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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
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Advanced Course
The Advanced Course on Cancer-Related Health Disparities Research, Mentoring and Leadership is an NCI-funded skills development course tailored to advance essential skills for a successful career in cancer research.

Advanced Course on Cancer-Related Health Disparities Research, Mentoring and Leadership

An annual NCI-funded skills development course aimed at preparing participants for a successful and consistently-funded career in cancer research, which is increasingly essential in the hypercompetitive funding environment.

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a woman scientist wearing a white coat and protective glasses smiles in the lab

It has become increasingly difficult for junior investigators to succeed on an academic career trajectory, primarily because of the hypercompetitive funding climate. The Advanced Course on Cancer-Related Health Disparities Research, Mentoring and Leadership courses aim to train cancer researchers — particularly junior faculty — in maintaining long-term productivity in their cancer research careers.

This unique cross-institutional collaboration is led by IU School of Medicine's Kola Okuyemi, MD, MPH, and University of Utah's Gita Suneja, MD, MS. To date, the course has held seven top-rated cohorts since starting in 2020. On alternating years, the 3.5-day in-person cohorts will be hosted either in Indianapolis, IN, or in Salt Lake City, UT. The course provides financial support to our select participants for travel, lodging and per-diem meals.


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The 2025 cohort will be held in person in Indianapolis, IN, for 3.5 days from Monday, May 19 through Thursday, May 22, 2025. Applications open on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 — apply as early as possible to secure a course seat!

The 2025 Course Schedule

The Advanced Course will provide innovative state-of-the-art, evidence-based career development experiences to selected participants to enhance their skills in cancer disparities research, mentoring, and leadership for successful transition to independent academic careers. The course focuses on these educational domains:

  • Culturally-specific behavioral interventions
  • Leveraging cancer-related databases
  • Enhancing mentoring skills
  • Strengthening leadership capacity

The next cohort for this training will be held in Indianapolis, IN, for 3.5 days from Monday, May 19 through Thursday, May 22, 2025. Applications open on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.

An NIH-style mock study section will be the last section of the course. Participants interested in getting peer reviewer training or those with eligible grant proposals that wish to receive expert feedback may participate. All other participants will join as audience members and be allowed to ask questions about the NIH review process.

The course schedules five post-course webinars in the months following the in-person component to ensure continued skill development and the opportunity for participants to continue leveraging program resources. Three webinars are focused on leadership and two are focused on health disparities research.

View the full course schedule

Testimonials

Evan Graboyes in a suit and tie

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Medical University of South Carolina

"Participation in the course was a key component of my K08 training and really accelerated my path to research independence! In addition to the scientific training, it provided me with an academic community and network of other early stage investigators. The academic skills and career development aspects of the course helped me to strengthen my mentor-mentee relationships and maximize the opportunity for professional growth. This course should be required for all NCI K08 trainees interested in cancer disparities research!"

andy king portraitAssociate Professor of Communications, University of Utah

"I participated in the course shortly after receiving my first R01 award. My excitement about the funding was met with some worry about all of the administrative and logistical tasks, responsibilities and general worries that come with managing a grant as a first-time PI. The course helped me better understand how my current grant efforts could be navigated to assist in future research proposals and pursuits of funding. Course leaders also gave our cohort space to network with people doing cancer-related health disparities research. Overall, the course was invaluable and has helped me be a better PI."

zheng chen portraitResearch Assistant Professor of Surgical Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

"The training was invaluable in my growth as a first-time PI. The Mentor Training and Leadership sessions transformed my understanding of effective communication and mentoring. I appreciated the in-depth exploration of databases and research-focused sessions. Interactions during breakout groups significantly influenced my research perspective. Overall, this experience has amplified my confidence and preparedness for leading my lab. Thank you for this enlightening opportunity."

Xiumei Huang wearing a white lab coat standing in her lab spaceAssociate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine

"The course provided me with invaluable knowledge and skills that directly enhanced my research endeavors. The interactive sessions, expert faculty, and collaborative environment fostered a rich learning experience. I highly recommend the NCI-funded training course to researchers seeking to expand their knowledge in their respective fields."

hien van nguyen portraitAssociate Professor, University of Houston

"This training offers more than just a leadership training course; it provides an inspiring community of kind-hearted, supportive, fun, and intelligent individuals committed to helping you enhance your effectiveness and achieve higher career satisfaction. During my time there, I gained extensive knowledge, forged valuable friendships, and gained a clearer vision of my career goals. I wholeheartedly recommend this course to any researchers."

masaoki kawasumi portraitAssistant Professor, Division of Dermatology at University of Washington

"Thank you very much for arranging the mock study section and sending me the reviewers' comments! I greatly appreciate the reviewers' time and advice, which tremendously helps my future grant submission. Getting the sense of a real study section and learning reviewers' viewpoints is a valuable experience for me. With the feedback from the reviewers, I will be able to strengthen my application prior to actual submission because I got real reviewers' comments in advance. In-person, intensive course was great. It enhanced networking and interactive discussions with like-minded peers who aspire to learn more about leadership and mentoring. The course content covered my favorite topics: health disparities research and databases, mentoring, leadership, grant writing, and mock study section. This is a great coverage for junior faculty members, and it was very efficient to learn all of these important topics at once. All instructors were great speakers and facilitators. This is the best course I have ever attended!"

Meet the Primary Investigators

Indiana University
65546-Okuyemi, Kola

Kola Okuyemi, MD, MPH

Principal Investigator
Associate Dean for Health Equity Research and Implementation
Chair, Department of Family Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine

Dr. Okuyemi is professor and chair of family medicine and the associate dean for health equity research and implementation at IU School of Medicine. He is a highly respected physician-scientist in the field of family medicine, with more than 20 years of experience as an effective executive leader and researcher having previously served as the executive director for equity, diversity and inclusion at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Dr. Okuyemi has focused on research and training programs that improve the health of underserved populations and eliminate health disparities and inequities using community-engaged research alongside pharmacological and culturally tailored behavioral interventions. He leads several funded programs advancing healthcare services and biomedical research, and has mentored many individuals who have established independent health professional careers. He is the co-author of over 150 peer-reviewed publications.

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University of Utah
Gita Suneja has long dark hair and wears a white lab coat

Gita Suneja, MD, MS

Principal Investigator
Senior Investigator at Huntsman Cancer Institute
Professor of Radiation Oncology

Dr. Suneja is a radiation oncologist with a strong foundation in health services and health equity research. Her clinical specialties include the treatment of breast and gynecologic malignancies, and her research program focuses on cancer treatment and outcomes in the HIV population. She has substantial experience conducting research and providing clinical care to people with HIV and cancer both in the U.S. and in global low resource settings, as well as in advancing workforce diversity in medicine and science. At Huntsman Cancer Institute, she serves as the Senior Director of Programs to Enhance Diversity, where she leads the development of programs, initiatives, and infrastructure to enhance the participation of underrepresented populations in the research workforce and cancer center leadership. Within the Radiation Oncology Department, she is the course director for a Career Development Series for radiation oncology residents to teach essential skills not typically covered in the training curriculum, such as interviewing effectively, evaluating practice opportunities, and grant writing.

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