Research Skills

Biomedical science builds on work done by others and operates on trust that research is performed with the highest standards of integrity and transparency. The responsible conduct of research (RCR) is therefore a key cornerstone on which discoveries and advances in medicine are built. All MD Anderson employees are required to complete the Research Foundations course offered by the Office of Institutional Compliance on an annual basis. In addition, the Office for Postdoctoral Fellows runs a monthly RCR series that focuses on a number of topics,: conflicts of interest; research involving human subjects; research involving vertebrate animals; safe laboratory practices; mentor/mentee responsibilities; collaborative research; peer review; data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership; research misconduct; responsible authorship and publication; and the role of a scientist as a member of society.

Scientific rigor and reproducibility of research findings are fundamental to the responsible conduct of research. As a member of the Gulf Coast Consortia, MD Anderson offers regular workshops that cover rigor and reproducibility of research that focus on key areas identified by the NIH: scientific premise of the proposed research, rigorous experimental design for robust and unbiased results, consideration of relevant biological variables, and the authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources.

Leading Clinical Research is designed to be a comprehensive introduction to protocol development, investigator oversight and the study management process. The lecture series, delivered online, is open to students and trainees at MD Anderson.

MD Anderson and its sister institution UTHealth jointly operate the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). Postdoctoral fellows can audit or take courses for credit offered by one of nine Ph.D. programs: biochemistry and cell biology, cancer biology, genetics and epigenetics, immunology, medical physics, microbiology and infectious diseases, neuroscience, quantitative sciences, and therapeutics and pharmacology.

Various divisions, departments and training programs at MD Anderson offer seminars and workshops that cover every aspect of cancer research. In addition, shared resources (core facilities) conduct regular training on sample preparation, experimental techniques, use of specialized equipment, and data management and analysis. These seminars, workshops and training sessions are available to all postdoctoral fellows at MD Anderson.