In The Cook PhD in Cancer Engineering program, first-year students enroll in an immersive curriculum that encourages them to make connections between diverse aspects of biology, physical sciences, engineering, computation, and medicine that they might not become aware of in a more traditional approach.
Laboratory Rotations
Students rotate through at least two MSK labs, with the option of a third and fourth rotation. While the period of each rotation is relatively short, our rotations are offset from classes so that students can concentrate on their research when they are in lab, and then they can focus on coursework when they are in class. Students will gain significant hands-on experience and develop an appreciation for the style of research and potential thesis projects in different laboratories. This enables students to start their thesis research in a serious and focused manner as early as March of their first year. The school organizes a symposium for students to formally present their projects.
Coursework
Our students take formal science classes during their first year of graduate school. They take one “core” course all together. Through this course they learn how to read, understand, and discuss science, and they learn how to do cutting edge research. The course has 4 sections: Scientific Reasoning, Cancer Engineering, Cancer Biology, and First Year Development/Entrepreneurship.
Students also take short courses in python and advanced statistics.
Scientific Reasoning
Prepares students to think about science deeply and dissect primary literature.
Cancer Engineering
Cancer Engineering provides students with a foundation in engineering principles that can be used to solve challenges in cancer biology and oncology. The curriculum includes 9 weeks of classes organized into three sections: Foundations, Cancer Imaging, and Genetic Engineering.
- Foundations. This three-week section starts with a focus on the basic principles of pharmacology. It then teaches basic molecular, biomolecular, and nanoengineering methods needed for success in a research lab, including: drug delivery, nanomaterials, instrumentation, and tissue engineering. The course will focus on molecular and nanoengineering from the perspective of solving problems in cancer biology and oncology.
- Cancer Imaging. This three-week section introduces basic and advanced concepts in molecular imaging in the context of cancer biology. It includes methods for optical (including microscopy and intravital) and acoustic imaging (including ultrasound), nuclear imaging (PET, SPECT, and CT) as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI/MRS).
- Genetic Engineering. This three-week section provides a foundation in genetic engineering tools and concepts that can be applied to laboratory research. It also provides a greater awareness of the benefits and risks of genetic engineering and an overview of the latest research and technologies advancing the science of genetic principles explored during the Experimental Biology course that are essential to understanding genetic engineering.
Cancer Biology
Cancer Biology is a 4-week course that is also required for PhD students in the Cancer Biology program. This course teaches students how to think about cancer as a disease and also as a biological problem. This course leverages the world-class research and clinical expertise at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
First Year Development and Entrepreneurship
First Year Development prepares students to transition in their thesis lab and teaches foundational science communication skills. Entrepreneurship teaches the processes involved in developing a technology for the market, including:
- Understanding intellectual property
- Evaluating the market for a technology
- Building a basic financial model
- Establishing funding mechanisms
- Assessing regulatory issues
- Developing a business plan.