Adrian Lee Laboratory
TRAINING ENVIRONMENT
The Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine has a very strong and interactive training program, with both didactic and non-didactic specialized courses in clinical breast cancer, biostatistics, and scientific writing. Students and fellows are expected to present at a weekly data review ( Breast Center Data Review Schedule) and bi-weekly journal club (Breast Center Journal Club Schedule) in front of all faculty, and to attend several seminar series including the weekly Breast Disease Research Group meeting (Breast Center Seminars) and the Molecular and Cellular Biology seminar series (weekly). Faculty members of the Breast Center organize the largest International Breast Cancer Meeting annually in San Antonio, which provides students with an excellent opportunity to learn about the clinical aspects of breast cancer research. In addition, trainees attend the Breast Center retreat, which is held annually. The retreat provides a platform for all Breast Center postdoctoral fellows and graduate students to present their data, engage in scientific discussion, and socialize over meals and various activities. (Retreat website: http://www.breastcenter.tmc.edu/training/trainee_retreat/2007/index.htm)
In addition to the training experiences provided by the Breast Center, my laboratory has weekly data review during which one lab member presents his/her data and receives suggestions regarding his/her work. These data review sessions help sharpen presentation skills and allow students the opportunity to think more critically about their projects. We also hold a monthly journal club to discuss recently published articles.
I believe that my laboratory can provide students and fellows with an invaluable opportunity for training in breast cancer research. I was lucky enough to be trained by Dr. Roger King, an internationally recognized leader on steroid hormones and breast cancer, and also by Dr. Douglas Yee, a leading authority on IGFs and breast cancer. Thus, I believe I can provide the background that a student should need to be successful in these fields. In my laboratory we also have Medical Oncology fellows who are more than willing to help educate our basic researchers on the clinical aspects of breast cancer treatment.
The resulting broad understanding of basic, translational, and clinical breast cancer research is something that I have been fortunate to obtain and I hope that others in my lab will also be able to share.
