* To examine the use of gene therapy through the use of bone marrow and stem cells.
* To review specific regulatory and ethical considerations related to cell and gene therapy.

Leukemia Clinical Research Track Objectives:
* To develop expertise in the design and implementation of clinical research trials for children with acute and chronic leukemias, including diagnosis, therapy, and management of acute and chronic complications and care of long-term survivors.

* To develop proficiency in laboratory skills and data analysis as they pertain to treatment of children with leukemia.
* To develop expertise in the special requirements of clinical and pharmacologic studies of new anticancer agents for the treatment of leukemia.
* To interact with COG in order to understand the development of multi-institutional clinical trials in leukemia.
* To explore clinically applicable laboratory research in areas pertinent to leukemia.
* To understand the ethical and regulatory issues involved in leukemia biology research, including special protections afforded to children, appropriate recruitment of minorities into clinical trials, and the role of the Institutional Review Board.

Solid Tumor Clinical Research Track Objectives:
* To develop expertise in clinical research methodology with specific emphasis on the design and proper conduct of phase I, II, and III clinical studies as they pertain to children with solid tumors.
* To develop expertise in the fundamentals of the treatment of solid tumors.
* To develop knowledge regarding a current understanding of the molecular events involved in the development of solid tumors.
* To gain expertise in the development of correlative studies that incorporate new diagnostic technologies, neuroimaging techniques, and treatment modalities.
* To understand the ethical and regulatory issues involved in research, including special protections afforded to children, appropriate recruitment of minorities into clinical trials, and the role of the Institutional Review Board.

Eligibility
Trainees will be:
Fully trained pediatricians who have completed a three-year pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship training program and are board eligible in that subspecialty, and Ph.D. nurses with a career interest in pediatric oncology clinical research.

All candidates must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or be lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence.

More information: