For Current Trainees
The Cancer Epigenetics Training Program in the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at UNC-Chapel Hill provides exceptional training in the critical new area of cancer epigenetics in an effort to yield the next generation of young scientists who focus on the role of epigenetic changes in human tumor development. Please see below for a list of program requirements and links to further information.
Training Basics
Each trainee must assemble a Postdoctoral Mentoring Committee (PMC) consisting of the research mentor, one other CETP preceptor, and another LCCC member experienced in cancer epigenetics, including translational and/or clinical expertise. An additional member of the committee (potentially outside of the CETP faculty) to provide expertise in a particular research area may be added.
Each fellow must apply to relevant funding agencies for postdoctoral fellowships, such as the NIH/NCI, DoD, ACS, and private foundations. The Program Coordinator will provide a list of funding opportunities to all fellows and assist in the logistics of submitting the applications to the funding agencies. The fellow will present the aims of the proposal to their PMC for review prior to writing a proposal. Prior to submission, CETP fellow’s applications will be evaluated by a Mock Study Section committee. The fellow will then work with the preceptor and the PMC on potential revisions.
CETP-Specific Training Activities
A series of bi-monthly colloquiums led by CETP preceptors that will offer a unique historical perspective of their respective fields, highlighting the outstanding and unanswered questions in the field, and cover the current state-of-the-art technologies that will drive new research and insight into each particular area of epigenetics. Although each topic encompasses a field central to epigenetics and chromatin biology broadly, the presentation will uniformly include cancer-specific aspects of these fields.
- Chromatin remodeling (led by Dr. Weissman)-. Sequencing efforts have similarly identified common mutations in the complex of proteins that influence the organization of chromatin. Dr. Weissman will review the discovery of chromatin as a platform for nuclear processes and the identification of chromatin remodeling complexes, their influences on chromatin, and the effect of subunit mutations in tumor development.
- Histone variants and post-translational modifications (led by Dr. Strahl)– Mutations in histone-modifying enzymes and in histones themselves have been identified in a growing range of tumors. Dr. Strahl will cover histone modifications, alternative histones and the means by which they are regulated, and how they regulate various nuclear processes, including transcription and DNA damage repair. He will also discuss the studies that identified histone modifications and eventually recognized their regulatory importance.
- DNA methylation (led by Dr. Ideraabdullah)- Alternations in DNA methylation constitute one of the best-known features of the cancer genome. Cancer-associated mutations in regulators of methylation such as IDH1 and cancers seemingly linked exclusively to alteration in DNA methylation point to the importance of these modifications. Dr. Ideraabdullah will review the discovery of DNA methylation and alterations in methylation that accompany human cancers and will review the mechanisms by which mutations affect methylation levels.
- Long non-coding, micro, and e-RNAs (led by Dr. Calabrese)- High throughput sequencing efforts have identified widespread transcription outside of protein-coding genes. Dr. Calabrese will discuss the regulation and evolving roles of these genes in cancer as well as the studies that led to their discovery.
- Chemical approaches to study epigenetics and epigenetic drug discovery (led by Drs. James and Waters)- Small molecules targeted towards epigenetics have led to chemical probes for mechanistic studies and novel drugs for cancer treatment. Drs. James and Waters will review chemical and chemical biology approaches to explore the mechanisms of epigenetic regulators and opportunities to target them for therapeutic purposes.
- Translational approaches in epigenetics (led by Dr. Davis)– recognition of the importance of epigenetics to foster and maintain cancers has spurred the development of new classes of epigenetic drugs, many of which are in clinical testing or FDA approved. Dr. Davis will review the interface between basic discovery, preclinical testing, and clinical trials for the development of epigenetically-targeted therapies.
- High-throughput genomic approaches to study chromatin organization (led by Dr. Dowen)- Whole-genome approaches to explore chromatin organization have shed light on new levels of gene regulation. Dr. Dowen will highlight the evolving methods to study genome organization and the way that these data can be integrated with other assays of nuclear function, such as transcription or histone modifications.
- Environmental epigenetics and cancer (led by Dr. Fry)- Compounds that modify the epigenome pervade our environment and may lead to transgenerational effects on cancer development. Dr. Fry will describe how the link between environmental factors and cancer evolved and how they may influence the epigenome.
- Bioinformatics and statistical approaches to large data analysis (led by Dr. Furey)– The exploration of large datasets has become critical for many studies of the cancer epigenome. Although impossible to fully cover in a single colloquium, Dr. Furey will highlight the available approaches and resources to test large datasets with hypothesis-directed questions. He will also address the technical and statistical challenges that face a researcher who proposes these types of studies.
- Mutations of epigenetic machinery in cancer (led by Dr. Wang)- Mutations in genes that regulate the epigenome occur commonly in a wide range of human cancers. Dr. Wang will survey the nature of the mutations that alter the activity of a broad range of chromatin regulators, (examples include EZH2, ATRX, SETD2) and their roles in tumor development.
CETP preceptors will work directly with postdoctoral fellows on the preparation and submission of grants. From the beginning of the fellow’s training experience, we stress that their postdoctoral experience will establish their professional identity and path. Writing fellowship applications is the first step in this process and is a key part of our training.
Applications are to be drafted by the applicant in their own words to show their grasp of the research project; preceptors are expected to correct the application together with the Fellow and help to edit it for coherence and innovation.
A main focus should be on the training that the Fellow expects to receive and how it will advance his or her capabilities, both conceptually and technologically. This critical aspect of the application must be detailed both by the applicant and the preceptor from their own perspectives. However, each plan must outline consistent training goals for the applicant.
The program coordinator, with input from the preceptor and other CETP preceptors, will review grant sources and advise the applicant on those relevant to the proposed research. We will also advise applicants on strategies that will optimize the ability to apply for and receive a K99/R00 award.
Fellows must submit their proposals to a Mock Study section (offered three times a year – see below) – both for feedback of their own fellowship application and for exposure to the actions of a study section (see below).
Fellows work with the Program Coordinator to submit applications – making sure that deadlines are met, formatting is appropriate, and required sections/letters are included.
In addition to the grant writing process, our trainees should be exposed to the grant review process. Therefore, we will develop an event that will (i) provide peer-related and faculty input for fellows prior to their grant submission and (ii) expose trainees to the process and expectations of study section review. Mock study sections will be created, each consisting of at least two fellows and two faculty preceptors who offer expertise in the particular topic and possess study section experience. Modeling NIH study sections, panel members will review the proposals and meet for an open discussion. Fellows whose applications are being discussed will be strongly encouraged to attend so that they can gain an appreciation of the process as well as the tenor of the review. We aim to run three study section reviews per year to coincide with fellowship deadlines.
The CETP will hold an annual afternoon symposium in early November in the main conference room of the LCCC. The program will include a keynote speaker from outside UNC-CH who is a leader in cancer epigenetics from academia, government agencies, or industry (biotechnology or pharma). The Postdoctoral Fellows Committee will choose and invite the keynote speaker with advice from the CETP Director and Associate Director. The symposium will also feature presentations from three CETP fellows and one CETP preceptor on their current research studies.
The Carolina Chromatin Consortium (C3) is a monthly research meeting that includes all labs that are a part of the large epigenetics community at UNC-CH and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Research talks are primarily given by faculty and senior postdoctoral fellows. Attendance is mandatory for all CETP trainees. One session will be reserved for presentations by each of the second-year CETP fellows.
Trainees need the opportunity to present their work to their peers coherently and intelligently. The mastery of oral presentation skills, including the integration and self-critique of data and the reasoning required for an effective presentation, complements the acquisition of proficiency in the laboratory. Furthermore, delivering clear and insightful presentations is critical for fellows in their quest for jobs and their overall success in science. To provide this important opportunity, one meeting each year of the Carolina Chromatin Consortium (C3) will be reserved for each second-year CETP fellow to present their research. Each presentation will be followed by ample question and answer time. CETP fellows will also be required to either give an oral presentation or present a poster at the Annual CETP Symposium held every November. CETP fellows will also have opportunities to present at the LCCC Postdoctoral Fellows’ Monthly In-House Seminar Series and the Annual LCCC Postdoctoral-Faculty Research Day.
The CETP encourages trainee attendance at national meetings and training courses with the expectation that each trainee will present his or her own work. Meetings include those held at or by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Keystone Conferences, FASEB, American Societies of Virology, Microbiology, Cell Biology, and Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Herpesvirus Workshops, Gene Therapy Workshops, American Association for Cancer Research, Gordon Research Conferences and others of high quality including selected international conferences. The LCCC provides a poster printing service within its building. The CETP also encourages trainees to attend local conferences, lectures, and symposia at neighboring institutions. Each CETP trainee will be provided funding to attend and present at one of these meetings each year.
Each CETP fellow must participate in the yearly CETP lunch meeting dedicated to responsible conduct of research and ethics with a special emphasis on the most relevant aspects for those using approaches common in cancer epigenetics research. Each session will be led by an LCCC investigator focused upon topics directly relevant to cancer epigenetics research i.e. clinical trials, large dataset analyses, reproducibility of molecular experiments, etc.