Section outline

  • Course title: Cancer biology core class for Bridge postbac scholars

    Instructor: Pablo Sánchez Vela, MD; sanchezp@mskcc.org

    Grading policy: This class is a not for grade class, but scholars will be evaluated with a grade to get a sense of how they performed in this class

    Duration: 5 in-person sessions plus recorded lectures

    Audience: 15 Bridge postbac scholars


    Course topics and learning objectives

    The Cancer Biology course will teach scholars how to think about cancer as a disease and as a biological problem. This course leverages the world-class research and clinical expertise at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). This course will feature five in-person sessions as well as several recorded lectures that Bridge scholars are required to view on their own time and ahead of the first lecture.

    This course will:

    • Provide a review of advanced concepts in cancer biology
    • Expose scholars to techniques and experimental design applied to basic-translational cancer research
    • Potentiate the ability to perform critic analysis of basic-translational research
    • Strengthen capacities to develop a research project


    Scientific topics covered in the recorded lectures will include:  

    • Cancer as a disease
    • Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms
    • Computational biology and oncology
    • Cancer signaling
    • Cancer metabolism
    • Metastasis
    • Tumor modeling and heterogeneity
    • Cancer types and microenvironments

    The structure of the program will be:
    • Session 1: Intro to Cancer Biology
    • Session 2: Guided Paper Discussion
    • Session 3: Guided Paper Discussion
    • Session 4: Guided Paper Discussion
    • Session 5: Group activity
    • Recoded GSK Lectures
    • Take home activity (1st Submission)
    • Take home activity (Feedback)
    • Take home (2nd Submission)

    How students will be evaluated

    Take Home assignment (67%):
    A two parts activity that will be required to be submitted by TDA.

    Class Participation and Attendance (33%):
    All scholars are expected to attend all sessions. A scholar must notify the Bridge team and instructor prior to class if they will absent. This notice should be sent by email.

    Recommended Textbook:

    The Biology of Cancer Third Edition.

    • Author :  Robert A. Weinberg
    • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company
    • Edition : Third edition (July 1, 2023)
    • Language ‏ : ‎ English
    • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 984 pages
    • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393887650
    • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393887655