Lincoln University – Fox Chase Partnership in Cancer Research and Training (P20)

Under the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) "Feasibility Studies for Collaborative Interaction for Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership (MI/CCP)"

The Lincoln University–Fox Chase Partnership in Cancer Research and Training is a P20 grant collaboration funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under its "Feasibility Studies for Collaborative Interaction for Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership (MI/CCP)" rubric. This effort is being led by Co-Principal Investigators J. Robert Beck, MD at Fox Chase Cancer Center (an NCI designated Cancer Center) and Delroy Louden, PhD, FRSPH at Lincoln University (a Historically Black College/Institution).

The objectives of the partnership are to:

1. Expose Lincoln University faculty and students to first-class research conducted at Fox Chase in the areas of cancer biology and population science;
2. Enhance Fox Chase's and Lincoln's collaborative research efforts and networking opportunities through increased participation in scientific conferences;
3. Introduce basic cancer principles through organization of workshops, seminars, lectures, community/university outreach, and academic instruction;
4. Publish joint research publications;
5. Incorporate team-based projects that will generate a steady pipeline of students to continue advanced studies in top graduate institutions within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and nationwide.

The instruction of minority and majority scientists at Lincoln and Fox Chase about cancer health disparities will increase the sensitivity toward this issue and augment the number of capable researchers available to eliminate this health problem by 2020.

For more information on the Lincoln University – Fox Chase Partnership in Cancer Research and Training contact Theresa Berger at 215-214-1597 or Theresa.Berger@fccc.edu.

Located in Chester County, PA, Lincoln University is the first historically black university in the country. Lincoln University demonstrates a long-standing history of preparing students for leadership roles. Noted Lincoln alumni include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, poet Langston Hughes and educator Melvin B. Tolson, portrayed by Denzel Washington in the 2007 film "The Great Debaters."

Summer Internship

The overall purpose of the collaborative summer internship between Fox Chase Cancer Center (an NCI Designated Cancer Center) and Lincoln University (an HBCU/MI) is to create an opportunity for selected students and faculty to train at Fox Chase Cancer Center with experienced cancer researchers conducting first-class biomedical and population-based research utilizing equipment and techniques otherwise unavailable. As a result, both the students' and faculty members' experiences will be evaluated for future program development.

The 2009 summer program provided a comprehensive orientation and training in areas of cancer biology and population science:

• Conducting scholarly research
• Health literacy, cultural competency and health disparities
• Biostatistics and bioinformatics
• Bioethics and biotechnology
• Understanding cancer and navigating resources, prevention, detection, treatment and control
• The conduct of basic science and clinical trials
• Regulatory compliance through the IRB, IACUC and Radiation Safety.

At the end of the 10-week long summer program, the original goals and measures will be evaluated through questionnaires and interviews looking at the participants' knowledge and understanding as well as the program's effectiveness.