Undergraduate Summer Training Program in Breast Cancer Imaging

Imaging is used in virtually every cancer patient, in many animal models of cancer, and in a large number of in vitro cancer-related experiments. Imaging research is thus fundamental to advanced cancer research. The medical physics program at the University of Chicago is recognized internationally for its research excellence and for its training of investigators at the pre-doctoral and postdoctoral level. Many of the trainees go on to careers in cancer research. We believe that exposure and immersion of undergraduate students in summer research in breast cancer imaging is expected to provide a forum for establishing a set of next-generation researchers who will pursue breast cancer research via Ph.D. or Ph.D.M.D. programs as their career. Six undergraduate students participate in research in breast cancer imaging at the University of Chicago within the laboratory and administrative structure of the well-established Graduate Programs in Medical Physics. Six summer students in the Summer 2005 quarter learned and experienced research in breast cancer imaging through didactic lectures, hands-on research, interactive research project meetings, formal research seminars, and in the writing and oral presentation of their research. All four of the mentors who participated as primary summer advisors in the grant Giger, Halpern, Jiang, and Nishikawa have a long history of breast cancer research and funding.