Building the Pipeline: UC Awarded NIH T32 to Strengthen Basic and Translational Oncology Training

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Building the Pipeline: UC Awarded NIH T32 to Strengthen Basic and Translational Oncology Training

Jan 29, 2026, 04:30 PM

A new NIH T32 grant will support multidisciplinary training at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center to prepare pre- and postdoctoral scholars to translate cancer discoveries from the lab to the clinic.

The award will support multidisciplinary training that equips pre- and postdoctoral scholars to translate cancer discoveries from the bench to the bedside.

The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center is taking steps to strengthen the pipeline of future cancer researchers. A newly awarded T32 grant will support an innovative program that trains predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars in basic and translational oncology, enabling them to turn promising biological insights into therapeutic strategies that benefit patients. The grant was awarded to Susan Waltz, PhD, associate director for Cancer Research Training & Education at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and professor in the Department of Cancer Biology, and Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD, adjunct professor in the Department of Cancer Biology.

Susan Waltz, PhD
Associate Director for Cancer Research Training & Education
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center
Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD
Adjunct Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Bridging Lab Discovery and Clinical Impact

Scientific discoveries often begin in the lab, but turning those discoveries into treatments that improve patient outcomes requires a unique combination of scientific expertise, clinical insight, and collaboration. The new T32 program aims to prepare participants to do just that by providing a rigorous, applied understanding of how lab discoveries in cancer biology can lead to new and more effective therapies, and by equipping trainees with a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in translating biological findings into clinical practice.

A Comprehensive, Multidisciplinary Training Experience

Trainees in the program will participate in:

Mentored Research Projects: Focus areas include cancer metabolism, tumor immunology and the host microenvironment, and translational cancer therapy.
Specialized Coursework & Certification: Participants will have access to formal training and coursework that lead to a Graduate Certificate in Clinical and Translational Research.
Clinical Oncology Exposure: Scholars will work closely with clinical co-mentors to develop individualized research and career plans and to gain firsthand insight by shadowing, attending tumor boards, and attending grand rounds.

Trainee Perspectives

Taylor Lange

Taylor Lange, a graduate assistant in the Wells Lab, was “drawn to this T32 program because it truly bridges the gap between bench and bedside… It offers wet-lab trainees like me the rare opportunity to learn directly from the clinical side and see how research decisions impact real patients…” In the lab, Lange is researching how HPV infection reshapes squamous epithelial tissues to identify therapeutic targets that could prevent infection‑driven progression to cancer. Her work is closely tied to clinical practice through the T32 program, which provides her with direct patient exposure and mentorship from clinicians treating HPV-associated squamous cell carcinomas. This integration of bench research with real‑world clinical insight is helping her. She shared that she’s “been able to observe firsthand how HPV‑associated cancers present, progress, and respond to treatment,” helping her adjust her research questions to be “more clinically meaningful and keep the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes front and center.”

Sam Zumwlade

Sam Zumwlade

Sam Zumwlade, a graduate assistant in the Wasylishen Lab, is investigating how mutations in the Daxx/Atrx/H3.3 regulatory axis may relate to the development of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. She says the program’s exposure to clinical practice, paired with interdisciplinary training, will strengthen her skills as an emerging translational scientist. “This program is helping me gain skills in presenting my research to other fields, understanding current clinical practices, and translating basic research into the clinical space. It’s preparing me to become a competitive candidate for a postdoc and, eventually, a PI,” she said.

Andrew Bryan, PhD

Andrew Bryan, PhD

Andrew Bryan, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Waltz Lab, is investigating how the breast‑cancer–associated receptor RON influences downstream signaling to identify new therapeutic targets that could improve patient outcomes. Through the T32 program, he is gaining essential clinical exposure that helps him see how his bench research connects to patient care, sharpening his ability to ask clinically meaningful scientific questions. He shared, “It's easy as a basic scientist to get excited about a number of different biological questions that can be answered in the lab, but not every one of these questions improves patient outcomes. Asking the right questions, those that matter to patients and clinicians, is the challenge this program prepares us to meet."

About the Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)

The T32 is part of the NIH’s National Research Service Award (NRSA) program, which supports institutions in developing outstanding research training environments. These grants ensure a strong national workforce of highly trained scientists prepared to meet emerging biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs.

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