The Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center educates and trains future research scientists, physician researchers, and practicing physicians interested in translational breast cancer research or in focused clinical training in the management of this disease. Faculty in the Breast Center believe that it is extremely important for laboratory scientists to have a basic understanding of the medical aspects of breast cancer in order for them to investigate pertinent questions and for practicing physicians to understand the cellular and molecular biology of breast cancer in order to design and test new diagnostic and treatment strategies.
Breast Program Trainee Retreat
The annual Breast Program Trainee Retreat is a career development program designed to refine graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows experience and improve their skills in preparing, presenting and communicating research and findings to an audience of their peers.
Clinical Research and Clinical Practice
The center also offers training for physicians who have completed their medical training in either medical oncology or pathology and who desire additional focused training in breast disease and breast cancer. The pathology fellowship program includes an intensive exposure to diagnostic breast disease and breast cancer pathology and the use of immunohistochemical and molecular techniques to measure prognostic and predictive factors.
Fellows who have completed their medical oncology training can receive specialty training in the management of breast cancer patients including breast cancer prevention in high risk women. These trainees will also receive an intense exposure to methodology of clinical research designed to investigate new prevention and treatment approaches.
To learn about opportunities and available programs contact snhaque@bcm.edu.
Research Scientists
The center offers research laboratory training focusing on translational breast cancer research to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the Baylor College of Medicine, as well as to physicians who have completed their clinical training and desire additional laboratory training in preparation for an academic career. Funding is provided from a variety of resources, including grants and institutional resources.
Senior laboratory scientists working in a team environment that has been productive for 20 years mentor the students. In addition to scientific training, students are exposed to a formal teaching program, which includes a course in grant writing, a course in biostatistics and trial design, and a course in clinical breast cancer designed specifically for researchers. The program goal is to prepare students and postdoctoral fellows for academic careers focusing on breast cancer research.
For more information, contact (713) 798-1632.
Translational Breast Cancer Research Program
The Translational Breast Cancer Research Program provides a training process in translational research by bringing together researchers from both basic and clinical areas to provide a synergistic approach to training.
Trainees participate in six didactic courses (a Core Cancer Course, Introduction to Molecular Carcinogenesis, Biostatistics, Scientific Writing and Research Grants, Clinical Breast Cancer, and Translational Research) to familiarize Ph.D. trainees with breast cancer from the clinician's standpoint.
These courses are designed to introduce trainees to the basic principles of patient-oriented research and the methods used to translate laboratory findings to the clinic, or to take clinical observations back to the laboratory for more in-depth study. We also engage in bi-weekly R&D Workshops and Journal Club meetings.
The Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center is committed to training physicians who wish to pursue a career in academic breast care.
To learn about opportunities and available programs contact snhaque@bcm.edu.