Learning Objectives

After successful completion of the training program trainees will have these competencies:

Understand essential aspects of biobehavioral research, communications, and outcomes research as applied to cancer prevention and control

• Theory and practice of cancer prevention and control
• Role of biobehavioral interventions, communications, and outcomes in reducing incidence of cancer and improving survival and quality of life with cancer including social, cultural, political, and economic context of cancer prevention and control
• Major advances in primary and secondary cancer prevention
• Emerging interventions for primary and secondary prevention
• Theory and practice of post-cancer surveillance
• Organizations devoted to funding and conducting prevention and control research
• Methods for promoting cancer prevention and control in a public health context, including dissemination of research findings and policies (to professionals and the public), public education and awareness, and implementation strategies for health care insurers and providers
• Methods of communicating cancer risk, decisions about cancer treatment, and cancer outcomes to individuals and groups;
• Methods for translating prevention and control research into practice
• Clinical practice guidelines related to cancer prevention and control
• Strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of prevention and control programs
• Techniques for providing feedback on progress toward prevention and control goals to providers, insurers and the public)
• Ethical, legal, and social issues in cancer prevention and control
• Methods for assessing health behaviors, quality of life, and cost outcomes
• Interventions to reduce cancer-related morbidity for cancer patients and survivors and their caregivers

Be effective evaluators of biobehavioral interventions, including communications, using state-of-the-art outcomes methodologies

• Critical evaluation of the published literature
• Peer review of manuscripts submitted for publication
• Review of grant proposals
• Selection and application of outcomes appropriate to interventions that go beyond mortality and disease incidence

Demonstrate essential elements of writing original research proposals in biobehavioral research, communications, and outcomes as applied to cancer prevention and control

• Hypotheses and creating specific aims for research
• Background and motivation for the study
• Review of the literature
• Study design methods and statistical analyses
• Plans for disseminating findings
• Limitations of a proposed study
• Budgeting for proposed research

Effectively communicate findings to the scientific community and the public.

• Principles of abstract writing for scientific meetings
• Oral and poster presentations of studies
• Manuscript preparation

Upon completion of the training program, trainees will be qualified to become independent researchers in biobehavioral research and interventions, communications, and outcomes research as applied to cancer prevention and control.