PHILADELPHIA — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is pleased to announce that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded the organization a five-year, $1.125 million grant to continue providing clinical fellow and junior faculty clinical researchers the opportunity to learn the essentials of effective oncology clinical trial design through the Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop.
The annual, weeklong Workshop, which is jointly administered by the AACR and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), provides intensive training in clinical trial methodology and implementation to early-career clinical researchers in all oncology subspecialties, including radiation and surgical oncology and radiology. AACR Past President Daniel D. Von Hoff, MD, FAACR, distinguished professor and physician-in-chief at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix, has served as the principal investigator for the Workshop since it was launched in 1996.
“On behalf of the American Association for Cancer Research, I’d like to thank Dr. Von Hoff for conceptualizing the idea for this course and for his tireless commitment to securing continued financial support for the Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “The Workshop has a proven track record of training early-career clinical researchers who have gone on to become world-renowned leaders in clinical trial design and conduct. We are thrilled to be able to continue this rich tradition, which will increase the number of therapeutic interventions that can be tested and made available in a timely manner to improve the care and treatment of cancer patients worldwide.”
The Workshop is designed to increase the reliability and effectiveness of clinical trials by: • Introducing clinical fellows and junior faculty in any oncology subspecialty to the principles of good clinical trial design.
• Exposing early-career clinical investigators to the full spectrum of challenges in clinical research.
• Developing a cadre of well-trained, experienced clinical researchers whose expertise will foster better clinical trial design.
Nearly 2,100 clinical fellow and junior faculty clinical researchers have attended the Workshop over the past 21 years.
“Through a rigorous process, we select doctors who appear to have promise. It’s a big deal. It’s rough. It’s one of the most effective courses ever,” said Von Hoff, who also is professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic and chief scientific officer for the HonorHealth Research Institute.
