Skip Navigation

National Cancer Institutes National Cancer Institute

The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research

Reaching all Communities Touched by Cancer

Research Training and Career Development

Preparing the Next Generation

Sapna Syngal, M.D., M.P.H., is currently the Director of the Brigham and Women's 
Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Program. Image credit: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 
Photo by: Shawn Henry, used with permission.

Dr. Sapna Syngal, M.D., M.P.H., is currently the Director of the Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Program

Dr. Sapna Syngal is an overachiever. She trained in internal medicine and gastrointestinal cancer, she focuses on the study of genetics, screening, and primary prevention of gastrointestinal tumors, primarily colorectal cancer. An assistant professor at the Harvard medical School and a researcher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Syngal sees patients, teaches postdoctoral students, and conducts cancer prevention research.

In 2000, Dr. Syngal received a Mentored Research Career Development Award. Her research to help reduce cancer incidence and mortality in individuals at high risk of colon cancer resulted in several other grants investigating genetic mutations in colorectal cancers.

In 2005, Dr. Syngal won "protected time" through an NCI-supported Mid-Career Investigator Award, which freed her from administrative, teaching, and clinical duties so she could focus on mentoring young clinician investigators in patient-oriented research. In 2005, Dr. Syngal worked with 14 postdoctoral clinicians, while continuing to further her research.

This outstanding clinical researcher is just one example of the people NCI and the NIH are honored to support through unique career development opportunities.

As one way to continue the advancement of the entire cancer community, NCI is committed to training a future generation of American and international researchers dedicated to reducing cancer incidence, mortality, and suffering. Cancer researchers in the decades ahead will face a new landscape of challenges and opportunities. For this reason, NCI continually adapts its training programs to accommodate rapid developments in the frontiers of science and technology.

NCI devotes approximately four percent of its annual budget to institutional and individual research training and career development-related grants and programs. This investment provides support for scientists throughout their careers. There has been an emergence of new disciplines, changes in how cancer patients are treated, and an increase emphasis on communicating research-based information on cancer. NCI annually funds over 2,200 research training and career development awards. This number, however, represents only a portion of the training effort which is also supported in SPORE grants, the intramural research program and throughout the Research Project Grant (RPG) pool.

NCI uses these diverse training and development resources to provide support for individuals, from graduate students to established investigators, who need-protected time away from administrative responsibilities to expand their research programs and mentor junior investigators. These investments will ensure a steady flow of well-trained investigators to focus on the challenges of fighting cancer and ultimately increase the diversity of the cancer research workforce.

 

Cancer researchers in the decades ahead will face a new landscape of challenges and opportunities. For this reason, NCI continually adapts its training programs to accommodate rapid developments in the frontiers of science and technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top Previous Page Next Page