The Hope Foundation believes supporting young investigators’ career development is crucial to the future of healthcare. Health researchers are responsible for discoveries that have shaped medicine throughout the past century, and they are the reason many cancers are treatable today.
Donor support enables us to continue funding early career cancer clinicians through our SWOG Young Investigator Training Course (YITC).
Each year, we select the best and brightest from across our international network to attend the YITC. This program, which debuted in 1999, was created by leading cancer experts to help investigators develop scientifically meaningful studies efficiently.
This year’s course will be held virtually, December 14-18. We’re sad to miss the in-person experience that always proves so valuable, but we trust it will happen again soon enough. For now, we’re thrilled to be supporting these early career clinicians in the best ways (currently) possible.
This year’s young investigators are:
Hamed Ahmadi, MD
University of Southern California
Sepideh Gholami, MD
UC Davis Medical Center
Tanner Johanns, MD, PhD
Washington University
Javier Retamales, MD
Chilean Cooperative Group for Oncologic Research
David Zhen, MD
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
This cohort has the potential to help patients facing devastating diagnoses. Their studies may lead to improved cancer staging, more precise treatments, and better outcomes – possibly changing the standard of care, something our network trials have done more than 100 times.
To date, the YITC program has provided career support to 106 investigators and led to the launch of 47 clinical trials within the National Clinical Trials Network. Because of our generous supporters, SWOG members have incredible training opportunities to help them deliver tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs.