In 2024, Stanford’s Department of Epidemiology & Population Health and the Stanford Cancer Institute launched an innovative new National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded predoctoral T32 training program in cancer genetic epidemiology that aims to bridge the gaps between traditionally disparate cancer research fields with multi-disciplinary education and holistic professional development. The training program is led by John Witte, PhD, co-leader of the Stanford Cancer Institute Population Sciences Program, and Melissa Bondy, PhD, Stanford Cancer Institute associate director of population sciences.

While traditional training programs have focused mainly on specific disciplinary pathways, this program offers a distinctive training experience that unites insights across diverse fields of inquiry. The program will support a total of five students a year, and graduates will have expertise in cancer research, epidemiology, genetics, omics, biostatistics, and disparities. Much of the program is centered in the Population Sciences Program. 

“We are honored that the National Cancer Institute has recognized the need for training across the fields represented by this new program. We have developed a comprehensive program that will include a number of new courses, seminars, internships, and community outreach experiences. Key aspects of the program include leveraging big data with novel approaches and working with understudied populations to understand the causes of cancer,” Witte said. “Our graduates will be able to serve as the ‘hub’  linking together teams comprised of basic scientists, clinical scientists, and population scientists.” 

Students will be trained with the concept of “cells to society,” the complex interplay between biological, social, and environmental factors that shape health outcomes at the micro and macro levels. With this approach, the Stanford Cancer Institute recognizes that health is not solely determined by genetics or individual behaviors but is influenced by the social and environmental contexts in which individuals live, work, and interact. Students will benefit beyond the opportunities in the Epidemiology & Population Health PhD graduate program, receiving access to activities, programs, pilot funding, and training resources within the Stanford Cancer Institute. 

December 2024
By Kai Zheng