Transdisciplinary team-based cancer research: a model for training the next generation of cancer researchers

Interdisciplinary team collaboration is a key element of discovery and advancement in oncology science and medicine. This fact is well-recognized by both laboratory and physician scientists and yet, most cancer research trainees are minimally exposed to and ill prepared in the collaboration skills required for them to be successful in the future. Similarly, near-peer mentoring, the benefits of which have been broadly published for precollegiate and undergraduate programs, is usually not a formal training component for doctoral and postdoctoral oncology trainees. At the University of Florida, the Team-based Interdisciplinary Cancer Research Training (TICaRT) Program seeks to address this unmet need by offering a unique opportunity for trainees to develop interdisciplinary skills in cancer research and gain collaborative expertise through team-based learning and near-peer mentoring.

Active transdisciplinary research collaboration drives cancer discovery, knowledge, and treatment. Providing opportunities for trainees to participate in collaborative research experiences by incorporating team science and near-peer mentoring concepts as integral components of their training would greatly aid their preparation to become successful next-generation cancer researchers.