Cancer is a complicated disease and if we are to reach our goal of one day living in a cancer-free world, we need to develop cures by taking a multidisciplinary approach. The Pelotonia Fellowship Program funds cutting-edge cancer research performed by our best undergraduate, graduate, medical and postdoctoral students, regardless of their field of study. These students move the field of cancer research forward by making new discoveries while at the same time trainees develop their careers to become independent cancer researchers.
To date, 292 awards have been given to these trainees. Completion of their projects is moving us toward the goal of one day living in a cancer-free world. Our fellows have made discoveries that are being published in prestigious journals; have led to receiving additional research and scholarly awards; have culminated in large grant applications; have led them to a successful path into graduate and medical schools and into postdoctoral, industry and faculty positions.
We’re very proud of the diversity and transparency of our program. If you look at the data in this report, you will see projects funded from 48 departments in 10 different colleges at The Ohio State University and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. We understand that new discoveries occur when people look at problems from different points of view and with broad areas of expertise. We believe that funding talented student researchers in diverse disciplines like Engineering, Physics and Business to help in our fight against cancer will pay tremendous dividends.
A program like this would not be successful if it weren’t for the hard work of all of our 43 committee members who represent 19 different departments. These colleagues are incredibly dedicated to the success of this program and we want to thank each of them for their hard work and dedication. Special thanks to Amanda Simcox, PhD, for her work helping develop our undergraduate and international programs and Denis Guttridge, PhD, for helping develop our graduate program. We are also thankful to the Pelotonia participants (both traditional and virtual riders, volunteers and donors), OSU faculty, departments, colleges and especially the graduate school and Dean Osmer and Dr. Scott Herness for supporting and providing matching funds to this program.
Even though this fellowship program has had some amazing accomplishments in a short period of time, moving forward, additional emphasis will be placed on increasing the metrics of incoming postdoctoral trainees; increasing diversity in all programs with a focus on undergraduate students; extending the medical student program to the colleges of Veterinary Medicine (DVMs), Pharmacy (PharmDs), Optometry (ODs) and Dentistry (DDSs); and increasing the pool of Population Science and Biomedical Informatics applicants. Accomplishment of these goals will help us train the next generation of scientists that will tackle the most difficult health related tasks that still lie ahead and will help our university in becoming one of the best training institutions in the nation.
Thank you for your support and interest.
Sincerely,
Gustavo Leone, PhD
Klotz Chair in Cancer Research
Professor
Director of the Solid Tumor Biology Program
Associate Director of Basic Research
Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Ohio State University
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD
Director, Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research
Distinguished University Professor
S. Robert Davis Chair of Medicine
Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology
Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research
Ohio State University College of Medicine