Mentors
Our renowned faculty are at the core of the Med Students SOAR program. As dedicated mentors, they guide students in their research journey, fostering both technical expertise and a deep understanding of the multidisciplinary approach to oncology care. Their invaluable guidance helps shape the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians.
Summer Mentorship
With the guidance of a summer mentor, students will have an opportunity to:
- increase knowledge and skills in basic, clinical, and translational oncology research and subspecialties
- network with other postgraduate trainees and develop professional relationships with world-renowned faculty mentors
- develop and refine communication skills across different scientific disciplines
How to Find a Mentor
A list of our participating faculty and their research are below. Please review each of the faculty pages and incorporate your top mentors in your required research statement.
Faculty Members
Swathi Arur Ph.D., Professor, Genetics
Chandra Bartholomeusz, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Breast Medical Oncology-Research
Robert Bast M.D., Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
Laura Beretta Ph.D., Professor, Molecular and Cellular Oncology
Justin Bird M.D., Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Oncology
Lauren Byers M.D., Associate Professor, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology
George Calin M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Translational Molecular Pathology
Aileen Chen, M.D., Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology
Ken Chen Ph.D., Professor, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Caroline Chung, M.D., VP, Chief Data Officer Data Impact & Governance
Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., Professor, Palliative Care, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine
Laurence Court, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Radiation Physics - Patient Care
Michael Curran, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Immunology
Ronald DePinho, M.D., Professor, Cancer Biology
Scott Evans, M.D., Chair Ad Interim, Pulmonary Medicine
David Fuentes, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Imaging Physics - Research
David Fuller M.D., PhD, Professor, Radiation Oncology
Varsha Gandhi, Ph.D., Chair Ad Interim, Experimental Therapeutics
Sangeeta Goswami, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Traver Hart, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Jian Hu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
Eugene Koay, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, GI Radiation Oncology
Dimitrios Kontoyiannis, M.D., Professor Infectious Diseases
Frederick Lang, M.D., Chair, Neurosurgery
Valerae Lewis, M.D., Chair, Orthopaedic Oncology
Bora Lim, M.D., Associate Professor, Breast Medical Oncology
Sue-Hwa Lin, Ph.D., Professor, Translational Molecular Pathology
Guillermina Lozano, Ph.D., Chair, Genetics
Joseph McCarty, Ph.D., Professor, Neurosurgery - Research
Marites Melancon, Ph.D., Professor, Interventional Radiology
Larissa A. Meyer, M.D., Associate Professor, Gyn Onc & Reproductive Medicine
Lavinia Middleton, M.D., Professor, Pathology, Anatomical
Devarati Mitra, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology
Seyed Javad Moghaddam, M.D., Associate Professor, Pulmonary Medicine - Research
Jeffrey Molldrem, M.D., Chair Ad Interim, Hematopoietic Biology & Malignancy
Amy C. Moreno, M.D., Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology
Jeffrey Myers, M.D., Ph.D., Chair, Head & Neck Surgery
Nicolas Palaskas, M.D., Assistant Professor, Cardiology
Curtis Pettaway, M.D., Professor, Urology
Julianne Pollard-Larkin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Radiation Physics - Patient Care
Ravin Ratan, M.D., Associate Professor, Sarcoma Medical Oncology
Robert Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Oncology
Keri Schadler, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics - Research
Kathleen Schmeler, M.D., Professor, Gyn Onc & Reproductive Medicine
Rahul Sheth, M.D., Assistant Professor, Interventional Radiology
Alda Tam, M.D., Professor, Interventional Radiology
David Tweardy, M.D., Division Head, Internal Medicine - Clinical
Shannon Westin, M.D., Professor, Gyn Onc & Reproductive Medicine
Haoqiang Ying, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Molecular & Cellular Oncology
Mark Zafareo, M.D., Professor, Head and Neck Surgery
Di Zhao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Experimental Radiation Oncology
Mentor-Mentee Matching Process
During the application, the students will submit their CV or resume, personal statement, and a summary of overall research interest (1 page). The students will be ranked based on academic status, research interest, the strength of their personal statement and strength of their references. The top 25 students will be interviewed to determine the best possible student-mentor pairing based on research interest as well as personality and/or work style. During this interview, the students will be asked to rank their top 6 preferences for mentors. The directors will then determine the best student-mentor pairing based on the discussion. Mentors will be notified by email, and all student application materials will be included. Once the mentor has reviewed the packet and agreed to mentor, an introduction email will be sent to the student and mentor. These emails will prompt a series of mentor-mentee meetings to formulate individual research projects and to set expectations and goals for the program.
Once the selections are finalized, a teleconference will be scheduled between the faculty member and student to discuss possible projects. During the ensuing months before the start of the summer program, a research agenda will be developed through a review of the pertinent related literature and dialogue between the student and mentor. A structured form will be given to each of the students to log the initial research topic(s), literature reviewed, summary of key points, and formulation of hypotheses.
Project Description
After mentor-mentee matching, the MedSOAR Program will send the faculty mentor a Project Description (PD) form. The PD will be reviewed and approved by the MedSOAR Program Directors and may require revisions. After the PD is approved, the trainee will also receive a copy.
The Project Description outlines the following:
- The trainee's supervisors and relevant supporting office staff members
- Research project, aims, and significance
- The trainee's research activities and responsibilities
- Appointment location
- Work schedule
- S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely)
- Products that could potentially result from this fellowship award (e.g., poster presentations at future oncology conferences)
- Where, when, and how the trainee will report to the department on day one
Financial Support
Students will receive $6000 subsistence allowance, $1000 housing allowance, and research funds. The process for requesting the use of research support funds and reimbursement will be on the first week of the program. As of September 1, 2023, the research support funds expire on August 30. For example, if a 2024 summer trainee completes the Med Student SOAR program on August 9, 2024, the trainee has until August 30 to spend their research support funds or they will lose those funds.
