ASPO Abstracts
Development, Delivery and Impact of the Transdisciplinary Research in Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Training Course
Category: Lifestyles Behavior, Energy Balance & Chemoprevention, Survivorship & Health Outcomes/Comparative Effectiveness Research
Conference Year: 2018
Abstract Body:
Purpose: Obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity increase the risk of many cancers. In addition to public health efforts to improve these behaviors, it is critical that scientists receive training in conducting rigorous and impactful energy balance and cancer research. To address this need, we developed an NCI-funded research education program to offer, evaluate and disseminate an annual 5-day transdisciplinary (TD) research in energetics and cancer (TREC) training course for postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty (R25CA203650). The goal of this course is to enhance the ability of course participants to conduct innovative, TD research in energetics and cancer research. Methods: The course builds upon the 2005 to 2016 NCI TREC Initiative, which was a major scientific research effort that covered topics across the cancer control continuum. The annual 5-day course, delivered June 2017-2021, provides evidence-based energetics and cancer training. A TD team of ~20 expert faculty members participate each year as TREC Faculty. Details regarding the course and application to participate as a TREC Fellow are available via a website (www.trectraining.yale.edu). Finally, we assess knowledge and skills in energetics and cancer before and immediately after the 5-day workshop that are analyzed with the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Results: Information about the course was shared with ~30 organizations, resulting in 77 applications for the inaugural 2017 year. Twenty TREC Fellows were accepted into the program, including 3 basic, 7 clinical, and 10 population scientists. Fifteen of the TREC fellows were junior faculty and 5 were postdoctoral fellows. The 5-day course included over 50 lectures, small-group breakouts and one-on-one faculty-fellow sessions. After participating in the TREC Training Workshop, knowledge related to conducting energy balance and cancer research, as well as TD research competencies, significantly improved in 37 out of 39 competencies (94.8%). Conclusion: The impact of this TD course will be defined by the degree to which course participants produce innovative research approaches and discoveries that, may improve the health of the population at risk for cancer as well as cancer survivors.
Keywords: obesity, exercise, diet, cancer