Oncology-focused Postdoctoral Training in Care Delivery and Symptom Science (OPTICS)

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Oncology-focused Postdoctoral Training In Care Delivery and Symptom Science (OPTICS) T32 program will mentor and train physicians and scientists with PhDs in social or quantitative sciences to conduct research focused on innovative cancer care delivery that narrows the gap between outcomes that are possible based on

contemporary scientific understanding of cancer prevention and treatment and outcomes that are actually achieved. This persistent gap results in a critical need for translational researchers who are focused on risk reduction, symptom science, and innovative care delivery and have rigorous training in research methods

required for care delivery transformation and leadership of health system–level interventions to reduce pervasive inequities in treatment outcomes. The cornerstone of the OPTICS program will be a 2-year mentored research experience in which trainees will conduct research aligned with one or more of four thematic areas: 1)

Data Science, 2) Risk Mitigation, 3) Symptom Science, and 4) Care Delivery. An emphasis on remediation of inequities generated by structural racism and classism is a core program tenet. OPTICS trainees will receive 1) intensive mentorship and the resources necessary to execute a focused research project in one or more of the

thematic areas; 2) training in core methods necessary for impactful research through coursework, seminars, workshops, and reading groups; and 3) training in skills required for career building, including protocol development and execution, management, grant writing, team building, patient engagement, dry-laboratory

organization, and the responsible conduct of research. OPTICS will be co-led by 2 PhDs and 2 MDs at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) with long track records of impactful research, mentorship, and successful knowledge translation. This structure will attract diverse candidates and afford participants methods

training and the ability to launch interventions in the community and the clinic. OPTICS will train 6 postdoctoral fellows each year (3 new appointees and 3 re-appointees) with a team of 36 core program faculty, 10 emerging mentors, and 6 research supporters with relevant supporting skills, expertise, and resources. Required core

program training at the New York City campus of MSK and its partner Weill Cornell Medical College is supplemented by an array of elective learning opportunities customized to each trainee's needs and learning style. Trainees will obtain the skills necessary to develop, test, and implement new approaches to optimizing

patients' experiences by focusing on risk reduction, symptom control, communication, and new models of cancer care delivery. These skills are crucial to address the challenges brought about by the tremendous growth in the complexity and chronicity of cancer care. OPTICS aims to prepare trainees for impactful careers

focused on innovations to optimize cancer care quality, equity, and translation of knowledge to ensure that discoveries made in the laboratory and clinic realize their full impact on population health and well-being.