Download ESMO Fellowship Program

ESMO Fellowship Program
Continuous education and training is a top priority within the sphere of ESMO activities, and ESMO recognizes the value of educating
young individuals in oncology in order to create a cadre of highly educated oncologists. ESMO believes that 'practical', hands-on learning
will have a greater impact on knowledge and education than theory alone. ESMO has, over the last 18 years, awarded 71 fellowships to
candidates from over 20 countries.
The ESMO Fellowship Program is continuing to develop vital collaboration between institutions. The success of the Fellowship
Program is due to two principal factors, the support and commitment from the fellows' mentors and supervisors at both the home and
host institute and industry support in the form of unrestricted educational grants.
The strength of the ESMO Fellowship Program is solidly built upon fruitful partnerships, which contribute to furthering ESMO's aims
of offering the highest quality education.
2006–2007 ESMO Fellowships
Name
Host Institute
Project Topic
Sponsored by an unrestricted
educational grant from
Francesco Atzori,
Italy
Vall d’Hebron
University
Hospital,
Barcelona,
Spain
A phase III randomized,
controlled trial of myocet,
trastuzumab and paclitaxel
versus trastuzumab and
paclitaxel for first line therapy
of metastatic breast cancer
Amgen
Daniel Koychev,
Bulgaria
Charité Campus
Benjamin
Franklin, Berlin,
Germany
The role of Pax genes for
regulation of the Wilm’s
tumor gene 1 (WT1) in
carcinoma cells and tumor
cell proliferation
Amgen
Hendrik Wermann,
Germany
Erasmus
Medical Center
Rotterdam,
The Netherlands
The role of microsatellite
instability and BRAF
mutations in chemotherapy
resistance of germ cell tumors
Novartis
Orestis Lyros,
Greece
Mainz University
Clinic, Mainz,
Germany
Molecular markers of
tyrosine kinase signaling
receptor pathways for
clinical prognosis and
prediction under TKI therapy
in human gastrointestinal
in vivo and in vitro
Astra Zeneca
David Olmos Hidalgo,
Spain
Royal Marsden
Hospital, Sutton,
UK
Utilizing circulating
tumor cells to identify
molecular targets and to
optimize drug selection
and treatment in patients
with hormone refractory
prostate cancer
Bayer Schering
Rodrigo Ruiz Soto,
Mexico
Institut Gustave
Roussy, Villejuif,
France
Search for predictive
biomarkers of response
to induction chemotherapy
API-AI (doxorubicin,
ifosfamide and cisplatin) in
patients with locally advanced
soft tissue sarcoma
Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals
2007–2008 ESMO Fellowships (as of May 2007)
Name
Host Institute
Project Topic
Sponsored by an unrestricted
educational grant from
Aleksandar Celebic,
Serbia
Institut Gustave
Roussy,
Villejuif,
France
Multiple gene expression
deregulation during the
benign-malignant transition
in the breast : diagnostic and
prognostic value
Amgen
Nicolas Leupin,
Switzerland
Cancer Research UK
Clinical Centre,
Southampton,
UK
A phase I clinical research study
evaluating the safety, tolerability
and biological effects on the
chimeric anti-CD40 monoclonal
antibody Chi Lob 7/4 given
intravenously, weekly for four
weeks in the treatment of patient
with advanced malignancies
refractory to conventional
anti-cancer treatment
Amgen
Isabelle Opitz,
Switzerland
Clinic and Policlinic
for Oncology, University
Hospital Zurich, Zurich,
Switzerland
Intrapleural therapy after
surgery for malignant pleural
mesothelioma
Bayer Schering
Translational Research Unit (TRU) visits
ESMO has also created another hands-on educational program in translational research, a field in which scientific information is both
exciting and highly influential. The ESMO Translational Research Unit (TRU) visits offer young oncologists the chance to tour research
units of a laboratory/clinical program during an intensive and interactive period of 3-4 days and obtain practical information on how
translational research is performed. Young oncologists will be able to complement their knowledge of materials and methods by learning
about how data is acquired, how to best interpret the data, how to manage a project and other issues such as quality control. The young
oncologists, armed with this newly acquired education and information, can then implement the new technologies in their home institutes.
Palliative Care Foundation Grants
In 2006, ESMO and the ESMO Foundation decided to offer Palliative Care Grants to promote and support oncologists' education in the
delicate and important field of palliative care.
Palliative care is an approach to medicine that aims to improve quality of life for cancer patients and their family. It focuses on preventing and
relieving suffering by means of early identification and assessment, treatment of pain and help with physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems.
Palliative Care Grants allow medical oncologists to spend time and perform research projects that are related to palliative care integrated
into oncology practice at one of the ESMO Designated Centers of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care.
ESMO hopes that by financially supporting this important educational project, the palliative care field will be further developed and the
quality of life of cancer patients will be improved.
Palliative Care Grant awardees in 2006
• Valeria Pusceddu, Italy - host institute: Velindre NHS, Cardiff, UK
• Ghazaleh Shojae Razavi, Iran - host institute: Ospedale S. Salvatore, L'Aquila, Italy
• Jan Wierecky, Germany - host institute: Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Feedback from these projects will be reported throughout 2007 on the ESMO Web site and publications, such as the ESMO Newsletter.
Developing Countries Foundation Grants
The Developing Countries Foundation Grants provide young oncologists from less affluent countries the opportunity to gain experience in
pre-clinical and clinical training in a premier European laboratory or clinical facility, education experience which these young oncologists
will then take back and apply in their home institutes.
For the second straight year, the ESMO Foundation, in collaboration with the ESMO Developing Countries Task Force (DC TF), has
awarded two grants, to deserving young oncologists from developing countries.
Developing Country Foundation Grant awardees
• Nino Kartvelishvili, Georgia - host institute: IBCSG Coordinating Center, Bern, Switzerland
• Anita Chandra, India - host institute: Clinical Hematology Division of Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain