Home » Education » TBio

Tumor Biology Training Program

Graduate Training in Tumor Biology

Over the past two decades, there has been a revolution in the study of cancer biology. Advances in molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology have contributed to our understanding of malignant transformation, cancer prevention, and cancer therapy. The Interdisciplinary Program in Tumor Biology provides doctoral and masters students with an excellent environment and interdisciplinary training for a career in cancer biology research.

Our program brings together about 60 faculty members from Basic Science and Clinical Departments, as well as the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, combining excellence in basic and clinical cancer research, as well as research in cancer prevention and control). A combination of formal courses, seminars and ongoing collaborative research projects bring together faculty and trainees in a unified doctoral program committed to providing quality education in cancer biology, prevention and therapy.

Funding for the program, in the form of graduate student stipends and tuition remission, is provided by a National Institutes of Health institutional training grant. The primary consideration for acceptance into the Tumor Biology Training Program is the student's potential for highest quality research and academic scholarship, evaluated by both formal criteria and a personal interview.

Anna Tate Riegel, PhD, is the associate director for cancer research education at Lombardi. Dr. Riegel is Professor of Oncology and Pharmacology at Georgetown University Medical Center. She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin, at a founding cancer research training program in the United States. She serves at the Principal Investigator for Lombardi’s Tumor Biology Training Grant and has a strong track record in education that includes personally mentoring nine post-doctoral fellows and 13 doctoral candidates. Dr. Riegel has an active laboratory which conducts research on hormone and growth factor receptor interactions in breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. Her work aims to develop novel targets for new drugs to treat and prevent cancer. Dr. Riegel’s research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and various private foundations.