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VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center was recently awarded a $2.7 million Worta McCaskill-Stevens K12 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The five-year grant will allow Massey to mentor promising, multidisciplinary, early-stage clinical investigators in the conception, development, and implementation of innovative cancer prevention and control studies designed to optimize participation by cancer survivors and individuals most at risk for cancer throughout Virginia.

“We are proud to receive the Worta McCaskill-Stevens K12 grant,” said Oxana Palesh, Ph.D., M.P.H., co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at Massey and co-principal investigator on the grant with Jessica LaRose, Ph.D., F.S.B.M., a Cancer Prevention and Control research program member at Massey and professor and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the VCU School of Public Health, and Patrick Nana-Sinkam, M.D., the Linda Grandis Blatt Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, Cancer Prevention and Control research program member at Massey and VCU Health Associate Vice President for Clinical and Translational research. “This grant will allow us to offer an opportunity for clinician scientists to learn, train and grow at Massey to continue to provide better cancer outcomes for all Virginians.”

Why does this grant matter?

• Clinical scientists work from the bench to the bedside, bridging both the laboratory and the clinic to translate basic discoveries into disease treatments.
• Clinicians often do not receive formal training in the design and conduct of clinical trials – this grant is designed to address that critical gap.
  • “Our team is developing a comprehensive curriculum to ensure that Massey clinicians are well poised to lead CPC focused clinical trials that meet the needs of our catchment area.” - Jessica LaRose, Ph.D., F.S.B.M.
• This grant allows Massey to recruit and train junior clinician scientists, which will be critical to attending to the needs of an aging and growing population.
• The K12 grant will provide training to a variety of clinician scientists (oncologists, nurses, psychologists, etc.), which builds important interdisciplinary strength within a cancer center.
  • “Developing the next generation of community oncology researchers is essential to improving cancer outcomes. This new training grant will equip early career faculty with the mentorship, skills, and collaborative opportunities needed to drive innovation across such areas as prevention, early detection, implementation science, and population health.” - Patrick Nana-Sinkam, M.D.
• As one of only two National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers to have been awarded such a grant, Massey is a pioneer in utilizing this grant to bolster opportunities for clinical scientists.

How will Massey’s program work?

• During the five-year grant period, six K12 Scholars will be identified.
• Scholars will participate in a variety of courses and career development experiences.
• Scholars will be guided by a mentoring triad – a cancer prevention and control investigator, an experienced clinical trialist, and a community champion.
  • “I am very excited about our triad mentoring approach which elevates the lived experiences and knowledge of community members. The triad model is intentionally aligned with contemporary approaches to mentoring and underscores the importance of a team with diverse training, skills, and knowledge to support the career development of our K12 Scholars.” – Jessica LaRose, Ph.D., F.S.B.M.
• Each K12 Scholar will be afforded the time, effort, and resources to conduct cancer prevention and control-related pilot research, write and implement an investigator-initiated intervention study, seek extramural funding to support their future investigations and/or further career development, and submit manuscripts based on their research over their two-year, grant-funded tenure in this program.
• Beyond the initial K12-funded period, K12 Scholars will receive two further years of salary support from Massey.

What is the goal for Massey in receiving the grant?

• “In five years, our goal is to have more clinical scientists who are well-trained and able to perform community-focused clinical research, with a primary goal of helping patients. We want to have clinical scientists who continue to move forward with clinical research and trials.” - Oxana Palesh, Ph.D., M.P.H.

About the Worta McCaskill-Stevens K12 grant

• The purpose of the Worta McCaskill-Stevens K12 funding opportunity is to support institutional career development awards designed to prepare newly trained clinicians who have made a commitment to independent research careers in community oncology or cancer prevention, and to facilitate their transition to more advanced support mechanisms or independent research funding.
• Allows the appointment of scholars proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent community-based clinical trial; or proposing a separate ancillary study to an existing prevention, screening or cancer control clinical trial; or proposing to gain research experience in a community-based clinical trial led by another investigator; or proposing to serve as leader of innovative clinical trial approaches that expand engagement of a wide variety of communities in cancer clinical research, as part of their research and career development.
• Massey’s strong cancer prevention and control and community outreach and engagement programs are a reason it was able to secure the grant.

Principal Investigators on the grant are:

• Jessica LaRose, Ph.D. F.S.B.M., Cancer Prevention and Control research program member at Massey; Professor and Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, VCU School of Public Health
• Patrick Nana-Sinkam, M.D., Linda Grandis Blatt Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and Cancer Prevention and Control research program member at Massey; VCU Health Associate Vice President for Clinical and Translational research
• Oxana Palesh, Ph.D., M.P.H., co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at Massey and Interim Division Chief of Psychology for Department of Psychiatry, VCU School of Medicine

Written by: Bill Potter