Postdoctoral & Junior Faculty Training Opportunities

Duke Cancer Institute

Carlos DeCastro III, MD, directs the training of adult medical hematology/oncology fellows. Susan Kreissman, MD, directs the pediatric hematology/oncology fellows. Joseph Salama, MD, directs the radiation residents. Katherine Peters, MD, PhD, directs the neuro-oncology fellows. Paula Lee, MD, MPH, directs the gynecological oncology fellows. 

The DCI is also a major supporter of the Southeast Fellows Research Skills Retreat, an intensive off-site three-day program attended by all our oncology fellow trainees and faculty from Duke, UNC, Medical University of South Carolina, East Carolina University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and University of Virginia, providing formalized education on scientific writing, grant writing, clinical study design, and career path development.

Duke CRTEC supports post-doctoral training through a number of highly successful institutional T32 training grants, including the T32 in Viral Oncology directed by DCI member, Micah Luftig, PhD; a T32 in Surgical Oncology directed by DCI member, H. Kim Lyerly, MD; a T32 in Hematology and Cell Therapy directed by DCI member, Gowthami Morey Arepally, MD; and a joint T32 in Cancer Immunotherapy with UNC-Chapel Hill co-directed by DCI member, Nelson Chao, MD, MBA. There are also broader training grants that serve as a foundation for cancer research, including the T32 in Aging directed by DCI member, Harvey Cohen, MD; and the T32 in Genomic Medicine directed by DCI member, Geoffrey Ginsburg, MD, PhD.

Duke University

The CTSA-funded TL1 Program provides two years of training in translational research and a rigorous academic training in the quantitative and methodological principles of clinical research required to excel in today's dynamic clinical research environment. The Program leads to a Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Research awarded by the Duke School of Medicine. Participants take courses in statistical analysis, clinical research, research management, and responsible conduct of research.

The Robert J. Lefkowitz Society, directed by Gerard Blobe, MD, PhD, provides mentoring and research support for physician-scientists in the residency and fellowship programs at the Duke University School of Medicine who are pursuing careers with a primary focus on basic and translational research. The Lefkowitz Society provides mentoring, networking, and funding for travel to scientific conferences, including the annual ASCI meeting in Chicago. Exceptional residents and fellows are provided resources to carry out research projects during their clinical training.  

Duke Cancer Institute

The DCI directly supports DCI junior faculty research through pilot project funding, with two RFAs annually, and six to eight projects funded at $50,000 annually. The DCI helped pilot the Protected Career Launch Program which supports the development of Rebecca Previs, MD, a gynecological oncologist who works in the Donald McDonnell, PhD, laboratory as she investigates ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment; and the professional development of radiation oncologist Christine Eyler, M.D., Ph.D. of radiation oncology, and surgical oncologist Michael Lidsky, who are training in the Kris Wood, PhD, laboratory on the mechanisms of cancer therapy resistance.

Duke University

The Duke Endowment funds the competitive Duke Physician-Scientist Strong Start Awards Program for new laboratory-based physician-scientists as they develop independent research programs. DCI members funded include Katherine Garman, MD; Amanda MacLeod, MD; and Yvonne Mowery, MD, PhD. The Duke Health-funded Duke Health Scholars and Fellows Program supports the research efforts of early career clinician-scientists to expand their research in new directions and expert mentoring tailored to their interests/career aspirations. Prior DCI members funded include Sandeep Dave, MD; Peter Fecci, MD, PhD; Brent Hanks, MD, PhD; and Dorothy Sipkins, PhD.

The Duke University School of Medicine LEADER Program is an interactive three-day learning program designed to equip junior faculty researchers with the knowledge and professional competencies to effectively lead dynamic scientific research enterprises, including discovering and developing leadership skills, promoting collaboration, fostering innovation and teamwork, and managing conflict. The course includes two personal inventory assessments, which provide an opportunity to receive constructive feedback.

The Academic Leadership, Innovation, and Collaborative Engagement (ALICE) Program provides in-depth opportunities for leadership skill development, personal reflection and goal setting, peer-mentoring, and structured 360 feedback in a year-long program that focuses on personal leadership skills designed to help individuals more deftly navigate leadership in academic medicine. Prior DCI participants include Annick Desjardins, MD; Shannon McCall, MD; and Hope Uronis, MD.

The Duke Office for Research Mentoring, directed by Cathleen Sellner Colon-Emeric, MD, in collaboration with the Duke CTSA and the National Research Mentoring Network has developed a Mentor Training Curriculum open to faculty investigators at all experience levels focusing on six key mentorship competencies: effective communication, aligning expectations, assessing understanding, addressing equity and inclusion, fostering independence, and promoting professional development.