1-877-936-8422

About the VERTICAL Program

Leveraging the strengths of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, this paid program will immerse you in a research laboratory for 2 years working with a Vanderbilt faculty member on a cutting-edge cancer research project.

Participants will receive a stipend and benefits. Through this program you will gain the knowledge, skills, and community to further your career in cancer research or medicine.

In addition to your research, fellows will participate in:

  • Responsible Conduct in Research training
  • Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) coursework
  • Individualized research development plan
  • Introduction to Cancer Biology course
  • Clinical Cancer Medicine course
  • GRE or MCAT preparatory course
  • Meharry Medical College (MMC)-Vanderbilt-Tennessee State University (TSU) Cancer Partnership (MVTCP) online modules
  • Cancer Biology Science Hour presentation
  • VICC Annual Scientific Retreat, MVTCP retreat, and other retreats
  • Scientific conferences
  • Career Path Lunch & Learn Sessions
  • Online resources from Vanderbilt University, Nature Masterclass
  • Science & Community Impact Talks
  • Volunteer opportunities

 

Eligible candidates for the VERTICAL program will be:

  • Individuals with bachelor’s degrees from nationally accredited colleges or universities who desire to pursue doctoral degrees and careers in science or medicine, with a focus on cancer.
  • Able to commit to the full-time, 2-year program which runs from August 2025 – August 2027 in Nashville, Tennessee.
  • Individuals who are interested in pursuing doctoral degrees and careers in science or medicine, with a focus on cancer, will benefit most from the program.

For those interested in applying for the 2025-2027 VERTICAL Program, please complete an interest form here 
The formal application will be available in January and sent to those who have completed the interest form. Please see below for the list of required application components.

  • One-page statement of interest
  • Copy of college transcript (does not need to be official)
  • Two letters of recommendation from prior educators and/or employers
  • A current resume or CV

All program questions should be directed to VERTICAL@vumc.org.

A study to evaluate if the randomized addition of venetoclax to a chemotherapy backbone (fludarabine/cytarabine/gemtuzumab ozogamicin [GO]) improves survival of children/adolescents/young adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 1st relapse who are unable to receive additional anthracyclines, or in 2nd relapse.
This phase II trial studies the effect of hormonal therapy given after (adjuvant) combination pertuzumab/trastuzumab in treating patients with hormone receptor positive, HER2 positive breast cancer. The drugs trastuzumab and pertuzumab are both monoclonal antibodies, which are disease-fighting proteins made by cloned immune cells. Estrogen can cause the growth of breast cancer cells. Hormonal therapy, such as letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane, and tamoxifen, block the use of estrogen by the tumor cells. Giving hormonal therapy after pertuzumab and trastuzumab may kill any remaining tumor cells in patients with breast cancer.
This phase III trial studies how well lenalidomide and dexamethasone works with or without daratumumab-hyaluronidase in treating patients with high-risk smoldering myeloma. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as lenalidomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as dexamethasone lower the bodys immune response and are used with other drugs in the treatment of some types of cancer. Daratumumab-hyaluronidase is a monoclonal antibody, daratumumab, that may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread, and hyaluronidase, which may help daratumumab work better by making cancer cells more sensitive to the drug. Giving lenalidomide and dexamethasone with daratumumab-hyaluronidase may work better in treating patients with smoldering myeloma.
This phase I/II trial tests the safety and efficacy of split-course adaptive radiation therapy in combination with immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with stage IV lung cancer or lung cancer that that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced). Radiation therapy is a standard cancer treatment that uses high energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Split-course adaptive radiation therapy uses patient disease response to alter the intensity of the radiation therapy. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies such as pembrolizumab, ipilimumab or nivolumab may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs like carboplatin, pemetrexed, and paclitaxel work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving split-course adaptive radiation therapy with standard treatments like immunotherapy and chemotherapy may be more effective at treating stage IV or locally advanced lung cancer than giving them alone.

Leo Luo, M.D.

  • Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology

Email

leo.luo@vumc.org

Leo Luo, M.D.

  • Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology

leo.luo@vumc.org

Research Program

Research Description

Have any questions? Contact Us 1-877-936-8422 for more information
Contact Now

John Kuriyan, Ph.D.

  • Dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences
  • University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry

Email

john.kuriyan@Vanderbilt.Edu

John Kuriyan, Ph.D.

  • Dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences
  • University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry

john.kuriyan@Vanderbilt.Edu

Research Program

Research Description

Have any questions? Contact Us 1-877-936-8422 for more information
Contact Now

Questions?  Please contact Caroline Hartford at caroline.hartford@vumc.org

Email

Featured Speakers:

Mohammed AlQuraishi, PhD

(Columbia University)

is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Systems Biology and a member of Columbia’s Program for Mathematical Genomics, where he works at the intersection of machine learning, biophysics, and systems biology. Prior to starting his academic career, Dr. AlQuraishi spent three years founding two startups in the mobile computing space.

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Avery Posey Jr., PhD

(University of Pennsylvania)

is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, a member researcher of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and a Research Health Scientist at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center. The Posey Laboratory generates novel CAR T cell therapies targeting tumor-associated glycosylation and investigates strategies to enhance CAR T cell persistence and overcome tumorinduced immunosuppression.

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Sarah Teichmann, FMedSci FRS

(Wellcome Sanger Institute)

is a systems and genome biologist who heads the Cellular Genetics programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge. Dr. Teichmann’s research group develops and applies cell atlasing technologies to map human tissue architecture in order to understand health and disease. In 2016, she co-founded the Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium, which she continues to co-lead. Dr. Teichmann is also the Director of Research at the Physics Department at the University of Cambridge.

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