The Janice Davis Gordon Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship in Colorectal Cancer Prevention

• Applicants must have already earned or be within 5 months of earning a doctoral degree in health science or related disciplines by the application deadline.
• May be from backgrounds in the basic biomedical sciences, medicine, biomedical statistics, epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, nursing and related public health disciplines.
• Proposed research project must be related to colorectal cancer prevention.
• This fellowship is available without regard to the applicant’s U.S. citizenship status and we accept applications from U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Visa Holders. 

The Janice Davis Gordon Memorial Fellowship in Colorectal Cancer Prevention Research is funded for up to two years, renewed annually pending research progress and availability of funds.

Our program pays the postdoctoral salaries per the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Postdoctoral Fellow Stipend Policy and the salary ranges are adjusted annually by the NIH. The Gordon Memorial fund will cover 85% of the salary + fringe, and the mentor or mentor's Department Chair will cover 15%. After the first appointment year, the salary may be subject to a one-time raise if approved by the CPRTP Director and mentor. Fringe benefits include health insurance, paid institutional holidays, and annual and sick leave. 

This fellowship does not provide additional research support funds for tuition, reference books, meeting registration, travel support, and research costs. Awardees of the Janice Davis Gordon Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship in Colorectal Cancer Prevention must consult their mentors for additional research support.  

Mentor Requirements

1. This program requires a minimum of two mentors with complementary research expertise in different disciplines. 

2. At least one mentor must at the Assistant Professor level or higher within the MD Anderson Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences (DCPPS).

3. The selected fellows will be appointed to the department of the MD Anderson primary mentor.

4. The proposed project must be in colorectal cancer prevention. 

Mentor Search Methods

Method 1: Faculty working in cancer prevention are mainly in the five departments below. Click the department links to find faculty members. If no contact number is listed, call the MD Anderson switchboard at 1-800-889-2094 for assistance.

1. Behavioral Science 
2. Health Disparities Research 
3. Clinical Cancer Prevention 
4. Epidemiology
5. Health Services Research

Method 2: Use this list to contact suggested mentors, but they are not guaranteed to be available.  

Method 3: Use keywords like "colorectal cancer prevention" in the MD Anderson faculty search engine to find potential mentors. If no contact details are available, call 1-800-889-2094 for assistance.

How to Apply

Download all items under the 'Application Instructions and Forms' section of this web page. The instructions includes a hyperlink to the SLATE application and instructions for phases one and two of the application.   

Application Phases

The application has two phases:

Phase One: Applicants must submit a SLATE application and supplement application (1a & 1b), including letters of support, by the deadline on this page.
Phase Two: Only selected candidates will be invited to submit a Research and Career Proposal in colorectal cancer prevention.

Phase One (Required for All Applicants):

1a) SLATE Application (submitted in the SLATE system):

• Inquiry form
• Biosketch or CV/Resume
• Statement of research experience and interest (personal statement)
• Copies of impactful manuscripts
• At least two (2) letters of recommendation
• Proof of a doctoral degree (with certified translation if not in English) OR (for current doctoral students):
  • Proof of enrollment in a doctoral degree program
  • A letter from the doctoral committee chairperson/advisor confirming the anticipated date of degree completion and that the student is in good standing.

1b) Supplement Application (submitted via email):

• Application Checklist & Coversheet must be completed, dated, and placed on top.
• A letters of support from each prospective mentor (one copy e-mailed directly from mentor or support staff to apply@cancerpreventiontraining.org and one copy may be included within the application).
• Mentor’s Profile Form
• Mentor’s NIH Biosketch (from each mentor)
• Mentor’s Other Support (from each mentor)
• Professional photo 
• Proposal Keywords, Title, and Suggested Reviewer Form: In case your application is selected, the data you provide on this form will help us solicit subject matter experts to review your research and career proposal.
• Fellowship Requirements Memo (signed by applicant and primary mentor)
• Mentor Requirements Memo (signed by primary mentor).

Phase Two: By Invitation Only

Research and Career Proposal
After the review committee evaluates the applications, the CPRTP Program Manager will notify all candidates of the decision. Awardees will be invited to submit a Research and Career Proposal, with detailed instructions and a specified submission deadline.

The following list of Gordon Postdoc Alumni is organized chronologically by fellowship term, from the earliest to the most recent.

Chongjuan Wei, Ph.D.
Epidemiology, Mentor: Dr. Qingyi Wei, Fellowship Dates: 3/27/2000 - 3/27/2002
Program Director, Head & Neck Surgery, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Ivan Gorlov, Ph.D.
Epidemiology, Mentor: Dr. Christopher Amos, Fellowship Dates:8/11/2003 - 9/30/2005
Associate Professor, Medicine - Epidemiology & Population Science, Baylor College of Medicine

Jinyun Chen, Ph.D.
Epidemiology, Mentor: Dr. Marsha Frazier, Fellowship Dates: 8/23/2006 - 12/31/2007

Yuanqing Ye, Ph.D.
Epidemiology, Mentor: Dr. Xifeng Wu, Fellowship Dates: 9/1/2007 - 7/16/2008
Director, Eisai

Shih-Feng Weng, Ph.D.
Epidemiology, Mentor: Dr. Olga Gorlova, Fellowship Dates: 9/1/2008 - 8/31/2009
Department of Health care Administration and Medical Informatics

Ester Flores, Ph.D., LMSW
Clinical Cancer Prevention, Mentor: Dr. Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez, Fellowship Dates: 6/17/2013 - 6/16/2015
Associate Professor of Social Work, Our Lady of the Lake University, Worden School of Social Service

Ashish A. Deshmukh, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Health Services Research, Mentor: Dr. Scott Cantor, Fellowship Dates: 7/29/2014 - 7/28/2016
Tenured Professor, Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina
Smart-State Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cancer Equity, 
Co-leader, Cancer Control Program, Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)

Yue Liao, Ph.D.
Behavioral Science, Mentor: Dr. Susan Schembre, Fellowship Dates: 4/11/2016 - 4/10/2018
Assistant Professor, Director of the Physical Activity and Wearable Sensors (PAWS) Lab, University of Texas at Arlington

Preeti Marie Kanikarla, Ph.D.
Epidemiology, Mentor: Dr. Qingyi Wei, Fellowship Dates: 3/27/2000 - 3/27/2002
Principal Research Scientist, GI Medical Oncology Research, MD Anderson Cancer Center