TREC Training Workshop: With Dr. Melinda Irwin

January 12, 2021

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The Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship presents monthly trans-disciplinary research seminar aims to bring researchers of multidisciplinary backgrounds together to examine different energy-balance related topics.

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00:00With no further ado, I want to introduce
00:04Doctor Melinda Irwin and Diana Lowry,
00:06so Doctor Irwin is the associate Dean
00:09of Research, a professor of Epidemiology
00:12at the Yale School of Public Health,
00:15and she has been the PI of the training grant
00:19for the TREC workshop and has really let it.
00:23It has flourished under her leadership
00:25and I think is something that all
00:28participants agree is a really.
00:31Important and career building
00:32opportunity for them.
00:34She's also has many grants of her own.
00:38She has many externally funded projects
00:40and it's focused on the benefits
00:43of exercise for cancer survivors,
00:45particularly looking at both quality of life,
00:49patient reported outcomes as
00:52well as biomarker outcomes.
00:54So she is well qualified to be leading this
00:58training graph or this training experience.
01:00Diana Lowery is the program director for
01:03the Truck Training Workshop she makes.
01:06She makes things happen.
01:07She makes the.
01:08She brings the ideas to life.
01:11So she has been a professional and
01:14cancer clinical research and really
01:16aims in her work to have a meaningful
01:19impact with investigators on the lives
01:21of people with or at risk of cancer.
01:25So I love that you have that.
01:27Mission statement in your bio.
01:30Diana,
01:30so I think all of those who
01:33participated in Trek can attest
01:35that her she's really the glue that
01:37holds all the activities together.
01:40So I look forward to hearing from
01:43them a little bit about Trek and
01:45then we'll hear from some of our
01:48previous Trek fellows from MD
01:51Anderson and I'll introduce them
01:53after Diane and Linda have spoken.
01:57Great,
01:57well thank you Karen.
01:58This is such a great idea to do this
02:01forum and to hear from the TREC
02:03fellows and hopefully inspire others
02:05to consider applying and participating.
02:08So as you mentioned,
02:09we've just completed or were in the
02:11midst of the 4th year because the
02:14check program has a week long workshop,
02:16usually in residence.
02:17But this past year it had
02:19to be done virtually,
02:21but then we like to stay in touch
02:23with you over the course of the
02:26year where you're paired with them.
02:29Mentor or two to help.
02:31Cultivate year your research
02:33ideas into a grant submission
02:35or papers being submitted.
02:37This year we implemented a peer
02:40mentoring mechanism which we
02:42think has gone really well.
02:44Where a new fellow is peered is
02:47matched with a previous fellow,
02:50but we have just really enjoyed
02:53the past four years.
02:54Is this training program would not
02:57be possible without the over 20 plus?
03:01Faculty that are all international
03:03experts in energy bouncing cancer
03:06who really give a lot of their
03:09time and attention to training
03:11the next generation.
03:12The most important aspect we think
03:15about this workshop is the OR.
03:18This training program is the
03:20transdisciplinary approach,
03:21so we encourage basic scientists,
03:24clinical scientists and population
03:26scientists to apply and then learn
03:29from each other at the workshop.
03:31And thereafter, so we've had some success.
03:35Today we submitted a competitive
03:38renewal this past.
03:40When was it September 25th and will?
03:43It will be reviewed in February.
03:45But in doing so we had to really look
03:48at the past four years in the success,
03:52but also the challenges to date.
03:54But lots of successes with over 200 plus
03:57papers published by the TREC Fellows.
04:0065 of those publications had were
04:02related to the Trek program in the
04:04sense that they were with a trek
04:07fellow or faculty collaborator,
04:09and these were.
04:10After the workshop a curd and then
04:13over think was 31 grants that were
04:16awarded to the first three year
04:18three cohorts of the truck program.
04:21But some challenges we have learned
04:23every year from the feedback that
04:26the fellows have provided us into
04:28how to make it better,
04:30how to network better,
04:32how to collaborate better,
04:33how to learn better about the
04:36discipline you're not directly in,
04:38and so this year the workshop
04:40will be changed.
04:41Significantly,
04:42whether it's virtual or in person,
04:44and it's also what we've proposed
04:48for the renewal of funded.
04:51That's all I will say,
04:53but I'm so thankful to the fellows
04:55and the faculty participating.
04:57And yes,
04:58none of this would be possible without Diana.
05:02I like to affectionately say
05:04that she is the mother to 97.
05:07Incredible check Fellows,
05:08so thank you, Diane.
05:10If I if you have any additional comments.
05:13No,
05:14thank you all in this really been an
05:17honor to be here. Karen Ann. Looking
05:20forward to meeting more of your
05:22wonderful early career investigators if
05:24we can. So I did. Just want
05:27to mention one logistical
05:28thing just so nobody worries. So
05:30technically the notices
05:32of intent to apply.
05:33Where do earlier this week
05:35at the soft deadline and so
05:37do not let that worry you.
05:40Anybody who's thinking
05:41about applying. It's not too
05:43late to send in your notice of intent.
05:49Great thank you and it's
05:51good to know about that.
05:53Thank you for making the
05:54announce about the deadline,
05:56so I I should say like that
05:58letter of intent is a very.
06:00It's not very involved right?
06:02It's basically just an email saying
06:04I'm interested in applying. It's
06:06an email to
06:07me and it literally will
06:08take you 3 seconds to send.
06:10I don't need. I don't need an
06:13official letter on letterhead.
06:14You know, it's really meant to be easy
06:17on your time.
06:18OK great great. Thank you and
06:20and I have to say you look much
06:23too young to be the mother of 97.
06:25That would age me much more
06:27than it has you clearly.
06:32Excellent thanks and so, um,
06:33what we're going to do now
06:36is have you meet each of the.
06:40Each of five fellows for these folks
06:43participated in the past year,
06:45and one participated the year before.
06:47So you can hear about the virtual
06:50experience as well as an in person one,
06:53and I will just.
06:56Ask each of them briefly to
06:59introduce themselves and then.
07:02Talk a little bit about an important
07:04takeaway from the workshop for them,
07:06and then we are open to your
07:08questions I have.
07:09I will ask some questions,
07:11but please,
07:12if you're in the audience,
07:13put your questions in the Q&A or
07:15the chat and Antoine will like poke
07:18me virtually and let me know that
07:20you've asked that you have a question
07:23or will speak up and read your question.
07:25Or if you want to raise your
07:27hand and ask your question live,
07:30that is fine too.
07:31So we have 5 folks who are here to
07:34talk to you and you can also ask
07:38questions of Doctor One and and Diana.
07:41They will be happy to answer
07:43your questions as well.
07:45So we have 5 past Trek fellows
07:47carry shadler from Pediatrics,
07:49Nate Parker from behavioral
07:50science Natalia Heredia,
07:51formerly of Health Disparities
07:53now at the School Public Health.
07:55She can tell you about that an Maggie
07:58raber from behavioral Science and
08:00Ivan moved from health disparities.
08:02So let's start.
08:03With Kerry
08:07OK. Hi, I'm Carrie shadler.
08:09I'm an assistant professor in Pediatrics
08:12research as Karen said.
08:14So really I'm a basic or
08:16translational scientist.
08:17I do animal models and trying to understand
08:21how exercise impacts tumor biology,
08:23specifically tumor vasculature.
08:25And I guess my takeaway from Trek
08:27is that relationships matter and
08:29that getting to know people outside
08:32of your bubble or your field is
08:34incredibly helpful for career
08:35development and for thinking of
08:37good ideas and doing good science.
08:39And I think that the nice thing about
08:42the check training program was that
08:44you know to go to a meeting outside
08:47of your field to meet people when
08:49you don't yet have an abstract,
08:51or you don't yet know what you're
08:53going to present at that meeting
08:56is a little challenging,
08:57and this is a way to kind of.
09:00Get to know more people outside of
09:03your field without having to be ready
09:05to contribute a fully put together idea.
09:13Thanks, Kerry, let's go to Nate next.
09:18Everybody, I'm Nate Parker.
09:20I'm an instructor in the
09:22Department of Real Science.
09:23My research focuses in using
09:26resistance training to improve
09:27quality of life for cancer survivors.
09:30My main takeaway from Trek was really
09:32just having my eyes open to the
09:35breadth of potential collaborators
09:37on experts in different aspects of
09:40of energetics and cancer and sort
09:42of brainstorming and finding ways
09:45that my kind of little silo of
09:48research can can fit into those.
09:51Collaborations and truly translational work.
09:59Thanks mate. Um Natalia
10:04hi. My name is Natalia Heredia,
10:06formally postdoc in the Department
10:08of Health Disparities Research.
10:09As Karen mentioned now,
10:11assistant professor at the school,
10:12you T Health School, public health.
10:15My research is in physical
10:16activity and nutrition promotion,
10:18and Hispanic Latino communities
10:19in the management of non alcoholic
10:21fatty liver disease with weight loss,
10:23physical activity and nutrition.
10:25And I think my main takeaway
10:27is similar to kind of.
10:29Carries it.
10:30It's the track is a great way to
10:32get to know a lot of people that
10:34are specifically interested in
10:35something you're also interested,
10:37so it's kind of like.
10:40Quick a quick way to network rather
10:42than going to a conference in
10:44trying to pick the specific people.
10:46This is a great way where they're
10:48just all together at one time and
10:50you're getting to know them getting
10:52to know about their research while
10:54also learning new aspects of the
10:56field of energetics in cancer that
10:58you may not have been tuned into.
11:04Great thank you Natalia Maggie. Hi Maggie
11:08raber, I'm occurrence postdoc in behavioral
11:10science and I have a background in
11:13nutrition and work on culinary medicine
11:16and nutrition programming for cancer
11:18survivors and high risk populations.
11:21I think my biggest takeaway I get a little
11:24intimidated with sort of fancy professors.
11:26You know that I cite a lot and track
11:29would really help me understand that like
11:31people will talk to you if you reach out
11:35to them and are excited to talk to you.
11:37So I really kind of taken that with
11:40me since Trek and gotten to really
11:42form relationships that are much
11:44stronger that I probably wouldn't
11:46have would have taken the initiative.
11:53Great thank you Maggie, Ivan.
11:57Good morning everybody.
11:58My name is Ivan Mama, currently
12:00a postdoc in Department health
12:01disparities research, working with.
12:05Um, you know, I'm actually a training
12:08clinical psychologist and they started
12:11studying how insufficient sleep
12:14activity increased risk for obesity.
12:17Calculations three years ago,
12:18when it came to MD Anderson.
12:20Um Antrectomy was at first will
12:22intimidating because you know,
12:24I don't even in this unlike
12:26some other colleagues have been
12:27doing this for many more years.
12:29Tonight this was somewhat wants a new field,
12:32but you know I had set of our narrow
12:35area what I was interested in.
12:37Sufficient sleep, your physical activity,
12:38right?
12:39And so check for me was this great buffet?
12:43Almost seeing the breath and the depth of
12:45how different folks approach the problem.
12:48And so it was kind of wonderful to see
12:50how many angles we can look at this
12:53and so for me I love generating new
12:56ideas and so for me it was kind of
12:59like fireworks all over the place at
13:02the same time it was fun to get lost
13:04in the depth of how people you know
13:07when they presented their project,
13:09how, how far down.
13:10The rabbit hole you can go and how
13:13quickly I get lost in some of the talks.
13:17I also want to echo the networking.
13:19Part 2 is now that I know have a sense
13:22of who is setting what through trek.
13:24It's almost as if I want if I
13:27want to look at this one area,
13:29I could contact this person and we already
13:32would have this shared commonality.
13:34So wouldn't be exactly a cold call, right?
13:36Which is kind of difficult for some of us.
13:39Younger,
13:40more junior folks in the field.
13:41So overall it was a great experience.
13:47Great, thank you. Um,
13:49so I'm going to direct some specific
13:52questions to different people on the panel,
13:56so I'd like to start out by asking
13:59first Carrie and then Natalia to
14:01sort of expand a little bit more
14:03on your track Trek experience.
14:06Sort of. What did you?
14:08What did you gain from it?
14:10How did it change the way
14:12you are doing your work?
14:15And that sort of thing.
14:17So Kerry sure.
14:20So you know one big positive
14:23for me as someone who is.
14:27Kind of more on the basic science
14:30side of things is that I have
14:33struggled with really understanding.
14:35How can I contribute to clinical research
14:38related to energy balance and through trek.
14:41This past year I was able to meet
14:44several people who do incredibly
14:46impressive biomarker type research,
14:48so these are people who are
14:51sort of lab scientists like me,
14:53but they are able to provide the biomarker
14:57component of some energetics research.
15:00And I think I was.
15:02It was a little bit of a poke to like
15:05do a little better because they're doing
15:08some really innovative biomarkers, right?
15:10It's not just the same old like,
15:12let's do a panel of 25 inflammatory markers.
15:15It's much much more innovative than that,
15:18and it really inspired
15:20me to try to think more.
15:23Broadly, outside of what I've always done,
15:26and it also helped me to identify kind of.
15:30A route Tord away to be involved
15:33in clinical research.
15:34Even though I'm a basic scientist,
15:36and so you know,
15:38the outcome of that,
15:39was that this past October I was part
15:42of two clinical are ones where I'll be
15:46the biomarker person on both of them so.
15:51OK, thanks Natalia. What about you?
15:54How how did Trek sort of shift
15:57your world in your research?
16:01Yeah, so I learned a lot about
16:03the biological aspects of obesity
16:05and energy and energetics that
16:07I didn't know before. So I was.
16:10I'm a behavioral scientist and kind of in my.
16:13Silo sometimes you know,
16:16working with clinicians and.
16:19So it kind of expanded the way
16:21that I think about a project,
16:23and even if I'm going to be collecting,
16:26you know the behavioral data and you
16:28know some clinical outcomes expand
16:30the way I could think about our
16:33project to be able to involve other
16:35collaborators where you know just
16:37adding a few things at the beginning
16:40and talking to a few people at the
16:42start could make it more robust and
16:45also kind of like provide a way to
16:48collaborate with these folks that
16:50I wouldn't otherwise have had.
16:51Um, so I really like that.
16:53And as I mentioned,
16:55I really liked having this this network,
16:57so it's changed just the way I think
17:00about like who I can even talk to now, right?
17:03So now I just have a wider array of
17:06people that I can reach out to and say,
17:09hey, can you look at this?
17:11Or hey, what do you think about this?
17:13So and that's very helpful as well.
17:16Great thank you and so in Italian,
17:19the workshop that you went to the
17:21training you went to is virtual right?
17:23Because of covid.
17:24So can you talk a little bit about
17:26that experience and how you know
17:28whether it met your expectations for
17:30what you want to get out of track.
17:34What you see is maybe some of
17:36the downsides and some of the
17:39advantages of that approach.
17:40Yeah, so. I'll start by
17:42saying that I'm an introvert,
17:44so for me it was a really great
17:46way to kind of like get your toes
17:49wet and meet people with like low.
17:51Low commitment, right?
17:52We might be scared of networking.
17:54This was like a much easy,
17:56like low burden way of doing that.
17:58So for me, I really like that aspect of it.
18:01There was also what we did throughout
18:03the day was kind of broken up so
18:06it wasn't just like we're doing
18:08this one thing the whole day.
18:11Allow different formats throughout
18:12the day with breaks,
18:13and so I think that made it
18:15manageable to do throughout the day.
18:18I will say that even though
18:20I am an introvert, there is.
18:21There are some things that I I
18:24was missing in just, you know,
18:26it's different when you can talk to
18:28someone off on the side and like go get.
18:31You know while you're getting
18:33water and and connect in other
18:36ways on a more personal level.
18:38And just hear about things that
18:40maybe we even when we did kind of
18:42breakout groups when you wouldn't
18:43have been able to hear but.
18:45At least I now know these people right?
18:48So then when I see them in the future,
18:51I can still have that personal connection,
18:53so I I still thought thought
18:55Trek virtual was was great.
18:57It wasn't too burdensome because of
18:58the way it was broken out in the
19:01different activities throughout the day, so.
19:05Oh no,
19:05I would say great,
19:07but with the caveat of hopefully in the
19:09future we can connect on a personal level.
19:14Great. Thanks. So Maggie,
19:19I'm tell us a bit about what
19:22motivated you to apply for track.
19:27Great, so I guess if I had
19:30just read the description I probably
19:32would have been like that's not for me.
19:35I do more community health stuff,
19:37but Karen's my postdoc mentor.
19:39Enjoy as my Predock mentor and
19:41they're both very pro track and
19:44so a lot of their students would
19:46go to track and then they would
19:49talk about how great track was.
19:51You know, joy I particular member
19:53when clinical fellow Brianna had
19:55gone to track and Brianna was a
19:58very I really liked her personally.
20:00Partially because she she would
20:02sort of threw her hands up and say
20:05I don't know anything about this,
20:06and Stu said I went to track.
20:09I didn't know what I was doing.
20:11I wrote a really horrible proposal
20:13and they helped me so much and like
20:16it was really fulfilling an I got to
20:19network and just learn and it wasn't it,
20:21didn't.
20:22It didn't have to be perfect going in.
20:25So I was like, well, you know,
20:27Brianna is really, you know,
20:29she's learning a lot from this.
20:31I should go to the other thank you were
20:33in the lab when she was trying to
20:36submit that proposal and she actually
20:38got help from some of her Trek
20:40mentors to submit the final product.
20:42And so that was like a huge benefit to
20:45be like actively working on a proposal,
20:47be able to reach back to the people
20:50you met it, track, get their input,
20:52Polish it, and then submit it.
20:54Unfortunately, it still wasn't funded,
20:56but I think it impressed upon her.
20:58How things can be approved,
21:00improved with that type of input
21:02that was available through track?
21:03Yeah, totally.
21:04And especially remember how
21:05Brianna was like she
21:07was very she was.
21:08She never was someone who acted
21:10like she knew what she was doing.
21:12If she was not super confident
21:14so that that makes you feel like
21:16someone being vulnerable with you.
21:18That way it makes you feel more comfortable.
21:21The other thing was,
21:22you know I was getting ready to get
21:25on the job market so I thought it
21:27would be great opportunity to kind
21:29of network and see what different
21:31institutions were interested in.
21:33And I've also just seen a lot
21:35of postings or talked to a lot
21:37of people that highlight team
21:38science and collaboration,
21:40and so I wanted to kind of
21:41gain some skills about how to
21:43navigate those relationships and
21:45what successful ones look like.
21:49Great, thank you. So, um,
21:54joylette I just want you know you
21:58mentioned Brianna but just wanted to
22:00give you an opportunity to expand on.
22:02You know you have had mentoring
22:04relationships with a number
22:06of the Trek fellows as well,
22:07and so can you kind of comment
22:10on what you what kind of benefit.
22:13Other benefits besides the one you
22:15just mentioned you saw for them.
22:17Yeah, I mean I think it's an amazing
22:20program and Melinda and Diana,
22:23thank you so much for providing
22:25this opportunity for our fellows I.
22:27I'm kind of wondering like how we can
22:30pull back some of the especially the
22:33clinical fellows that go through trek
22:36and then kind of like get immersed in
22:39their world of clinical responsibilities
22:41and forget or just don't have time
22:44perhaps to take advantage of the
22:46skills that they learn to trekking.
22:49Maggie, since you brought up Brianna,
22:51she's one example,
22:52but I think there are others.
22:54Carrie had a former fellow
22:56Miriam who was in tracking.
22:57Fortunately, she's actually
22:58going to San Antonio and Maggie,
23:01she's gonna be working with
23:02us on the chef study,
23:04so there's a kitchen in the lobby of
23:07the Children's Hospital of San Antonio,
23:09and she's being recruited back to San
23:11Antonio as an oncologist there and will
23:14kind of be like the energy balanced person.
23:17But in the interim.
23:18She was in a very clinical setting
23:20so that the position that she
23:23has right now really didn't.
23:25I think,
23:25allow her time to do much research,
23:28but I still I have the sense Diane and
23:31Melinda you have a better sense of this,
23:34but I have the sense that a lot
23:36of the clinical trainees that
23:37probably go through Trek kind of
23:40find themselves in that position.
23:42But they're incredible resources for us.
23:44Lab based translational folks to
23:46keep in touch with connect with
23:48to see if there's ways we can do
23:50biomarker studies or contribute to.
23:52Energy balance trials.
23:53And so.
23:54Yeah,
23:54I just wonder if we can kind
23:57of brainstorm about that.
24:00I'll come, and yeah, completely agree.
24:02And that was based on some
24:04feedback as well from the fellows.
24:06So for this coming year and
24:08hopefully if were renewed.
24:09While it is a transdisciplinary workshop,
24:11we are creating in the day window
24:13of time an hour where we will
24:16group people bought, you know,
24:18the clinicians get to all meet
24:20each other and be together for an
24:22hour and get to know each other.
24:24And same with the pop scientists in the
24:27basic scientist and then at the same time.
24:30A different session of the day we're
24:32creating teams before you come to the
24:35workshop that is transdisciplinary.
24:36So, for example,
24:37it just take prostate cancer of basic
24:40clinical and population scientists
24:41who all proposed a topic related to
24:44prostate cancer will be put into a
24:46group together and they will kind
24:48of meat throughout the week as well.
24:51And if it ends at the end of the week,
24:55it ends,
24:55but we're hoping that it might just
24:57stimulate some more discussion networking
24:59opportunities within their discipline,
25:01but of course a cross.
25:03Disciplines as well.
25:04So I agree with you,
25:06and I'm hopeful that these changes.
25:09The other thing that Diana is working
25:12on right now is among the fellows
25:14who have completed the workshop and
25:17those who will participate this
25:19next year within our Trek website,
25:22a kind of a directory where
25:24people will have their discipline
25:26keywords of their area of research.
25:29So just helps people,
25:31fellows and faculty find others who.
25:33If someone is doing something
25:35in pediatric oncology,
25:36they could search on that and find
25:39all the pediatric you know people
25:41studying pediatric cancer and get
25:43to get something going from there.
25:46Diana, any other comments?
25:48I think that's wonderful.
25:49I mentioned Brianna's unsuccessful Grant
25:51that I wonder if you might consider
25:53if if the alumni are OK with it.
25:55For that for them to list grants
25:57where they've been successful?
25:59Because then someone who's like
26:01applying for an AI CR Grant can see,
26:03oh, this former trek person
26:05got the AIC are great.
26:06Maybe I can talk to them about
26:09what they did, right? So
26:10Diana, do you wanna mention when
26:12you're starting? Yeah, so that is such
26:14a prescient comment. Do I have?
26:16We are actually in addition to working.
26:19Non members directory on the
26:21website were also pulling together
26:24an exemplar grant repository,
26:26and so that will be there.
26:29You know, people have been invited,
26:32Trek alumni, faculty and fellows
26:35have been invited to submit.
26:39Successful grant examples of successful
26:41grants that they have been funded for,
26:44so we hope that that will be
26:47very helpful in showing you know.
26:50Newer earlier career
26:51investigators what a successful grant
26:54might look like. Various mechanisms.
26:56I think that will be highly used,
26:59that's fabulous. Thank you for
27:01doing that. Yeah, that's an excellent idea.
27:04I think that'll be wonderful,
27:06but both the kind of networking function
27:08I'm trying to find investigators
27:10who have interest similar to yours
27:12as well as the grant repository.
27:15Good job. I'll be useful.
27:19Alright, so I've been.
27:21Um, can you talk about any?
27:24Whether there have been any sort of
27:28collaborations that you have started
27:30or started discussing with other
27:32people who have been part of Trek?
27:36Yeah, sure, so my again my research
27:39area is in how insufficient sleep in.
27:43PC Matic population size match, so I figure
27:46you're sort of cutting in and out
27:48so you can get all of closer.
27:57We heard sleep and then you trailed off.
27:59Yeah can you hear me OK now.
28:03I think so, yeah, I
28:04keep saying it. I need to buy it
28:06and microphone and everything.
28:08Um, so you know, I again my my area is
28:11in how insufficient sleep and physical
28:15inactivity contribute to obesity.
28:17And so I was matched with a peer
28:19mentor who does sleep research.
28:21And then I was matched with.
28:24A more senior faculty mentor
28:26who does more physical activity,
28:28community based research and so both
28:30are able to actually give quite a
28:33bit of feedback on my potential
28:35grant proposal in particular.
28:37So my peer mentor was able to
28:39give feedback on a manuscript.
28:41Those writing at the moment,
28:43which is now published next,
28:45after which is then she was
28:48very helpful with that.
28:50And you know,
28:52she her focuses on how sleep
28:55relates to metabolic.
28:58Just function metabolic processes
28:59and so I was looking at how
29:02sleep is related diabetes and so
29:04she was able to kind of review.
29:07The manuscript.
29:07Is some feedback actually
29:09help me with the R&R,
29:11commentary and visions of how to
29:13address and frame some of those
29:15things which is very helpful.
29:17We've talked about potential
29:19collaborations down the road and
29:20right now she's transitioning
29:22into a faculty position,
29:24and so maybe something later down the road,
29:27my faculty mentor.
29:27Was able to give quite a bit of
29:30feedback on my potential Trek Grant
29:32and she was actually really helpful
29:35in reviewing my grant resubmissions.
29:37So when I entered Trek I had a key
29:4099 R zero that was under review at
29:44the time and so when I started trick.
29:48I think they had had no sorry when I
29:53I was preparing the application and
29:56for re submission and when I enter trick.
30:00I was actually working on
30:01the recent mission at a time,
30:03So what I needed a lot of feedback on
30:05was how to address the summary statement.
30:08And so my faculty mentor was
30:10helpful in helping me frame some
30:13some of the responses and kind of
30:15read between the lines for the
30:17summary statement and so now that's
30:20resubmitted will be hearing back soon.
30:22So in terms of collaborations moving forward,
30:25I think both of them are open to.
30:28We've talked about potential
30:29collaborations and in the future,
30:31and so I'm hoping after this new
30:33year you know when I started
30:36projects that can reach out to both.
30:41OK, thanks and and I've been
30:42so you also are part of the
30:45virtual experience of track.
30:46Can you comment a little bit
30:48on how that was for you?
30:53I'll echo Natalia is kind of sentiment.
30:55I'm also somewhat of an introvert,
30:57so make things I did a lot of the
31:00heavy lifting in terms of you know,
31:03meeting different people,
31:04so I actually kind of enjoyed being
31:06able to sit comfortably in my own home.
31:09Watching all these lectures like
31:11a good book bathroom at a point.
31:13Get some food if I needed to.
31:17Of course there's downsides
31:18though is you don't have that.
31:20I mean, it's different when
31:22you're talking to someone in
31:23person versus through zone,
31:25so I'm hoping in the future that
31:27I can I can meet some of these
31:30folks in person, yeah?
31:33That's great, I think your your
31:36meeting that you're gonna have in
31:38July will be a great opportunity.
31:40Hopefully all 97 fellows an all the
31:43faculty will participate and be
31:45able to see each other in person.
31:47I hope so. I hope by July we are meeting
31:51in person and we can do that meeting
31:53then that definitely is consistent
31:56with the sort of philosophy of Trek
31:59of the transdisciplinary research.
32:00So we really we do hope people
32:03will participate in that.
32:05Um so mate. You know you had the
32:08in person experience of track.
32:09Do you want to talk a little bit about that?
32:12And by the way, first of all I have to say,
32:16I think that probably 90% of
32:18academics are introverts, so you know,
32:20like don't don't feel too bad about it.
32:22We did our Department along time
32:24ago did the Myers Briggs inventory
32:26as part of like a little team
32:29building workshop an like there were.
32:31To extraverts on the faculty,
32:32everybody else was an introvert.
32:35So sorry mate.
32:36So tell us about the kind of
32:39in person Trek experience.
32:41Sure, sure I'm. I feel really really
32:43happy to have the opportunity to go
32:46to the in person version and not that
32:49I have anything but that most faith
32:52that that Doctor Irwin and I'll do the
32:55fantastic job organizing a virtual format
32:57and all of the track faculty as well.
33:00I'm sure it was as as wonderful as possible,
33:04being virtual this past year.
33:07In person was really fun.
33:10You know it's it's really easy
33:11to get to know some of the other
33:15fellows and faculty informally.
33:16Whether that's over meals which are
33:19all shared all together, breakfast,
33:20lunch, and dinners all together
33:22in groups at the same time,
33:25there's a there bars in the resort and go
33:28grab a beer with fellows after of course,
33:31after your formal requirements
33:33are done for the day.
33:36You know you can go for walks in the morning.
33:39I would see Doctor went out there,
33:41Blazing Streets walking in
33:42the mornings for jogging,
33:43probably sprinting and others
33:44you know working out in the gym.
33:46The food was fantastic,
33:48which is always a huge bonus for me.
33:50Big food guy.
33:52Resort where it's held is really
33:54beautiful not to talk too much
33:56about how wonderful it was.
33:58We did get, I think.
34:00Two days were just downpour rain
34:02so we didn't.
34:02We didn't get to enjoy much of the outdoors,
34:05unfortunately, but it's a really,
34:07really, really pretty spot
34:08in Connecticut on the coast,
34:09so just a nice place to go to.
34:13With the same sentiments I'm I'm
34:16certainly no extrovert and I can
34:19find networking and social stuff
34:21to be pretty training so that
34:24that definitely added to my.
34:26Sorry, 50 throughout the week,
34:28but at the same time it was really fun
34:31and provided those kind of informal
34:34opportunities to to get to know
34:36other Trek fellows outside of just
34:39the sessions and breakout sessions.
34:41Yeah, it was really fun in person,
34:43but I'm sure it's fantastic virtue as well.
34:47Great, thank you. So Carrie,
34:51can you talk to us a little bit
34:54about the application process
34:56and just also your process in
34:58preparing for the workshop?
35:02Yes. Sorry I didn't have a plan
35:07answer for this one. So let's see.
35:09So I think I had a little bit of
35:13a unique experience because I had
35:15been a trek trainee as a postdoc,
35:17and so some of what it means
35:20to be transdisciplinary.
35:21And some of the like intimidation factor,
35:23which I definitely remember as a postdoc.
35:25I had had a little bit of a chance
35:28to work with some of that previously,
35:31so that was a little unique for me,
35:34but I do feel like so I think
35:37it was a four page proposal.
35:39Oven I have a grand idea and.
35:44I do remember thinking I don't
35:45even know who to ask for input
35:48on this four page proposal,
35:49so it's a good thing I'm going
35:52to hopefully go to this track
35:54meeting to meet some people to
35:56give input on
35:57this proposal in terms of preparing,
35:59you know, I
36:00actually think that being at MD Anderson
36:02we're really lucky because we have Karen.
36:04We have Joya, we have.
36:06I mean, we actually have a lot of
36:08people who are already very strong in.
36:12Transdisciplinary energetics research so.
36:14I guess in terms of
36:16preparing your application,
36:18if you're feeling any sort of.
36:20Nerves about whether you're
36:22a good fit or about.
36:23Whether you're ready,
36:24I think that being at MD Anderson,
36:26you're lucky to have a lot
36:27of resources to reach out to,
36:29and I've certainly benefited from
36:31Mentor ship from both Karen and Zoya.
36:33Throughout
36:36great thanks. Um, Maggie could?
36:40What would you like to share
36:43with other investigators,
36:45postdocs, or early stage faculty
36:48who are considering trek?
36:52So I took
36:54a slightly different approach to my proposal,
36:56'cause I wasn't really, you know,
36:58I was in my first year postdoc.
37:01I wasn't really planning a grant or anything,
37:04so I wrote sort of a kind of far out
37:07version of a project I wanted to do,
37:10and there was cooking and there
37:12was artificial intelligence,
37:13and it was kind of what I would think
37:18would be the future of my research agenda.
37:21And that was really nice because
37:23I got less comments on the
37:26specifics of the grant proposal,
37:28but more comments on the research
37:30direction itself and sort of what are the
37:34things to kind of a major faculty member
37:37that strike them as important that we
37:40need to figure out before we get there.
37:43And so I'd say some of the advice I would
37:47give is like don't fret too much if
37:50you're not working on something specific,
37:52but just getting feedback on
37:54your research plan,
37:55your agenda or your future plans
37:57is a good a good approach.
37:59I think that maybe some people wouldn't apply
38:02because they're not working on something.
38:04I certainly when I saw the
38:06application was like, oh,
38:08not really working on anything
38:09to get direct feedback on,
38:11but I think getting feedback on the.
38:14Broader agenda was really helpful.
38:18Great thanks Natalia.
38:19Same question to you what what
38:21would you like to share with
38:24other people considering track?
38:26Funny that Maggie went first 'cause
38:28I had the exact opposite comment so.
38:32And the most useful was getting feedback on
38:35like an active grant that's now been funded.
38:38And so I thought that was thank you.
38:41I thought that was really both,
38:43like my peer mentor.
38:47An my senior mentor gave feed faculty.
38:49I don't remember what the terminology is,
38:51but they both gave really good feedback.
38:54It was very timely 'cause it was.
38:56Do you know?
38:57It just happened to be due a couple
39:00weeks later and that was one of the
39:03most useful pieces of it for me.
39:05So what I was going to say was
39:07apply when you when you need
39:09feedback on something like that,
39:10but I I hear what Maggie is saying and I
39:14just hadn't thought of it that way so.
39:16I amend my what I was going to say to say
39:19everyone who's in this area should apply.
39:21You will get something out of it.
39:23Just think about what you want to
39:25get out of it before you submit.
39:28Great great comet.
39:29So we have the we have the range here.
39:32You can have something really
39:34specific you want feedback on.
39:36It's great to go and if you kind
39:38of have a broader direction
39:40you'll get good input on that too.
39:43So I think it's sort of really
39:45accentuates the the usefulness
39:46of the Trek training experience.
39:48I'm just gonna open it up
39:50to any of you who like this.
39:53Is there anything else that you want to
39:55kind of comment on or something? I I?
39:58Didn't ask that I should have that.
40:00Important for people to know about Trek.
40:03I had a quick question for the group.
40:06I know that some of our recent
40:08Trek fellows around the job market
40:10and some of our recent Trek
40:12Fellows have recently gotten jobs.
40:15Congratulations Natalia,
40:15and I'm wondering if there's a
40:18way to connect with the 96 or so
40:20progeny of Diana and Melinda,
40:22for you know, really.
40:26Pursuing. Tenure tracker.
40:31You know, in positions in academic
40:34institutions and Maggie Natan
40:36Ivan if you kind of feel like.
40:39You have suggestions since you guys are
40:41actively looking for how that network
40:43could be optimized for that purpose.
40:52Any thoughts? It's
40:55a hard question. I mean
40:56I I can start. I will say that I was
40:59actively looking when I went on track and
41:01I had applied and so I was able to even
41:05just get feedback from both of them on.
41:07I was considering various things
41:09and so both were able to kind of
41:11talk through me on kind of that
41:14professional development side as well.
41:16I don't think I had those
41:18conversations with anyone else,
41:20but at least both with those.
41:22Both of those individuals where
41:23I had like one on one time,
41:26I did so there could be something like
41:28that where it's targeted at that,
41:30and so you can have like more
41:32one on one conversations about
41:33career development aspects and
41:35job searches in particular.
41:37So your
41:37immediate mentors knew you
41:39were in the job market,
41:40but like the larger group
41:43didn't necessarily know.
41:44I don't think so.
41:47I wonder if there's like,
41:49especially in the virtual setting.
41:51If there's a way to advertise
41:54that you're looking and here's
41:56your CV and here's your kind of
41:59synopsis of research interests,
42:01because I think it's a potentially
42:04rich pool of applicants,
42:05and we definitely want our
42:07trek trainees to go on and
42:10populate academic research
42:11institutions and facilitate.
42:13But Gore's best weekend.
42:18Yeah,
42:18that's a great idea. So what we do,
42:21we do have a Trek newsletter and E,
42:24you know done electronically
42:25where we advertise positions.
42:26You know many will reach out
42:28to us to tell us to post him.
42:31But you're right,
42:32there could be an approach where we have
42:35on the public facing check website.
42:37If people are comfortable and want to,
42:39they can post their CV and
42:41maybe a cover letter.
42:43Or maybe you know a short blurb
42:45as to what type of position
42:47they're interested in and.
42:49You know many faculty and fellows
42:51get emails about positions,
42:53and we could direct them to the Trek
42:56website and that that that that link,
42:59particularly to look at all the fellows.
43:01That's a great idea.
43:03Yeah, I think
43:04at least all of our fellows
43:06are really good at their 92nd
43:08elevator speech is, you know,
43:11maybe that could be posted on the
43:13Trek website just for others to know
43:16that these folks are are looking for.
43:19Positions, yeah, another
43:20good idea is for a session at the
43:23workshop where I mean I wish we
43:25could have even more sessions.
43:27It would end up being two weeks long
43:30but but we can do a little bit more
43:33on on job talk so someone you know,
43:35tips on giving a really good job talk.
43:38This past year we had an exceptional
43:41speaker, Melissa.
43:41I'm blanking on her last name,
43:43give Melissa Marshall on how to
43:45give a really good presentation
43:47and we could even invite her back
43:50and ask her specifically one for a.
43:52Job talk what she recommends,
43:54so these are great.
43:55I just one thing we are doing for future.
43:58This year's workshop in the future is
44:00we are doing a little bit of a taking
44:03the best of of virtual and in person too.
44:06So we're flipping in a bit that all
44:08the 20 minute talks you heard from the
44:11faculty will be done in advance and
44:13you view it from the leisure of your
44:16home before coming to the workshop.
44:18And then when you come to the workshop,
44:20it'll be panel discussions for that.
44:22Hour of those talks that were
44:24a part of that that session.
44:27That panel that makes sense,
44:29and then it frees up the day to have
44:31more of these networking opportunities
44:33within your discipline and across
44:36disciplines and other aspects.
44:39A great idea, yeah, yeah. Very good.
44:43I mean, were you going to say
44:46something about the sort of career
44:48networking job search aspects?
44:51Well, I was just going to point out that
44:54we do get that weekly or BI monthly email
44:57that has a job posting I found helpful.
45:00I think at that time I was also on the.
45:05Market and I do remember a number
45:08of US postdocs were on the market
45:10when we get to do star self.
45:12Initially we did say at the end OK.
45:15I'm also on the market right?
45:17But then you know.
45:18I guess it was for us.
45:20It was us initiating and us kind of taking.
45:23Taking that first step and trying to
45:26hunt down people who needed feedback.
45:28Does you know when I said,
45:31you know, a a session again,
45:33adding another session is going
45:34to add to the additional time
45:37of our very long workshop,
45:38but for US post Doctor these us,
45:41you know on the market would
45:42be helpful if we could also
45:45leverage some of this network.
45:49Yeah, great idea.
45:52OK, so I guess we're kind of coming to
45:55the end of our time and I just want to.
45:58Well, first I want to say one
46:00thing about trick that you all
46:03haven't mentioned and that is.
46:05Since there is a renewal application
46:07in and we hope that Trek will be
46:09continuing if you apply this year
46:11and you don't get in, apply again.
46:13I mean, there are many people
46:15who applied more than once,
46:17and if they don't get in the first time,
46:20they often get in the second time.
46:22So like if at first you don't succeed,
46:25which is like sort of the first
46:27lesson of academia, right?
46:28If at first you don't succeed,
46:30try again,
46:31because that is true of trick as well,
46:33and so we hope to see Trek continue.
46:36Ann, I hope to see some of those
46:39who those of you who are listening.
46:42I hope to see you apply.
46:44We always get a really good showing
46:47of applicants from MD Anderson and
46:49Love to kind of leverage trick to
46:52grow this field more at MD Anderson.
46:54So please do consider it.
46:56Melinda, Diana, thank you so much.
46:58First of all,
46:59for everything you do to make trick
47:02happen and I think it's been an amazing
47:05experience for the fellows who participated.
47:07I have to say, as a faculty member and track,
47:11I always love it to Anan,
47:13love to meet the fellows, love to
47:15connect with other faculty in this area.
47:18So really, really,
47:19really a wonderful experience.
47:20Thank you to our track fellows
47:22who participated today.
47:23Kerry, Nate, Natalia,
47:24Maggie,
47:25and Ivan and also to joy.
47:27Yahoo has inspired a lot of fellows
47:29to apply to the trick program.
47:31Thank you so much.
47:33Thank you so much. Make it
47:371 for keeping us organized on the
47:40zoom and hopefully we'll see each
47:42other in July out in Houston. I
47:44hope so, and I and I hope that, yeah,
47:48I hope we get together in July and I hope
47:51Trek happens in Connecticut in June. So
47:54good to see you.
47:55Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.
47:58Happy Holidays, Happy Holidays all.
48:01My.