Transdisciplinary Research in Energetics and Cancer early career investigator training program: first year results

Abstract

Energy imbalance increases cancer burden by increasing cancer risk and mortality. Training early career investigators on conducting impactful energy balance and cancer research is needed. We developed a Transdisciplinary Research in Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Training Program for early career investigators. This analysis examined program satisfaction, knowledge gained, publications, and awards among Year 1 participants (i.e., fellows). The program consists of an in-person course, followed by 1 year of mentorship. Faculty and fellows completed precourse and postcourse surveys. Following the mentorship period, we surveyed fellows for TREC-related research productivity, including publications and grant funding attributed to the program. Twenty fellows were accepted into the program: 3 basic, 7 clinical, and 10 population scientists. Sixteen fellows were junior faculty and four were postdoctoral fellows. The course included ~50 lectures, small group sessions, and faculty-fellow sessions. 96.7% of attendees rated the course in the highest categories of "good/very good." Knowledge significantly improved in 37 of 39 research competencies (94.8%). In the 18 months following the course, fellows published 25 manuscripts, with 3 published in journals with impact factor ≥10. Nineteen grants were funded to TREC fellows (i.e., 7 National Institutes of Health awards, 2 American Cancer Society [ACS] awards, and 10 foundation/pilot awards), and 7 fellows received career promotions. The program's impact will be defined by the degree to which TREC fellows produce discoveries that could improve the health of populations at risk for and/or surviving cancer. Upon the conclusion of our fifth year in 2021, we will publicly disseminate the program material.

Keywords: Cancer; Career development; Diet; Exercise; Mentoring; Mortality; Obesity; Physical activity; Recurrence; Survival; Weight.