The Board of Regents Saturday approved a new master of science (M.S.) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program in cancer research at UNMC.
“The new program will award master’s and doctorate degrees in cancer research and will take advantage of the already strong research and clinical care program at UNMC,” said Rubens Pamies, M.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate studies. “This reflects the tremendous growth in our cancer research programs and the increased interest in this field by our students. It will prepare students for a variety of careers in academia, government or the private sector.”
For many years, UNMC has had a cooperative, multi-department training program, the Cancer Research Training Program (CRTP), supported by a training grant from the National Institutes of Health. However, the CRTP is a non-degree-granting training program leading to a Ph.D. Completion of the Ph.D. currently requires substantial assistance from one of the traditional disciplinary areas such as pharmacology or biochemistry and molecular biology.
The proposed Cancer Research Graduate Program (CRGP) will streamline and consolidate graduate program offerings thus reducing duplication of administrative effort. The Eppley Cancer Institute will finance the new program through reallocation of funds that currently support the existing CRTP. No new university funds are being requested.
“We hope to grow the CRGP to 50 students, doubling the number of students in the current CRTP program,” said Robert S. Lahue, Ph.D., associate professor for the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.