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updated 1/2006
Read about the: Career Development Project 1
The field of prostate cancer research has been greatly hindered by the paucity of new investigators entering into the field. In recognition of the need to help establish independently funded investigators in the field of translational prostate cancer research, the UMCCC Prostate SPORE has supported two to three junior faculty per year. The focus of the Career Development Program is to give investigators the ability to generate data that will become the preliminary data for prostate cancer R01 grant applications. The SPORE currently commits $70,000 annually per investigator. Career Development awardees are currently funded for a maximum of three years, subject to annual review. Individual departments supply another $20,000 per year in matching funds. Investigators, many of whom are outside the field of prostate cancer, meet quarterly with Drs. Wood and Macoska who act as clinical and basic science resource mentors, respectively.
Dr. Wood is a Professor of Urology. Dr. Wood is nationally and internationally recognized for his expertise in urologic oncology, particularly prostate cancer. Dr. Macoska is an associate professor of urology, co-director of the urologic oncology program of the Cancer Center, and director of the cDNA Microarray Core of the UMCCC. Both Drs. Wood and Macoska are very experienced in the training of clinical and basic science fellows and faculty. The progress of the Career Development investigators is monitored yearly by presentation to the Operating Committee and funding can be stopped if the investigators are not fulfilling their commitment to prostate cancer translational research. Our eleven investigators have had primary appointments in internal medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, urology, anatomy and cell biology, radiation oncology, pathology, biomedical engineering, and obstetrics and gynecology. To date, we have invested $1.5 million in the Career Development Program. Our Career Development investigators have generated $4 million in new grant monies and all continue to hold appointments at the University of Michigan.
Title: Cavitational Ultrasound Tissue Ablation (Histotripsy) in the Canine Prostate
Title: Evaluation of Tissue Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Radiation Therapy
Willie Underwood III, M.D. - 2003-2005
Improving our understanding of the racial/ethnic disparity in the treatment of nonmetastatic clinically localized prostate cancer
Arul Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D - 2001-2002
Title: Molecular Profiling of Prostate Cancer: Delineation of Candidate Biomarkers and Regulatory Genes
Kenneth van Golen, Ph.D. - 2001-2002
Title: The role of RhoC GTPase in Prostate Cancer Progression.
Stanislav Emelianov, Ph.D. - 2000-2002
Title: Prostate Elasticity Imaging – A New Technology for Early Detection and Monitoring of Prostate Pathology
Jiayuh Lin, Ph.D. 2000-2002
Title: The apoptotic activity of a potent pro-apoptotic gene, Hrk, in prostate cancer cells
John Wei, M.D. - 1999-2001
Title: Metabolic Consequences of Androgen Deprivation Therapy on Bone Metabolism in Men with Recurrent Carcinoma of the Prostate
Eric D. Schwab, Ph.D. - 1998-2000
Title: Cloning and characterization of a gene associated with metastatic prostate cancer
Donna Livant, Ph.D. - 1998-2000
Title: PHSCN and related peptides: Novel anti-invasive and anti-metastatic therapeutic agents
Mats Ljungman, Ph.D. - 1998-2000
Title: The effect of butyrate on apoptosis induced by radiation, hormone-withdrawl, and chemotherapy in human prostate cancer cells
Kathleen Cooney, M.D. - 1995-1998
Title: Allelic loss in familial and sporadic prostate cancer
Dan Wechsler, M.D., Ph.D. 1995-1998
Title: The role of mxi 1 in prostate cancer progression
Laurie McCauley, D.D.S., Ph.D. - 1995-1998
Title: Role of PTHrp in prostate cancer – bone interactions
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