CRTEC offers a robust variety of opportunities to everyone from high school students to career researchers in order to increase the pool of next-generation cancer researchers and professionals and to develop and integrate cancer-focused training, education and professional development activities across all levels of learners. 

Our CRTEC program operates with 4 key aims:

  • Establish and provide strong infrastructure to train next-generation cancer researchers 
  • Coordinate and assist in mentoring activities and career enhancement 
  • Coordinate and integrate cancer training activities with programmatic, shared resources and other institutional training effort 
  • Support career development for underrepresented/women trainees and faculty and provide cancer education in our catchment area 

Mission

Establish and maintain a strong infrastructure of training and education for a diverse workforce of cancer researchers and support their career development.

CRTEC Programs

CRTEC Training Pipeline

 

CRTEC - Pipeline Example - Comprehensive Cancer Center

 

Mentor Matching Program (MMP) 

The MMP’s goal is to provide appropriate scientific advice to all cancer-focused junior faculty for their successful transition to independence 

Specifically, the MMP guides early-stage investigators (ESIs) to assemble the most appropriate mentoring team, develop a personalized career plan and monitor their progress 

  • Mentors are chosen by the CRTEC Advisory Committee in consultation with the trainee’s home academic department 
  • The mentoring team helps the ESI develop a personalized career plan and provides guidance throughout the mentee’s career 
  • The Committee meets with an ESI at a regular quarterly meeting, discusses the mentoring process and makes appropriate recommendations for mentors 
  • Currently, MMP supports 165 mentees (69 faculty, 96 postdoctoral trainees and fellows)

Mentor Matching - CRTEC - Comprehensive Cancer Center

Clinical Trial Boot Camp (RFA) 

The WFBCCC Clinical Trials Boot Camp is modeled after the AACR/ASCO Vail Clinical Cancer Methods workshop and consists of 2.5 days of lectures and small group mentoring discussions over a 3-week period.

Each participant submits a trial concept and work with paired clinical mentors, biostatisticians, patient advocates and basic science collaborators where applicable with the goal of a final protocol version by the end of the course.

Lectures cover the essentials of effective clinical trial designs of therapeutic oncology interventions, logistics and challenges to conducting clinical trials and overview of available WFBCCC Shared Resources 

Upon successful completion of the course and final protocol approval, pilot awards will be provided to conduct the trial. 

Additional Information: Please contact Emily Dressler at Emily.Dressler@wakehealth.edu for more information.