OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Graduate Program in Cancer Biology

Home Faculty Graduate Program Postdocs OHSU Knight Core Facilities

Programs Res Group Meetings Cancer Journal Club Cell/CANB 616 Gen. Inst/R3 Club CANB 610

Cancer Biology Guidelines and Expectations

The following guidelines govern all students in the Program in Cancer Biology (PCB) and are in partnership with the requirements set forth by the Program in Molecular and Cellular Bioscences (PMCB) and the Graduate Council of the Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) School of Medicine.

To complete the requirements for a Ph.D. degree, graduate studies in PCB must be successfully completed including successful completion of a) minimum course credits of 135 hours, b) comprehensive examination, c) qualifying examination and d) dissertation defense.

Structure of Cancer Biology Program

Year 1: Complete PMCB requirements
Complete CON course requirements (CONJ 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, (one of 667, 668, 669), 650, 605, 601)
3 laboratory rotations
Present research in rotation talk forum
Attend departmental seminars
Attend PMCB seminars and journal club
Successfully complete comprehensive examination (CONJ 608A)
Select Thesis Advisor and Departmental Program
Recommended PCB courses (PCB 607, MGEN 606-spring term)

Year 2: Complete PMCB CON course requirements
Complete required and elective PCB courses (see below)
Successfully complete qualifying examination (CONJ 608B)
Engage in research in thesis laboratory (PCB 601)
Attend Departmental Seminar Series (PCB 607)
Participate in PCB journal club (MGEN606)
Participate in Cancer Biology Research Forum (30 minute talk)

Year 3+: Establish a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)
TAC meeting at least once per year
Engage in research in thesis laboratory (PCB 601)
Attend Departmental Seminar Series (PCB 607)
Present work in 1 hour seminar format in year 4 or 5
Participate in PCB journal club (MGEN606)
Participate in Cancer Biology Research Forum (30 minute talk)

Required PCB Graduate Courses

Year 1
	CONJ 665	Development, Differentiation and Cancer (Spring)	3 credits
		Must be completed by end of year 2
Year 2
	Fall Term MGEN 606	Mechanisms of Cancer Journal Club	1 credit
	PCB 607	Knight Cancer Biology Seminar Series	1 credit
	PCB601	Research	x credits
		PCB elective courses (see list below)	x credits
		total	16 credits
	Winter Term MGEN 606	Mechanisms of Cancer Journal Club	1 credit
	PCB 607	Knight Cancer Biology Seminar Series	1 credit
	*CELL 622	Topics in Transcriptional Regulation OR	2 credits
	*BMB 625	Advanced Topics in Molecular Biology
	PCB601	Research	x credits
		PCB elective courses (see list below)	x credits
		total	16 credits
		* Highly recommended if offered, otherwise substitute with an additional PCB elective course
	Spring Term MGEN 606	Mechanisms of Cancer Journal Club	1 credit
	PCB 607	Knight Cancer Biology Seminar Series	1 credit
	CELL616	Advanced Topics in Cancer Biology	4 credits
	PCB601	Research	x credits
		PCB elective courses (see list below)	x credits
		total	16 credits
	Summer Term CONJ 608B	PMCB Qualifying Exam	8 credit
	PCB601	Research	8 credits
		total	16 credits
Year 3+
	All Terms MGEN 606	Mechanisms of Cancer Journal Club	1 credit
	PCB 607	Knight Cancer Biology Seminar Series	1 credit
	PCB 601	Research	x credits

		Summer term requirement PCB 601 only

Elective Courses

A total of 4 credit hours of upper level elective courses are required to be eligible for the Program in Cancer Biology Ph.D. degree.

The following are only a few of the popular graduate elective courses offered in the school of medicine. Other courses available are listed in the course catalog. Graduate students are encouraged to seek advice from their mentor and/or graduate program director when considering taking other courses. Some of the elective courses are offered every other year.

CELL 611	Histology: The structure and function of cells in tissue	fall term	4 credits
CELL 620	Model Systems Biology	summer term	3 credits
CELL 618	Mechanisms of Development	winter alt	3 credits
MBIM 610	Introduction to Immunology		2 credits
PHPH 617	Pharmacokinetics		2 credits
PHPM 524	Introduction to Biostatistics		4 credits
BMCB 625	Advanced Molecular Biology: Topics and Methods to Modern Molecular Biology	winter term	3 credits

PCB Specific Requirements and Information:

Required Coursework
1) MGEN 606 Mechanisms of Cancer Journal Club. Required all terms after completion of year 1 (when offered).
2) PCB 607 Knight Cancer Biology Seminar Series. Required all terms after completion of year 1 (when offered).
3) CONJ 665 Development, Differentiation and Cancer.
4) One of the following courses: BMB 625 Topics in Molecular Biology OR CELL 622 Topics in Transcriptional Regulation
5) CELL 616 Advanced Topics in Cancer Biology
6) 4 hours of elective coursework
7) PCB 60X (research forum) Students will present their work at least twice in this forum during their post-qualifying years.

A total of 40 credit hours are required for a student to be eligible for defense of their dissertation.

Students wishing to be excused from taking a required course may petition the PCB Graduate Education Committee stating their reasoning. A majority vote is required for approval.

Research Credit. Students are required to enroll in research credits (PCB 601) in each term, including the summer term.

Academic Progress

Grade Point Average Requirements. The department requires that graduate students maintain an overall 3.0 grade point average in their coursework (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0). Courses graded on a P/NP basis do not contribute to calculation of the grade point average. If a student’s cumulative grade point average drops below 3.0 the student will be placed on academic probation, requiring that he/she bring up his/her grade point average to at least a 3.0 within the next 12 months. Please note that academic probation may limit the availability of some kinds of student loans or other financial aid (for further information contact the Registrar’s office). Any student who fails to achieve the required minimum grade point average within the one year time limit will be subject to dismissal from the department.

Required GPA for Required Courses. Students must receive a grade ≥ B (3.0) in all required courses. Students receiving a grade below a B must repeat that course the next available time it is offered and obtain a passing grade, within 1 year. Failure to do so constitutes grounds for termination from the program.

Incomplete Grades. The grade of Incomplete can be given in circumstances beyond the control of the student (e.g. illness) that prevent completion of the course requirements by the end of the term. An Incomplete can only be given if the student is able to complete the requirements within the subsequent term.

Failing Research Credits. Students failing a semester of Research credits, (i.e. receives a NP or No Pass on research) are immediately placed on academic probation. To return to good standing, the student must obtain a passing grade on the next term of Research and all subsequent terms. Failure to do so constitutes grounds for termination from the program.

Pre-Qualifying Graduate Students: A pre-qualifying graduate student is required to notify and meet with his/her mentor, graduate education committee director (GPD) and graduate program coordinator (GDC) immediately upon receiving a failing grade on the research credits in any one term. The GPD will suggest a course of action that the student must follow in correcting his/her academic performance.
Post-Qualifying Graduate Students: A post-qualifying graduate student (in consultation with his/her mentor, GPD and GPC) is required to schedule a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting immediately upon receiving a failing grade on his/her research credits in any one term. This TAC meeting must take place within two weeks of receipt of the failing grade on the research credits. The mentor and TAC will suggest a course of action that the student must follow in correcting his/her research performance.

Evaluation for MGEN 606 andPCB 607. These courses require documentation of attendance. Post-qualifying students and their mentor may petition the Graduate Education committee to substitute another formal journal club in lieu of MGEN606. Students missing more than 3 sessions will receive a failing grade of “No Pass” and will be placed on immediate academic probation. In certain circumstances the No Pass can be remediated as determined by the GEC. The student must receive a “pass” in the subsequent term and every term thereafter.
Two grades of “No Pass” in any one of the two activities disqualifies the pre-qualifying graduate student from taking their qualifying exams, resulting in dismissal from the PCB graduate program. For the post-qualifying student, two grades of “No Pass” may result in dismissal from the PCB graduate program.

Student Salaries/Stipends. PCB faculty will establish student stipends in accordance with the Graduate Council recommendations.

Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). Immediately following successful completion of the qualifying exam, students in consultation with their mentor should nominate a Thesis Advisory Committee. The following guidelines for the TAC committee should be followed:
   1) This committee should consist of the mentor and at least three other OHSU Graduate Faculty members. One member must be from outside of PCB. At least one member other than the advisor must be experienced in advising a Ph.D. thesis student (i.e. he/she must have mentored at least one student who has successfully completed their Ph.D.)
   2) Members of this committee should be chosen based on their research area of technical expertise. The main purpose of this committee is to provide the student with guidance periodically during thesis research. Members of this committee may also subsequently serve on the Thesis Examination Committee. In this way, these faculty members will be familiar with research and will have the opportunity to communicate possible concerns they may have about the students work to pre-empt problems prior to Dissertation Defense.
   3) The TAC membership must be approved by the PCB graduate education committee. A memo nominating the TAC membership should be sent to the chair of the Graduate Education Committee.
   4) Students must meet with their TAC within 6 months after passing the Qualifying Examination and at least once a year after the initial meeting. TAC meetings will usually involve an oral presentation by the student encompassing thesis research goals and progress.
   5) During the initial meeting, one member of the committee will be selected to serve as chair of the committee. Following each committee meeting, the chair should prepare a brief memo evaluating the student’s progress which should be sent to the Graduate Education committee chair. A copy of the memo will be archived in the student’s file in the program office.

Preparation, Submission and Oral Defense of Thesis

Preparation and Submission of Thesis. All instructions and guidelines adopted by the Graduate Council By-Laws shall be carefully followed. The thesis should represent the equivalent of at least two publications in significant, peer-reviewed journals; fulfillment of this requirement will be determined by the TAC.

Oral Defense of Thesis. The composition of the Oral Thesis Examining Committee should be suggested by the student and mentor and must be approved by the PCB Graduate Education Committee. After these approvals are obtained, final approval of the composition of this committee must be obtained from the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

Time Limit for Completing Degree Requirements. It is the School of Medicine Graduate Council policy that students must complete all requirements for Ph.D. within 7 years of matriculation. Students that do not complete degree requirements within this deadline may be dismissed from the graduate program. Students, mentors and the TAC should consider this deadline when evaluating thesis research goals and progress.

Exceptions. No exceptions from the policies and procedures described in these guidelines can be made without approval by the PCB faculty. In matters related to coursework, exceptions must be approved by the PCB graduate education committee before review and consideration for approval by the PCB faculty.

Ethical and Professional Behavior. PCB graduate students are expected to maintain high ethical standards. Graduate students should demonstrate honesty in all aspects of research activities. Students should learn about and avoid sources of error in scientific research. It is essential that students do not misrepresent scientific findings or misappropriate credit. All graduate students are required to take a course concerning ethics and science. Students should show cooperation, responsibility and respect in working with other students and faculty. Students should be considerate of the cultural and individual diversity of their colleagues. PCB graduate students will be held to the standards of the OHSU workplace and be in compliance with research integrity through courses on the Big Brain, in addition to CON650, Practice & Ethics of Science.

Non-compliance. Non-compliance with any of the PCB requirements can and will result in the revocation of certain program privileges, academic probation and possible dismissal from the graduate program.

Miscellaneous

Grievances

The procedure for handling grievances is outlined in the OHSU Graduate Studies Handbook.

Extracurricular Employment or Enrollment in Degree Granting Programs

The Program in Cancer Biology considers employment as a graduate student in the Ph.D. program to represent full time employment. Students are strongly discouraged from seeking outside employment or concurrent enrollment in other degree granting programs. Any student wishing to pursue outside employment or enrollment in a degree granting program must submit a written request to the TAC, mentor, the Director of Graduate Education and the Graduate Education Committee. The student must receive written authorization from the above entities prior to accepting employment or enrollment in a degree granting program. Failure to do so may result in academic probation. If the student is unsure if his/her intended activity falls into this category, he/she is advised to discuss the matter with his/her mentor.