Team Science and Training in Cancer Research Supported by NIH T32 Grant
UC Davis continues to emphasize team science in training the next generation of scientists engaged in basic and translational cancer research for animals and humans, thanks to a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 grant.
This is the second time that the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine and the UC Davis School of Medicine have been awarded $1.9M over five years for its innovative Comparative Oncology Training Program. The first award was made in 2020.
The grant, formally known as the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, supports institutions to develop or enhance research training opportunities for pre and postdoctoral fellows to be trained in cancer research.
Dr. Xinbin Chin, a basic science oncology researcher and Dr. Michael Kent, radiation oncologist—both professors in the department of surgical and radiological sciences in the veterinary school—will be serving as co-PIs along with Dr. Robert Canter, a surgical oncologist from UC Davis Health.
The goal is two-fold: 1) to train veterinarian- and physician-scientists, and 2) support graduate students pursuing Ph.D. or dual DVM-Ph.D. degrees to integrate the study of companion animals, which have naturally- occurring cancers, with human cancer biology and therapy (comparative oncology). This will create a new generation of scientists engaged in basic and translational cancer research that advances the health of people and animals.
There are six positions each year that will be supported by this funding over a five-year period: three DVM/Ph.D. or Ph.D. students and three post-doctoral fellows seeking further training.
“This is a great example of collaboration between the medical and veterinary schools to advance cancer research and care,” said Dr. Michael Kent who serves as co-director of the Comparative Cancer Center. “Comparative oncology is an integral part of the four programs within the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. There are 59 such centers around the country that receive NCI designation and funding. UC Davis is unique in how the veterinary school is integrated into the cancer center.”
We share biological similarities and environments with our pets, and develop many of the same medical issues, including cancer. For those reasons, our companion animals provide the best spontaneous tumor models for understanding disease processes and contributing to human medical knowledge.
“Tackling complex cancer research problems should include investigators with broad experience across animal and human species,” Kent explained. “Veterinarians can strengthen comparative approaches essential to multidisciplinary research accelerating innovative treatments for animals and humans, while medical doctors bring a patient-centered approach linking biology with clinical therapy. With this NIH grant, we will be at the forefront of training the next generation of clinicians to do research in comparative oncology.”