Fellowship Program Director(s): Stacey Doran, MD
Overview
This training program is for physicians who have already completed an oncology-focused- fellowship program (i.e. adult hematology/oncology, pediatric oncology, radiation oncology, or surgical oncology) and seek further specialized training in immunotherapy with a focus on clinical trials and clinical trial development. There are multiple opportunities at the Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI, including active clinical programs using therapeutic cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint modulation, adoptive cellular therapies (both TCR transgenic and CAR-T therapy) and antibody-based immunotherapies. Funding for this position is co-sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC).
Program Structure
This 1-year program at the CCR in Bethesda, Maryland, provides exposure to multiple clinical immunotherapeutic approaches and to key opinion leaders in the field. Fellows will gain experience in how to design, write and run clinical trials; how to treat patients with novel agents including first-in-human treatments; and how to grade and manage toxicities. Each fellow will identify a primary mentor and have flexibility to create a schedule that matches their specific research and clinical training goals, with a typical breakdown being approximately 20-40% clinical time and 60-80% research time per week. Fellows do not need to identify a mentor in their application or prior to starting fellowship, and the program Director may assist with matching the fellow's interest with an appropriate mentor.
The expectation is for a 40-hour work week running Monday-Friday. There is no mandatory overnight or weekend call, opportunities for moonlighting may be available on a case-by-case basis. Fellows will receive generous vacation/sick time, religious compensation time, and paid federal holidays as per federal government policy. Publications and travel for presentations at national meetings will be supported.
Additional Information
NCI Immunotherapy Fellowship (National Cancer Institute)
NCI Immunotherapy Fellowship (Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer)
Application Information
Applications will be accepted via email the summer/autumn (generally August) the year prior to planned fellowship start date. Please refer to the SITC website above for updates to application periods. Applications consist of CV, statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, and documentation of board eligibility status or certification status. Fellows may be sponsored on visas according to current federal government policy.