Oncology

UCSF Scholars Program

The CaPSURE™ Study seeks applicants annually for the UCSF CaPSURE™ Scholars Program in Prostate Cancer Outcomes Research. The goals of the scholarship are to advance prostate cancer research and to support the career development of young investigators. Research topics include clinical outcomes, utilization of health care resources and quality of life.

Since 1999, scholarships have been offered to qualified residents and fellows at accredited US training institutions. Scholars, working from their home institutions, formulate research plans under the mentorship of senior CaPSURE™ investigators. Mentoring is conducted through email, telephone consultations and in-person meetings. Scholars, UCSF statistical analysts and mentors work together to complete the project within the study year.

The annual study year runs from July through June. Each Scholar receives a monetary stipend to fund presentation of results at a national meeting. Results also are submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The UCSF CaPSURE™ Scholars Program is funded and coordinated by the UCSF Department of Urology. Additional information about the the CaPSURE™ Study can be found on our Genitourinary Cancer Epidemiology and Population Science (G-CEPS) page.

Overview of Study Year

Scholar Responsiblities

Each Scholar:
• Participates in the program from his/her home institution
• Identifies a local mentor who is familiar with prostate cancer clinical care, outcomes research, or health services research and who is able to provide ongoing research supervision during his/her study year
• Is assigned a national mentor from the group of faculty participating in CaPSURE™
• Is assigned a UCSF statistical analyst to work with on plans for data analysis and interpretation of results
• Is oriented to the CaPSURE™ database via conference call and the web at the start of the study year
• Discusses research interests and plans a project with his/her project group consisting of himself/herself, national and local mentors, and the statistical analyst
• Receives a $1,500 travel stipend to defray costs of attending a national meeting to present an abstract
• Works with his/her project group to complete the project goals within the study year

Project Group Responsibilites

Each Scholar and his/her project group members:
• Meet via email, conference call or at a national or regional meeting
• Develop specific research questions and determine a time line to accomplish goals throughout the study year
• Submit at least one abstract to a national professional meeting (deadlines are in the fall for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancer Symposium and the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting)
• Attend that meeting to present the project results via oral or poster presentation
• Set up target dates for completion of a manuscript after an abstract has been submitted
• Write and submit to an appropriate peer-reviewed journal (e.g. Journal of Urology, Journal of Clinical Oncology) at least one manuscript as first author

Mentors

National mentors have extensive experience in prostate cancer research and with the CaPSURE™ project. A listing of all current mentors is to the left.

Application Process

Requirements

Applicants:
• Must identify a local mentor at the time of application
• Are not required to propose a research project as part of the application
• Are selected by senior leadership of the CaPSURE™ project based on previous research experience, letters of support, seniority in post-graduate study (5th and 6th year residents and post-residency fellows are given priority), and the suitability of personal research interests for the CaPSURE™ database
• Must apply by June 1
• Must send materials by express mail and NOT by regular mail or fax.

Key dates:

• June 1, 2008 application deadline
• July 1, 2008 applicants notified of final selections
• July 2008 new Scholars begin the study year

Application Materials

Applicants must:
• An application (download from this link)
• A curriculum vitae
• A one-page statement describing: interests, previous research experience, career goals, and how the scholarship would support those goals
• Two letters of recommendation
Urology residents and fellows: Letters of support from the applicant's local mentor and training program director
Medical students and fellows in disciplines other than urology: Letters of support from faculty members at the applicant's institution who are familiar with his/her academic background and who are able to address applicant's potential for a career in prostate cancer research
• Applications must be sent by overnight mail to Janet Cowan:

Overnight Mail:
UCSF CaPSURE™ Scholars Program
c/o Janet Cowan (tel: 415-353-7424)
UCSF Department of Urology
1600 Divisadero Street, A629
San Francisco, CA 94115

Scholars Trained

CaPSURE scholars have been residents, fellows and postdocs from departments of urology, radiation oncology, medical oncology, and psychology.

2007-2008

Robert Abouassaly, MD
Resident, Glickman Urological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland OH

Ronald C. Chen, MD
Resident, Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA

Vincent Fradet, MD
Fellow, Department of Urology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA

David J. Hernandez, MD
Resident, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore MD

Todd M. Morgan, MD
Resident, Department of Urology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle WA

Wesley White, MD
Resident, Department of Urology, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville TN

2006-2007

Daniel Barocas, MD
Fellow, Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN

Toni Choueiri, MD, MS
Fellow, Department of Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio

Y. Mark Hong, MD
Resident, Department of Urology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA

George Huang, MD
Fellow, Department of Urology, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles CA

Irwin Lee, MD, PhD
Resident, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI

Nicole Simone, MD
Resident, Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda MD

2005-2006

Piyush Agarwal, MD
Department of Urology, The University of Texas, Houston TX

Keith Bellizzi, PhD, MPH
Fellow, Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda MD

Stephen A. Boorjian, MD
Fellow, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN

O. Kenneth Macdonald, MD
Resident, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Charles D. Scales, MD
Resident, Department of Urology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC

Jay B. Shah, MD
Resident, Department of Urology, Columbia University, New York NY

Jonathan L. Wright, MD, MS
Department of Urology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle WA

2003-2004

Jason Anast, MD
Resident, Department of Urology, Washington University, St Louis, MO

Shelley Arredondo, MD, MPH
Resident in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, UCSF

William Bassett, MD
Resident, Department of Urology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston MA

Matthew Cooperberg, MD, MPH
Resident, Department of Urology, UCSF

Sangtae Park, MD
University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX

Kirsten Greene, MD
Clinical Instructor, Department of Urology, UCSF

2002-2003

James Hu, MD
Instructor in Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston MA

Tracy M. Downs, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Urology, University of California, San Diego, CA

Susan Rider Harlan, MD
Resident, Department of Radiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Joseph Mitchell, MD
Resident, Department of Urology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston MA

1999-2001

Peter Langenstroer, MD, MS
Medical College of Wisconsin, Waukesha, WI

Theresa Koppie, MD
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York NY

David Penson, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Contents of This Page

UCSF CaPSURE Scholars Program

Overview of Study Year

Scholar Responsibilites

Project Group Responsibilites

Mentors

Application Process

Requirements

Key Dates

Application Materials

Scholars Trained

Mentors

Badrinath Konety, MD, MBA
CaPSURE Scholars Program Director
Email: bkonety@urology.ucsf.edu

Peter Carroll, MD

Jeanette Broering, RN, MS, MPH
Director of Data Procurement and Quality Assurance
Email: jbroering@urology.ucsf.edu

June Chan, ScD

Anthony V. D’Amico, PhD, MD
Professor of Radiation Oncology; Chief of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Christopher J. Kane, MD
Professor of Surgery; Chief of Urology, University of California, San Diego, Medical Center

Sara J. Knight, PhD

Mark S. Litwin, MD, MPH
Professor of Urology and Health Services Research, University of California, Los Angeles

Maxwell Meng, MD

David F. Penson, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California

Leslie Wilson, RN, PhD
Associate Adjunct Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, UCSF

Key Staff

Janet Cowan
Programmer Analyst & CaPSURE Scholars Coordinator
Email: jcowan@urology.ucsf.edu

Natalia Sadetsky, MD, MPH
Programmer Analyst

Alan Paciorek
Programmer Analyst

Contact Number

Questions about the application process can be directed to Janet Cowan, CaPSURE Scholars Coordinator.

Questions related to the scientific program should be directed to Badri Konety, MD, MBA.

The informational brochure can be downloaded from this link.