Course Schedule

The 2026 cohort for the Advanced Course on Cancer-Related Research, Mentoring and Leadership will be held from Monday, May 18 through Thursday, May 21, 2026 in Salt Lake City, UT. Participants are eligible for up to $1,000 in travel costs reimbursement and will have their lodging and most meals purchased on their behalf by the Advanced Course. Course sessions are led by world-class experts in their respective fields. The course times on these dates will be finalized and posted in the near future, and will include the following sections:

• Opening session and networking events with Drs. Kola Okuyemi and Gita Suneja, MPIs of this NIH-funded training
• Welcome session with Dr. Brad Cairns, chief executive officer at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
• Multi-level intervention for cancer disparities research with Dr. Pebbles Fagan, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
• Mentor training workshop with Dr. Philip Cheng, Henry Ford Health System
• Cultural sensitivity and tailoring, and mHealth interventions, with Dr. Ken Resnicow, University of Michigan, School of Public Health
• Multiple grant submission sections with Dr. Rick McGee, Northwestern University
• Multiple leadership sections with Tony Tsai, MBA, University of Utah School of Medicine
• Fourth generation health disparities research with Dr. Jasjit Ahluwalia, Brown University School of Public Health
• An NIH-style mock-study section
• Dedicated database leverage sections
• Structured time to work on “Study Design Studio” projects

There will be six monthly webinars taking place once a month starting June 2026 and concluding November 2026. These 2-hour interactive webinars will follow-up and continue to build on leadership and population health research concepts discussed during the in-person component of the course. Dates for these six webinars are currently TBD.

Optional opportunities for skill building and socializing will be available for participants during the in-person component of the course for those who are interested. This may include tours of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, elevator pitch development, one-on-one peer networking opportunities, nature walks, dinners and more.