Fall, Winter, and Spring Sessions. Four-Week Session

Course Coordinator:
Arun Rajan, MD

Rotation Description
The Medical Oncology Branch (MOB) and its affiliates conduct translational and clinical research focused on the biology of various tumors and the development of new drugs for treatment. The MOB's major functions are:

1. To develop novel therapeutic research strategies for the treatment of cancer and to test those strategies by conducting clinical research in medical oncology across a spectrum of diseases and disease mechanisms;
2. To provide clinical care to adult cancer patients enrolled in research protocols, including in-patient and out-patient services, to support the clinical research effort emanating from principal investigators in laboratories and branches across the Center for Cancer Research (CCR); and,
3. To train physician-scientists in a laboratory-to-clinic translational research setting to promote the development of their expertise in medical oncology research and to support their board certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine [disclaimer].

The MOB has active programs for management of women's cancers (breast, ovarian and other gynecological malignancies), thoracic malignancies, genitourinary cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, and hematological malignancies such as lymphoma, and multiple myeloma and related precursor conditions. The Developmental Therapeutics Section focuses on bringing new drugs into clinic by conducting phase 0, I and II clinical trials.

The Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch (ETIB) is dedicated to coordinated efforts in basic, preclinical and clinical investigations in the areas of immunology, tumor angiogenesis, hematopoiesis, infections in immunocompromised host, antigen discovery, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for malignant diseases.

The Metabolism Branch focuses on the regulation of the immune response and the definition of disorders of immunoregulation that underlie immunodeficiency and neoplastic diseases.

Medical students will work alongside clinical staff and follow patients in the out-patient clinics as well as the wards. Each week, the MOB also organizes a number of departmental and multidisciplinary conferences, which students are expected to attend.

Rotation Objectives

1. Interact with and follow patients with a broad spectrum of cancer diagnoses
2. Gain insight into the development and conduct of clinical trials
3. Complete web-based courses and modules on clinical research
4. Observe interactions between basic scientists and clinical staff
5. Attend seminars and conferences organized by the Medical Oncology Branch

Selection of Applicants
A maximum of one student will be scheduled for each four-week period during the year.

Staff

• Giuseppe Giaccone, M.D., Ph.D. (Chief, Medical Oncology Branch)
• Antonio Tito Fojo, M.D., Ph.D.
• Susan Bates, M.D.
• William Dahut, M.D.
• William Douglas Figg, Pharm.D.
• Phillip Dennis, M.D., Ph.D.
• Elise Kohn, M.D.
• Christina Annunziata, M.D., Ph.D.
• C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D.
• Tim F. Greten, M.D.
• Raffit Hassan, M.D.
• Wyndham Wilson, M.D., Ph.D.
• James Gulley, M.D., Ph.D.
• Robert Kreitman, M.D.
• Kieron Dunleavy, M.D.
• Ronald E. Gress, M.D.
• Daniel H. Fowler, M.D.
• Ravi Madan, M.D.
• Shivaani Kumar, M.D.
• Arun Rajan, M.D.
• Austin Duffy, M.D.
• Andrea Apolo, M.D.
• Udayan Guha, M.B.B.S., Ph.D
• Thomas S. Uldrick, M.D.
• Kevin Conlon, M.D.
• Sanjeeve Balasubramaniam, M.D., M.P.H.
• Suparna Bonthala Wedam, M.D.