PROJECT SUMMARY The Clinical Scholars Biomedical Research Training Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) provides a mentored laboratory training experience in cancer research for outstanding MD's or MD/PhD's led by Dr. David Spriggs. The goal of the Program is to prepare highly qualified physician-scientists for a career at the interface of cancer biology and clinical research. The fellows are trained by principal investigators with an exceptionally broad range of scientific interests spanning most areas of modern cancer research. More than one half of the 44 preceptors are physician scientists, who represent strong role models for careers combining laboratory and clinical research and practice. The Program consists of a structured and cohesive two-year curriculum that combines laboratory research, didactic course work in cancer biology, bioinformatics training and career development workshops. Trainees have access to all resources of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, an instituion in which basic, translational and clinical research activites take place in close proximity in a highly collaborative research environment. The research areas of principal emphasis include: 1) Human cancer biology, mouse models of cancer, genetics and molecular pathology; 2) Drug development and mechanism-based therapeutics; 3) Signals and pathways involved in control of cell proliferation; 4) Regulatory pathways involved in developmental biology and cell differentiation; 5) Cell-cell interactions, adhesion and protein targeting; 6) Tumor immunology, immunotherapy and transplantation biology. The Clinical Scholars Biomedical Research Training Program has had a long and successful training history with nearly all of its graduates continuing in highly productive research careers. Thus, the Program has had signficant impact in meeting the national need for physician-scientists who can play leading roles in translating basic discoveries in cancer biology into patient care.