The Next Generation of Large-Scale Epidemiologic Research: Implications for Training Cancer Epidemiologists

Abstract

There is expanding consensus on the need to modernize the training of cancer epidemiologists to accommodate rapidly emerging technological advancements and the digital age, which are transforming the practice of cancer epidemiology. There is also a growing imperative to extend cancer epidemiology research that is etiological to that which is applied and has the potential to affect individual and public health. Medical schools and schools of public health are recognizing the need to develop such integrated programs; however, we lack the data to estimate how many current training programs are effectively equipping epidemiology students with the knowledge and tools to design, conduct, and analyze these increasingly complex studies. There is also a need to develop new mentoring approaches to account for the transdisciplinary team-science environment that now prevails. With increased dialogue among schools of public health, medical schools, and cancer centers, revised competencies and training programs at predoctoral, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels must be developed. Continuous collection of data on the impact and outcomes of such programs is also recommended.

Integration of molecular pathology, epidemiology and social science for global precision medicine

“…This integrative science, which may be called “social MPE”, can more adequately and more effectively address health disparities than any one field can. As the importance of the interdisciplinary approach has been recognized in various areas of science,[218–220] we have discussed the potential power and promise of integrating social epidemiology and MPE, based on the recent technological advancement and the development of molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. This trans-multidisciplinary integration of “social MPE” will enable us to better understand the biological consequences of socioeconomic and behavioral exposures at the molecular pathological level, and to identify more feasible, efficient and socially fair intervention plans to achieve a healthier and better world.…”

Charting a future for epidemiologic training

“…In 2002, the American College of Epidemiology held a workshop to develop a set of competencies for doctoral education in epidemiology across 12 domains (e.g., descriptive epidemiology, study design, data analysis, communication) (9). Ongoing work being led by the National Cancer Institute has developed recommendations for training in cancer epidemiology that seek to better position the science for challenges and opportunities in the 21 st century (10–12). For more applied training, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) developed a set of competencies for individuals working in public health practice (13, 14).…”

Training in the Conduct of Population-Based Multi-Site and Multi-Disciplinary Studies: the Cancer Research Network’s Scholars Program

“…13 One element that has not been well developed previously is the training of researchers embedded within and working with resources that are increasingly available for research purposes in integrated, mixed-model, and other health care delivery systems. The need for such researchers and opportunities to conduct research in health care settings is expanding secondary to the widespread implementation of electronic medical records, and the growing recognition of the potential these data provide for answering critical questions across the cancer care spectrum.…”