Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) is an internationally recognized, premier cancer center with an exceptional record of accomplishments in translational research to improve cancer therapy.  HOPP faculty welcome graduate students from the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as well as and postdoctoral trainees from a variety of scientific and clinical research backgrounds.  HOPP has also developed specialized training programs to prepare scientists all levels for successful careers in translation oncology, including several that fulfill our commitment to improving diversity in the education and recruitment of biomedical scientists.

Science Enrichment Program (SEP)

The goal of the SEP is to supplement the scientific education of high school students from under-resourced schools or underprivileged backgrounds. The program provides a broad introduction to the laboratory and clinical research environments, utilizing a cohort-learning model for support and encouragement. In the first year, the SEP engages students in cancer biology and genetics lectures as well as basic lab skills at weekly seminars and laboratory classes led by HOPP faculty, pre- and postdoctoral trainees, and administrative and laboratory staff. Students are invited to participate in mentored laboratory or clinical research experiences in the second year. The program aims to jumpstart the career trajectory of SEP students by offering opportunities to learn about professionalism in the workplace and networking.

For more information, visit our site here.

Summer Student Program (SSP)

The goals of the SSP are to expose high school students to a breadth of cancer research in the basic and clinical sciences, promote student knowledge of translational and clinical research, and to enhance critical thinking skills, with the aim of encouraging students to further their interest in science and cancer research. HOPP sponsors over 20 students annually in competitive, lab-intensive summer internships. Students are matched to a mentor and assigned an independent research project. Students also participate in other activities that expose them to diverse departments and fields of interest within MSK. They are tour the OR, taught how to read and interpret scientific journal articles, attend multiple seminars, and are invited to weekly luncheons hosted by HOPP Principal Investigators. At the end of the program, students present scientific posters describing their summer research projects.

For more information, click here.

Research Technician Pipeline (ResTeP)

The Research Technician Pipeline (ResTeP) program supports the career development of undergraduate students from backgrounds underrepresented in the sciences by offering a gap year of research training in an MSK lab. The ResTeP program is currently open to seniors from Hunter College and the City College of New York (CCNY) in New York City and offers introductory coursework in cancer biology and hands-on training in basic laboratory skills to supplement their undergraduate science education. Students will also complete lab-specific certifications relevant to the research technician position of their mentor lab.

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Translational Research Oncology Training (TROT) Program

HOPP specializes in translational cancer research. The TROT program, directed by Dr. Charles Sawyers, is a two-year grant that supports the ongoing training of PhD fellows and is designed to expose trainees from a basic science or computational biology research backgrounds to the clinical aspects of cancer prevention, diagnosis and cure. TROT fellows learn principles of tissue pathology, how to image tumor progression and response to therapy, and the process of bringing new drugs from the laboratory to the clinic. The program is designed to provide a structured learning environment in which fellows work under the mentorship of a scientific investigator and a clinical adviser while attending lectures and seminars throughout the fellowship years.

For more information on the TROT Program, visit our site here.