OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Research Groups Curriculum Project Doc


 * Proposal for the Initiation of a New Instructional Program Leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in Cancer Biology
 * Oregon Health & Science University, School of Medicine


 * Description of Proposed Program

1. Program Overview
a. Proposed CIP number* (* Note: Contact your Institutional Research Office or Registrar's Office for this number. Final decision of designation will be made by the Chancellor's Office.)

''b. Provide a brief overview (approximately 1-2 paragraphs) of the proposed program, including a description of the academic area and a rationale for offering this program at the present time. Please include a description of any related degrees, certificates, or subspecialties (concentrations, areas of special emphasis, etc.) that may be offered now or in the foreseeable future.''

Academic Area: The Graduate Program in Cancer Biology is designed to train students for a career in basic and applied cancer research. Modern cancer research is based on a broad range of technical skills including: Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Bioinformatics, which the students will learn through course work and extensive laboratory training. Students in this program will receive training in the application of biotechnology to basic and applied cancer research, and to the dissemination of information to the next generation of scientists and the lay public. Training will include exercises designed to develop independent thinking, oral and written presentation skills, data and information analysis, and dissemination of information through teaching. Students in this program will enter their graduate careers at OHSU through the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (PMCB). PMCB is an interdisciplinary program that brings together over 150 faculty from five basic science departments and research institutes to provide graduate students with rigorous training in chemical, molecular, cellular, and systems biology during their first two years at OHSU. The first-year curriculum, consists of a series of courses that all students will take, and emphasizes all aspects of cancer biology (cellular, molecular, systems, and disease). The curriculum is flexible and courses are largely completed in the first year, permitting students to focus on the essence of graduate training, independent research in a mentor's laboratory, as soon as possible. During the first year, students will be advised by faculty members, who guide them through courses, including advanced electives and rotations. Students also participate in laboratory rotations in the first year, using these rotations to help choose a thesis lab. At the end of the first year, students will take a comprehensive written exam, which tests students on their grasp of the core curriculum and on their skills in understanding the primary literature. Also at the end of the first year, the students choose a mentor and officially enter the Program in Cancer Biology. At the end of their second year, students take the oral qualifying exam, which allows them to become a Ph.D. candidate. The qualifying exam consists of a written component, which is a thesis proposal in the format of an NRSA grant, and an oral defense. Subsequently, the student chooses a thesis advisory committee, who guides their dissertation research. Students are evaluated at several points during their participation in the program, and are subjected to several yearly requirements, including a thesis committee meeting and a talk on their research. Finally, the culmination of a student's graduate career is the assembly of a written Ph.D. thesis and its oral defense. Thus, the proposed program combines rigorous course work with laboratory training and exercises in writing, speaking, and teaching, designed to provide students with the necessary theoretical and practical skills to launch productive careers. Graduating students will be in a position to competitively pursue a wide range of potential careers including: basic and applied research in the academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in undergraduate and graduate level teaching and science writing.

c. When will the program be operational, if approved?

Fall 2009.

2. Purpose and Relationship of Proposed Program to the Institution's Mission and Strategic Plan
a. What are the objectives of the program?

The objective of this new Graduate Program is to provide a learning platform that will give the next generation of cancer researchers the knowledge and skills that will allow for more efficient translation of laboratory results into new preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic methods in the prevention and treatment of cancer. The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is made up of numerous programs centered around cancer prevention and control, hormonal and reproductive malignancies, hematologic malignancies, experimental therapeutics, cancer biology, and complementary medicine, all functioning to foster interdisciplinary interactions between basic and clinical researchers. Students in this program will be exposed to all facets of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and therefore this new program will also help promote interdisciplinary research throughout OHSU.

''b. How does the proposed program support the mission and strategic plan of the institution(s)? How does the program contribute to attaining long-term goals and directions of the institution and program?''

OHSU's fundamental purpose is to improve the health and well being of people in Oregon and beyond. As part of its multifaceted public mission, OHSU strives for excellence in education, research and scholarship, clinical practice and community service.

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute consists of over 200 clinicians and researchers devoted to the development of innovative, less toxic and more effective strategies of cancer prevention, treatment, diagnosis and control. The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is subdivided into programs in cancer prevention and control, hormonal and reproductive malignancies, hematologic malignancies, experimental therapeutics, cancer biology, and complementary medicine that function to foster interdisciplinary interactions between basic and clinical researchers. In addition, with the recent donation of $100M dollars to the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute by Philip and Penny Knight, the number of researches at OHSU actively participating in Cancer Research will certainly increase.

Successful outcomes from cancer research are the product of significant investments, not just of financial resources, but of time and professional dedication. Thus, one of the purposes of this new graduate Program in Cancer Biology is to provide a rigorous training environment for future cancer researchers. Consequently, this program will directly promote the OHSU missions by preparing young scientists for careers in cancer research. In addition, while in training in one of the many OHSU Knight Cancer Institute research labs these same students will be actively engaged in their own research projects. Thus, this program will help foster the translation of laboratory results into new preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic methods by conducting scientific research in an OHSU Knight Cancer Institute members laboratory. Finally, this new graduate program will provide the organizational context for researchers and students that will help promote a coherent interdepartmental focus on developing innovative strategies for dealing with the problem of cancer.

c. How does the proposed program meet the needs of Oregon and enhance the state's capacity to respond effectively to social, economic, and environmental challenges and opportunities?

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Oregonians. On an average day in 2005, 54 Oregonians were diagnosed with cancer, and 20 Oregonians died from it (Oregon State Cancer Registry, OSCaR). The best new strategies for diagnosis, treatment and control of cancer will come from identifying and understanding the molecular defects present in cancer cells. This Program will help train the next generation of Cancer Biology researchers.

3. Course of Study
''a. Briefly describe proposed curriculum. (List is fine.)''

i. Slash courses (i.e., 400/500-level) should be listed as such.

''ii. Include course numbers, titles, credit hours.''

First Year Curriculum:

Fall Term

CONJ 661, Structure & Function of Biological Molecules, 3 credits.

CONJ 662, Genetic Mechanisms, 3 credits

CONJ 650, Practice & Ethics of Science, 2 credits

CONJ 601, Research Rotation, 6 credits

CONJ 605, PMCB Literature Club, 2 credits

Winter Term

CONJ 663, Bioregulation, 3 credits

CONJ 664, Molecular Cell Biology, 3 credits

PCB 606, Cancer Biology Journal Club, 2 credits

CONJ 601, Research Rotation, 8 credits

Spring Term

CONJ 665, Development, Differentiation, & Cancer, 3 credits

CONJ 667*, Organ Systems, 3 credits

CONJ 668*, Molecular Biophysics & Experimental Bioinformatics, 3 credits

PCB 606, Cancer Biology Journal Club, 2 credits

CONJ 601, Research Rotation, 8 credits

*Students select one of the two courses and have until the end of the second year to complete the last course.

Summer Term

CONJ 608A, PMCB Comprehensive Exam, 8 credits

PCB 601, Research Rotation, 8 credits

Second Year Curriculum:

PCB 606, Cancer Biology Journal Club, 2 credits

CELL 616 Cancer Biology, 4 credits

BMB 625 Topics in Molecular Biology

CONJ 608B, PMCB Qualifying Exam PCB 601, Research

Third Year Through Graduation

Students are admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree upon successful completion of a qualifying examination consisting of an oral presentation and defense of a research proposal. The progress of students' research and the general quality of their graduate education are maintained by continuous interaction among the student, the dissertation advisor, and a dissertation advisory committee. The dissertation is based upon original research work carried out in the dissertation advisor's laboratory. Students will also attend and participate in the OHSU Cancer Center Seminars and Journal Clubs. Continue Dissertation Research – under the direction of thesis advisor and thesis advisory committee. Have annual Dissertation Advisory Committee Meetings. Complete Dissertation Research and Write Dissertation. Dissertation Defense - consists of a public seminar followed immediately by a question-and-answer session with the Dissertation Committee. This session is also public but only members of the dissertation committee are allowed to test and ask questions of the student.

''b. Describe new courses. Include proposed course numbers, titles, credit hours, and course descriptions.''

PCB 606: Program in Cancer Biology Journal Club. This is a reading and conference course covering all topics in current cancer biology.

PCB 601: Program in Cancer Biology Research.

c. Provide a discussion of any nontraditional learning modes to be utilized in the new courses, including, but not limited to: (1) the role of technology, and (2) the use of career development activities such as practica or internships.

One nontraditional learning mode is exemplified by the integration of clinical and research faculty with cancer related topics in the Cancer Biology Journal Club. This journal club is currently ongoing and is designed to promote discussions between faculty and students centered around current cancer therapy and outcomes and the presentation of current cancer research articles. All graduate students in the Cancer Biology Program will be required to take this journal club.

A second nontraditional learning mode is exemplified by the upper level course BMB 625, Topics in Molecular Biology. This class is not a faculty-driven lecture class, but is based on student presentations of background material and research papers selected from the current literature. The course is organized through a wiki website, and is designed to maximize active roles for students in the class. Topic areas and papers are selected from the list of possibilities posted on the wiki. Presentations are done in pairs. One student introduces the topic giving background and perspectives, and the other student presents the paper and figures. Following a short break there is a Discussion period for the paper(s). The class MC acts as the discussion leader. Students come prepared for questions from faculty and postdocs who may attend the class and ask penetrating questions about the papers. Students, especially those not burdened with presenting, are charged with explaining the methods, results and significance of the papers. The students who are not presenting post 2 questions about the paper on the wiki before the class meets. After the discussion in class, the students are responsible for posting the answers to their questions on the designated area on the wiki. Homework credit is given for posting questions and answers.

A third nontraditional learning mode is exemplified by the upper level course CELL 616, Cancer Biology. Each week of this course focuses on a different cancer type and involves a lecture from an OHSU oncologist specializing in that cancer type followed by a reading and literature critique on new translational research on that cancer type which is presented by the students and mediated by the oncologist instructor for that week. This course provides students with up to date information on each cancer type and on going clinical trials. This class will facilitate education in translational cancer research.

d. What specific learning outcomes will be achieved by students who complete this course of study?

The Program in Cancer Biology is designed to train students for a career in basic and applied cancer research, as well as in related careers associated with the application of information through biotechnology and the dissemination of information to the next generation of scientists and to the lay public. Modern cancer research is based on a broad range of technical skills, including Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Bioinformatics, which the students will learn through course work and laboratory training. Training will extend to exercises designed to develop independent thinking, skills in oral and written presentation, analysis of data and information, and dissemination of information through teaching. Thus, the proposed program combines rigorous course work with laboratory training and exercises in writing, speaking, and teaching, designed collectively to provide students with the necessary theoretical and practical skills to launch productive careers. Students will be trained to be in a position to pursue an increasingly wide range of available careers, including academic research, undergraduate teaching, science writing, and basic and applied science in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.

4. Recruitment and Admission Requirements
a. Is the proposed program intended primarily to provide another program option to students who are already being attracted to the institution, or is it anticipated that the proposed program will draw students who would not otherwise come to the institution?

The intent of this program is to provide students with a more focused curriculum of study, which is designed to facilitate both course work and research activities in cancer research. In addition, it is the intent of this program to attract new students to OHSU. This program is designed to provide specific training in cancer biology. This is a unique aspect of this program, and will attract students with specific interests in cancer biology. Thus, one advantage of this program is that a specific course of study in cancer biology is currently not available at other universities on the west coast.

''b. Are any requirements for admission to the program being proposed that are in addition to admission to the institution? If so, what are they?''

No new admission requirements.

''c. Will any enrollment limitation be imposed? If so, please indicate the specific limitation and its rationale. How will students be selected if there are enrollment limitations?''

Because this new program will only admit students who matriculate through PMCB, and therefore have completed the first year of course work and exams, there will be no new limitations on admission to the program.

5. Accreditation of the Program
a. If applicable, identify any accrediting body or professional society that has established standards in the area in which the proposed program lies.

N/A

''b. If applicable, does the proposed program meet professional accreditation standards? If it does not, in what particular area(s) does it appear to be deficient? What steps would be required to qualify the program for accreditation? By what date is it anticipated that the program will be fully accredited?''

N/A

''c. If the proposed program is a graduate program in which the institution offers an undergraduate program, is the undergraduate program accredited? If not, what would be required to qualify it for accreditation? If accreditation is a goal, what steps are being taken to achieve accreditation?''

No undergraduate program.

=Need=

6. Evidence of Need
''a. What evidence does the institution have of need for the program? Please be explicit. (Needs assessment information may be presented in the form of survey data; summaries of focus groups or interviews; documented requests for the program from students, faculty, external constituents, etc.)''

A survey form was handed out at the OHSU Cancer Institute Retreat on Sep. 15th. This survey showed that out of 44 faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students who signed, 37 gave the importance of a Program in Cancer Biology a 1.0 (where 1.0 is very important and 5.0 is not very important), 6 gave it a 1.5, and 1 gave it a 2. In addition, 3 of the current 1st year PMCB graduate students (who have not yet identified a dissertation department) have stated that they would like to enter into the Program in Cancer Biology here at OHSU as soon as it is available.

''b. Identify statewide and institutional service-area employment needs the proposed program would assist in filling. Is there evidence of regional or national need for additional qualified individuals such as the proposed program would produce? If yes, please specify.''

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute currently consists of over 200 clinicians and researchers actively involved in Cancer Research or Cancer related Care. Because the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is entering into an era of dramatic expansion, the need for scientists trained in Cancer Biology at OHSU and in Oregon has never been greater and will only increase in the future.

''c. What are the numbers and characteristics of students to be served? What is the estimated number of graduates of the proposed program over the next five years? On what information are these projections based?''

It is anticipated that 5-10 new students will enter the program each year. This estimate is based on the current number of students actively engaged in dissertation research in existing labs working on Cancer at OHSU. The Principle Investigators of these labs will be members of the Cancer Biology Faculty. The number of graduates over the next five years will be relatively small, owing to the fact that typical research projects for PhD students take at least 4 years to complete. Therefore, we anticipate graduation of only 5-10 students in the first five years of the program. The exact numbers will depend on the size of the first few classes, and how long it takes each student to complete their thesis projects.

d. Are there any other compelling reasons for offering the program?

Cancer is one of the major health problems in our state and in our nation. In order to understand the complex processes involved in the pathogenesis, course, and treatment of this group of diseases, we need investigators whose primary focus is cancer research. Therefore, we have an obligation to train investigators who understand cancer biology, pathology, and its clinical ramifications.

e. Identify any special interest in the program on the part of local or state groups (e.g., business, industry, agriculture, professional groups).

The extraordinary gift of $100M to the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, by Phil and Penny Knight, will result in a dramatic expansion of Cancer Biology research, both basic and clinical, at OHSU. Therefore, the need for qualified cancer researchers has never been greater at OHSU.

f. Discuss considerations given to making the complete program available for part-time, evening, weekend, and/or placebound students.

This program will not be available to part-time, evening, weekend, or placebound students.

=Outcomes=

7. Program Evaluation
''a. How will the institution determine the extent to which the academic program meets the objectives (section 2a) previously outlined? (Identify specific post-approval monitoring procedures and outcome indicators to be used.)''

This program will be evaluated every five years by the External Review Committee (see section 13 below). The review process will include an evaluation of individual Thesis' and of manuscripts co-authored by students, as well as an evaluation of the courses, journal clubs, and mentoring activities of the Primary Faculty.

b. How will the collected information be used to improve teaching and programs to enhance student learning?

The Primary Faculty of this program (see section 10) will be responsible for the implementation of any changes to the program as a result of any recommendations made by the Advisory Committee.

8. Assessment of Student Learning
''a. What methods will be used to assess student learning? How will student learning assessment be embedded in the curriculum?''

Assessments of student learning are built into the curriculum. Students will be evaluated at several points during their participation in the program, and are subjected to several yearly requirements, including yearly thesis committee meetings and talks on their research. In addition, there are three exams that are designed to assess how well the students have acquired sufficient knowledge and/or expertise during their graduate education. At the end of the first year, students will take a comprehensive written exam, which tests students on their grasp of the core curriculum and on their skills in understanding the primary literature. At the end of their second year, students take the oral qualifying exam. The qualifying exam consists of a written component, which is a thesis proposal in the format of an NRSA grant, and an oral defense. Finally, the culmination of a student's graduate career is the assembly of a written Ph.D. thesis and its oral defense. The thesis defense is open to the public and is designed to be a rigorous examination of the thesis work and the general knowledge obtained during the students tenure in the graduate program.

b. What specific methods or approaches will be used to assess graduate (completer) outcomes?

The ultimate assessment of a students thesis work will be the publication of a body of original work in peer reviewed scientific journals.

c. Is a licensure examination associated with this field of study?

N/A

=Integration of Efforts=

9. Similar Programs in the State
a. List all other closely related OUS programs.

None

''b. In what way, if any, will resources of other institutions (another OUS institution or institutions, community college, and/or private college/university) be shared in the proposed program? How will the program be complementary to, or cooperate with, an existing program or programs?''

No resources from other institutions will be used for this program. However, students who enter this new program will matriculate through PMCB at OHSU. Therefore, the Program in Cancer Biology will cooperate with all admissions, educational, and mentoring functions of PMCB. It is the goal of this program to allow for a more focused course of study during the later years of graduate education than currently provided by the Basic Science Departments.

c. Is there any projected impact on other institutions in terms of student enrollment and/or faculty workload?

One of the strengths of this proposal is that no other institutions in Oregon provide a similar program, so enrollment in other institutions will not be affected. In addition, all of the committees, courses, journal clubs, research groups, and mentors are already in place. Thus, the "faculty workload" will also not be affected at OHSU or other institutions.

=Resources=

10. Faculty
''a. Identify program faculty, briefly describing each faculty member's expertise/specialization. Separate regular core faculty from faculty from other departments and adjuncts. Collect current vitae for all faculty, to be made available to reviewers upon request.''

Primary Faculty

Brian Druker MD; Dr. Druker's expertise is in the activity of tyrosine kinases with an emphasis on signal transduction and cellular transformation.

William H. Fleming MD, PhD; Dr. Flemming's expertise is in the functional relationship between hematopoiesis and blood vessel formation.

Michael C. Heinrich; Dr. Heinrichs's expertise is in the development of novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors for treatment of human cancers.

Maureen Hoatlin, PhD; Dr. Hoatlin's expertise is in how cells maintain genomic stability and the molecular defects in Fanconi Anemia.

Bruce Magun PhD; Dr. Magun's expertise is in the cellular mechanisms of inflammatory signaling cascades that control the responses to environmental toxic agents.

Molly F. Kulesz-Martin PhD; Dr. Kulesz-Martin's expertise is in the molecular mechanisms that balance cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis with cellular transformation and malignant progression

Peter Kurre MD; Dr. Kurre's expertise is in the development of novel strategies for the safe and effective modification of hematopoietic stem cells to treat benign and malignant disease.

Mike Liskay PhD; Dr. Liskay's expertise is in the genetic and molecular mechanisms responsible for DNA mismatch repair, which corrects DNA mismatches and senses DNA damage.

Stephen Lloyd PhD; Dr. Lloyd's expertise is in the molecular mechanisms involved in DNA repair processes and high fidelity DNA replication.

Charlie Lopez MD PhD; Dr. Lopez's expertise is in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of tumor cell response to therapy.

Amanda McCullough PhD; The McCullough laboratory is focused on the biochemical mechanisms of DNA base excision repair systems and the regulation and roles of DNA repair in cellular responses to environmental stress.

Rosie Sears PhD; The Sears lab is studying cellular signaling pathways involved in the generation of human cancer. In general, disruption of these pathways alters the ability of a cell to control its proliferation as well as the initiation of programmed cell death.

Mathew Thayer PhD; Dr. Thayer's expertise is in the genetic and molecular mechanisms responsible for chromosome structure, replication and stability.

Mitch Turker PhD; The Turker is interested in the mechanisms of abnormal gene inactivation and the relevance of these events to cancer and aging.

Marcel Wehrli PhD; The Wehrli lab is interested in cell communication and the role of Wnt signaling in Cancer.

Missy Wong PhD; The Wong lab My laboratory is interested elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate epithelial proliferation and differentiation, and have focused on the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Eric Barklis PhD; Dr. Barkliss's expertise is in the assembly and replication of viruses, such as retroviruses, flaviviruses, and hantaviruses, using molecular genetic, biochemical, and biophysical techniques.

Adjunct Faculty

Michael Chapman PhD; Dr. Chapman's expertise is in viral-host interactions, underpinning the development of vectors for in vivo gene therapy vectors. Enzyme structural dynamics and mechanisms. Computational methods for improving structures derived from biophysical data.

Jan Christian PhD; Dr. Christian's expertise is in the molecular basis of vertebrate embryonic patterning and specifically in BMP signaling.

Caroline Enns PhD; Dr. Enns's expertise is in protein trafficking within the cell and how membrane proteins are targeted in the biosynthetic and endocytic pathways, as well as in trafficking and function of the protein implicated in hemochromatosis.

Mike Forte PhD; Dr. Forte's expertise is in the role of mitochondria in the overall regulation of cellular calcium, and how neuronal connections are formed.

Bernard A Fox PhD; Dr. Fox's expertise is in understanding the tumor-induced suppressive mechanisms that blunt the efficacy of immunotherapy and developing approaches to overcome these mechanisms. Dick Goodman MD, PhD; Dr. Goodman's expertise is in the extracellular and intracellular signals that control the onset and level of gene expression.

Markus Grompe MD; Dr. Grompe's expertise is in therapy for genetic disease using both cell transplantation and gene transfer methodologies. There are two major working groups in the lab, one with a focus on the liver and pancreas, the other with an emphasis on Fanconi anemia.

Peter Hurlin PhD; Dr. Hurlin's expertise is in the fundamental mechanisms that regulate cell proliferation, particularly in the context of skeletal development. A major focus of the Hurlin lab is the Myc family of oncogenic transcription factors.

Soren Impey PhD; Dr. Impey's expertise is in the transcriptional and epigenetic networks that regulate stem cell self-renewal and neural differentiation.

Mihail Iordanov PhD; Dr. Iordanov's expertise is in the mechanisms of cell survival and programmed cell death (apoptosis) in specific cell types.

Rich Maurer PhD; Dr. Maurer's expertise is in the intracellular signaling pathways which carry information to the nucleus as well as the nuclear events which mediate changes in pituitary hormone gene expression.

Robb Moses MD; Dr. Moses's expertise is in DNA crosslink repair, and is particularly focused on how chromatin remodeling and the Fanconi Anemia pathway meidate crosslink repair.

Susan Olson PhD; Dr. Olson's expertise is in chromosome abnormalities, including: their structure, origin, segregation, stability, contribution to fetal development and survival, and impact on clinical genetics, including cancer.

Richard Press MD PhD; Dr. Press's expertise is in the tumorigenic signaling pathways of the myb oncoprotein, and prevalent genetic alterations in common diseases.

Charlie Roberts PhD; Dr. Roberts's expertise is in the molecular mechanisms involved in the transcriptional regulation of the IGF-I receptor gene, in particular the roles of the WT1 and p53 tumor suppressors and their functional relationship to the action of general transcription factors such as Sp1.

Peter Rotwein MD; Dr. Rotwein's expertise is in the regulation and actions of the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), peptides critical for normal embryonic and post-natal growth in mammals and other species, and important for controlling aging and senescence.

Bill Skach MD; Dr. Skach's expertise is in the mechanisms by which proteins translocate across, fold into and assemble within the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, and the mechanism by which disease related mutations disrupt protein folding, alert quality control machinery and direct protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Sarah Smolik PhD; Dr. Smolik's expertise is in chromatin modifications and their affects on transcription and the cell cycle checkpoints.

Tom Soderling PhD; Dr. Soderling's expertise is in protein kinases (CaMKs) activated by binding Ca2+/CaM. The Soderling lab studies the regulatory properties of these CaMKs and their targets (substrates) in brain cells.

Scott Stadler PhD; Dr. Stakler's expertise is in how Hox genes mediate the patterning of specific tissues and structures in the mammalian embryo.

Phil Stork MD; Dr. Stork's expertise is in the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of how hormones and growth factors convey signals from the outside of a cell to the nucleus to induce cellular responses.

Gary Thomas PhD; Dr. Thomas's expertise is in the cellular machinery that directs the sorting of membrane proteins between secretory pathway compartments and examines how this machinery controls cellular homeostasis and disease.

''b. Estimate the number, rank, and background of new faculty members who would need to be added to initiate the proposed program in each of the first four years of the proposed program's operation (assuming the program develops as anticipated). What commitment does the institution make to meeting these needs?''

None

c. Estimate the number and type of support staff needed in each of the first four years of the program.

One Administrative Assistant would be needed during the first four years of this program.

11. Reference Sources
a. Describe the adequacy of student and faculty access to library and department resources (including, but not limited to, printed media, electronically published materials, videotapes, motion pictures, CD-ROM and online databases, and sound files) that are relevant to the proposed program (e.g., if there is a recommended list of materials issued by the American Library Association or some other responsible group, indicate to what extent access to such holdings meets the requirements of the recommended list).

Students in this program will have the same access to the OHSU library and Biomedical Information Communication Center (BICC) as current OHSU graduate students. Access to biomedical resources, including the OHSU and other online catalogs, health-related databases, full text journals, a wide variety of consumer health information and general Web access is provided on each floor of the Library. This service is provided to meet the health-related research and medical decision-making needs of the community.

''b. How much, if any, additional financial support will be required to bring access to such reference materials to an appropriate level? How does the institution plan to acquire these needed resources?''

N/A

12. Facilities, Equipment, and Technology
a. What unique resources (in terms of buildings, laboratories, computer hardware/software, Internet or other online access, distributed-education capability, special equipment, and/or other materials) are necessary to the offering of a quality program in the field?

The existing graduate programs at OHSU, including the PMCB umbrella program, and all of the research labs in the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute are fully equipped with all of the resources that are necessary for a quality program in Cancer Biology.

''b. What resources for facilities, equipment, and technology, beyond those now on hand, are necessary to offer this program? Be specific. How does the institution propose that these additional resources will be provided?''

None.

14. Budgetary Impact
''a. On the “Budget Outline” sheet (available on the Forms and Guidelines Web site), please indicate the estimated cost of the program for the first four years of its operation (one page for each year). The “Budget Outline Instructions” form is available on the Forms and Guidelines Web site, as well.''

See attached "Budget Outline".

''b. If federal or other grant funds are required to launch the program, describe the status of the grant application process and the likelihood of receiving such funding. What does the institution propose to do with the program upon termination of the grant(s)?''

N/A

''c. If the program will be implemented in such a way as to have little or minimal budgetary impact, please provide a narrative that outlines how resources are being allocated/reallocated in order that the resource demands of the new program are being met. For example, describe what new activities will cost and whether they will be financed or staffed by shifting of assignments within the budgetary unit or reallocation of resources within the institution. Specifically state which resources will be moved and how this will affect those programs losing resources. Will the allocation of going-level budget funds in support of the program have an adverse impact on any other institutional programs? If so, which program(s) and in what ways?''

Because this new program involves a significant rearrangement of courses that are already being offered by existing faculty, the budget is relatively small. In addition, access to library resources are available through other programs, and there are no requirements for new or additional specialized facilities, equipment, or technology. However, we do anticipate an increase in the number of students served by the the PMCB program and the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, and therefore two first year stipends for Graduate Assistants and a 0.5 FTE for administrative assistance are included in the budget.