science of Medicine; Scientific Publication; Series; Spanish Origin; Students; System; System, LOINC Axis 4; Task Forces; Teaching; TimeLine; Training; Training Support; Underrepresented Minority; University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Update; Viewpoint; Viewpoint (PT); WWW; Woman; Work; base; behavioral/social science; black American; cancer prevention; career; cohort; college; college student; design; designing; experience; experiment; experimental research; experimental study; flexibility; follow-up; genetic epidemiology; graduate student; hispanic community; improved; innovate; innovation; innovative; malignancy; neoplasm/cancer; post-doc; post-doctoral; professor; programs; public health medicine (field); recruit; research study; response; statistics/biometry; success; tool; under-represented minority; underserved minority; university student; web; web site; world wide web
Project start date: 1992-07-01
Project end date: 2012-06-30
Budget start date: 1-JUL-2010
Budget end date: 30-JUN-2011
PFA/PA: PAR-06-540
5R25CA056452-19 (2010): $323040
5R25CA056452-18 (2009): $323241
3R25CA056452-18S1 (2009): $253451
M.D. ANDERSON EDUCATION PROGRAM IN CANCER PREVENTION
Shine Chang, Associate Prof/director, Cprtp
University Of Texas Md Anderson Can Ctr, Unit 0176, Houston, Tx 77030-4009
Grant 3R25CA057730-18S2 from National Cancer Institute
Abstract: The proposed renewal ofthe Education Program in Cancer Prevention will continue to support eight postdoctoral and eight predoctoral (post-Master´s) trainee positions. This Programhas successfully trained more than 80 new investigators and has been continuously funded (R25CAsyyso) for 14years. Trainees are recruited from the basic biomedical sciences, biomedical statistics, epidemiology, genetics, behavioral and social sciences, nursing, medicine, and related public health disciplines. Recruitment ofwomen (60%) and minority trainees (27%)has been highly successful. Trainees are selected in a 2-level reviewprocess based on the merit oftheir proposed educational objectives and mentored research projects. Applicant proposals, created in a Koy-like format, are reviewed by both our AdvisoryCommitteeand a panel of external reviewers in the field of cancer prevention. These proposals describe a tailored .educationalplan includingcoursework, a timeline, research project, and educational objectives. Each plan is based on hands-on experience in ongoing peer-reviewed cancer prevention research projects under the mentorship of at least two established investigators from different disciplines. The success of this program has stimulated the faculty´s enthusiasm for mentoring trainees, with 65 faculty having mentored or co-mentored our trainees. Trainees participate in a multidisciplinary curriculum that includes a core curriculumin cancer biology, cancer prevention, public health, and the behavioral sciences, plus special workshops in professional skills such as grant writing and public speaking. Postdoctoral fellows are required to prepare and submit grant applications during their training. Trainees have access to many resources at M. D.Anderson in its existing patient and research databases and access to large populations for prevention intervention studies; other resources available to trainees through their faculty mentors include extensive laboratory and clinical facilities. Thisprogram continues to attract promisingtrainees to careers in cancer prevention, to mentor their research, and to launch their careers with a cancer prevention research focus. Starting in 1992 with 4 trainee positions, the program has gradually increased its capacityto the present level of 16positions. During this same period, the size of the faculty and funded research in cancer prevention has grown more than eight-fold, providing a significant training resource
Keywords: Applications Grants; Behavioral Sciences; Cancer Biology; Clinical; Curriculum; Data Banks; Data Bases; Databank, Electronic; Databanks; Database, Electronic; Databases; Development Plans; Discipline; Discipline of Nursing; Doctor of Medicine; Education; Educational Curriculum; Educational aspects; Educational workshop; Environment; Evaluation; Faculty; Funding; Future; Goals; Grant; Grant Proposals; Grants, Applications; Hand; Individual; Intervention Studies; Investigators; Laboratories; Laboratory Research; Learning; M.D.; Medical Specialities; Medicine; Mentors; Mentorship; Methodology, Research; Molecular Genetic; Molecular Genetics; Monitor; Nursing; Nursing Field; Nursing Profession; Patients; Peer Review; Population; Position; Positioning Attribute; Postdoc; Postdoctoral Fellow; Prevention Research; Preventive Intervention; Principal Investigator; Programs (PT); Programs [Publication Type]; Public Health; Public Speaking; R01 Mechanism; R01 Program; RPG; Recruitment Activity; Research; Research Associate; Research Grants; Research Methodology; Research Methods; Research Peer Review; Research Personnel; Research Project Grants; Research Projects; Research Projects, R-Series; Research Resources; Researchers; Resources; Role; Science; Science of Medicine; Science of Statistics; Series; Specialties, Medical; Specialty; Statistics; TimeLine; Training; Training Programs; Workshop; Writing; base; behavioral/social science; biomedical scientist; cancer prevention; career; career development; clinical data repository; clinical data warehouse; data repository; experience; genetic epidemiology; medical specialties; minority trainee; multidisciplinary; post-doc; post-doctoral; pre-doc; pre-doctoral; predoc; predoctoral; preventional intervention strategy; programs; public health medicine (field); recruit; relational database; skills; social role; statistics; success
Project start date: 1992-09-15
Project end date: 2012-08-31
Budget start date: 11-SEP-2009
Budget end date: 31-AUG-2010
PFA/PA: PAR-03-148
3R25CA057730-18S2 (2009): $99969
3R25CA057730-18S1 (2009): $99824
5R25CA057730-19 (2010): $1148853
3R25CA057730-19S1 (2010): $98170
3R25CA057730-19S2 (2010): $99253
5R25CA057730-18 (2009): $1065729
IMPROVING RETENTION OF MINORITY TRAINEES: MENTORING IN SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS
Shine Chang
University Of Texas Md Anderson Can Ctr, Unit 0176, Houston, Tx 77030-4009
Grant 5R01GM085600-02 from National Institute Of General Medical Sciences
Abstract: Mastery of written and oral communication skills is essential for the survival of faculty everywhere. It can be a challenge for scientists from any background, but may be especially difficult for those who are educationally under-prepared or who have had limited exposure to standard academic English. Teaching such skills typically falls to mentors, who often find this task labor intensive and frustrating, with few tools available. Non-native English-speaking mentors may have particular difficulty, but even mentors with excellent English-language skills may not know how to teach these skills effectively. Unfortunately, struggling unsuccessfully with these skills can have multiple negative impacts on trainees and their mentors. For these reasons, the critical gap we address is identification of mentor and trainee factors that influence trainee scientific communication skills development, including response to being identified for training, particularly if such factors contribute to the historical lack of minority representation In science and academia. Participants will be drawn from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center with additional underrepresented trainees recruited from nearby institutions. The aims are to (1) Assess trainees´ practices, attitudes, confidence, and needs in scientific communication from a cross-section of 1300 research graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, using an online survey and comparing across trainee categories (e.g., race-ethnicity, gender, education, language status); and (2) Assess mentors´ practices, attitudes, and confidence In developing trainees´ scientific communication skills from a sample of 550 current and recent mentors compared across rank, gender, race and ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics, including language status. Results will help us develop needs assessment tools in scientific communication skill development, and lay the foundation for creating and adapting educational activities. In future, we will design an educational curriculum in scientific communication culturally and linguistically appropriate for mentors and trainees to integrate into existing activities. In creating such a curriculum. we can test the hypothesis that mentors can coach trainees more effectively in written and oral communication skills when they have detailed. objective evaluations of their trainees´ communication skills. Such culturally appropriate tools and strategies for mentoring can enable mentors to provide more individualized coaching and referral to expert teaching, if necessary. We expect that this innovative method will help mentors of all trainees, but be especially effective in launching careers of investigators at high risk for failure due to weak communication skills
Keywords: Academia; Address; Advisory Committees; Age; Attitude; Behavior; Categories; Characteristics; Communication; Consultations; Curriculum; Demographic Factors; Development; Disadvantaged; E-Mail; Economics; Education; Educational Curriculum; Educational aspects; Educational process of instructing; Educational workshop; Electronic Mail; Email; English Language; Ethnic Origin; Ethnicity; Ethnicity aspects; Evaluation; Exposure to; FLR; Faculty; Failure (biologic function); Frustration; Future; Gender; Generations; Goals; Grant; Guidelines; Head; Hearing; Influentials; Institution; Instruction; Intervention; Intervention Strategies; Investigators; Knowledge; Language; Left; Letters; MDACC; Manuscripts; Mentors; Mentorship; Methods; Minority; Mission; Modification; NIGMS; National Institute of General Medical Sciences; Oral; Participant; Perception; Play; Postdoc; Postdoctoral Fellow; Preparedness; Process; Program Development; Programmed Instruction; Programs (PT); Programs [Publication Type]; Publishing; Race; Racial Group; Readiness; Reporting; Research; Research Associate; Research Personnel; Research Resources; Researchers; Resources; Risk; Role; SUBGP; Sampling; Schools; Science; Scientist; Self Efficacy; Services; Solutions; Staging; Stocks, Racial; Students; Subgroup; Survey Instrument; Surveys; Task Forces; Teaching; Testing; Time; Training; University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Workshop; Writing; career; college; cost; design; designing; evaluation/testing; experience; failure; falls; graduate student; hearing perception; high risk; improved; innovate; innovation; innovative; intervention program; interventional strategy; meetings; member; minority trainee; oral communication; post-doc; post-doctoral; programs; public health relevance; rehearsal; response; satisfaction; skills; social role; sound perception; success; tool
Relevance: 7. Mastery of written and oral communication skills is essential for the survival of research faculty everywhere, and can be a challenge for junior scientists from any background, but may be especially difficult for those who are educationally under-prepared or who have had limited exposure to standard academic English. The main burden of teaching communication skills typically falls upon mentors who often find this task labor intensive and frustrating, and useful tools to help are rare. Mentors who are not themselves native English speakers may have particular difficulty, but even mentors with excellent language skills may not know how to teach their trainees effectively, and addressing these needs can further burden mentoring relationships already challenged by gender, age, or cultural gaps. Unfortunately, struggling unsuccessfully to master these skills can have multiple negative impacts on trainees, their mentors, their mentoring relationships. For these reasons, the critical gap that we will address is the identification and modification of both mentor and trainee factors that influence trainee scientific communication skills development, particularly if such factors play a role in the historical lack of minority representation in science and academia
Project start date: 2009-09-30
Project end date: 2011-08-31
Budget start date: 1-SEP-2010
Budget end date: 31-AUG-2011
PFA/PA: RFA-GM-09-011
5R01GM085600-02 (2010): $384977
Sponsored Links Excellgen http://Excellgen.com
1R01GM085600-01A1 (2009): $384968
Shine Chang
University Of Texas Md Anderson Can Ctr
Project start date: 2010-08-01
Project end date: 2015-03-31