PCOM and the Wistar Institute are launching a cancer biology graduate program

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Wistar Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated research hub, are launching a cancer biology Ph.D. program to train more scientists in cancer research and drug development.

The graduate program expects to enroll two students in its inaugural class this fall. Tuition will be fully funded for students accepted into the program. Administrators hope to expand enrollment in future years.

The program will be jointly run by PCOM and Wistar, and students will graduate with a Ph.D. in cancer biology from PCOM. It will replace a cancer biology graduate degree that Wistar has previously offered with St. Joseph’s University, which finalized its merger with the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in January. Students currently in the St. Joseph’s program will complete their studies, but the program will not enroll new students.

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Students will study how cancer develops and grows, with the goal of discovering ways to prevent it.

The program will also focus on the drug-development process, to prepare students for careers in academia or in the pharmaceutical industry.

“Our hope is that by harnessing the collective expertise of PCOM’s esteemed faculty and the renowned researchers at Wistar, we can accelerate discoveries, develop innovative therapies, and, ultimately, bring hope to those affected by cancer,” Gregory McDonald, dean of the School of Health Sciences at PCOM, said in a statement.

Wistar, one of the oldest biomedical research organizations in the country, also partners with academic institutions, including University of Pennsylvania and Community College of Philadelphia, for research and training programs.