Nathan Brand

Why Was I interested in this T32?

I was interested in the surgical oncology T32 because of the unique combination of both salary support and formal coursework in creating impactful change in healthcare. I was drawn to the design of this grant which teaches the participants to think about their project within the larger context of healthcare. For me personally, this helped me envision not only how a novel therapy for esophageal carcinoma may be developed, but then also what it will take to successfully bring such a therapy from the lab and into the clinic.

What did I work on in my T32 research project?

During my year on the surgical oncology T32 I worked on evaluating the efficacy of a novel poly ADP ribose polymerase and microtubule inhibitor developed by the UCSF thoracic oncology laboratory (mentor Dr David Jablons) and determining if this was effective against Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. This project involved both in vitro and in vivo evaluation of the efficacy of this novel therapy in combination with both existing chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy.

Important lessons I learned from the T32 program and the I2I Leadership course

During this year I learned the importance of taking a systems approach to healthcare. In the lab I learned many invaluable lessons on how to develop a novel cancer therapy. During the T32 course I then learned how to best leverage these discoveries in a way that will have the greatest impact on the way esophageal cancer is treated currently.