Mentoring and Research in Cancer Palliative Care

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Last year, approximately 1,400,000 Americans were diagnosed with cancer, and approximately 560,000 died from it. When one considers the adverse events associated with cancer treatment, the wide constellation and severity of end-of-life symptoms, and the aftermath of bereavement, there is no question that cancer-induced suffering is great and that there is a major need for research in cancer palliative care to relieve this suffering. Dr. Jatoi is a mid-career investigator who is re-submitting a K24 application entitled, Mentoring and Research in Cancer Palliative Care. Her career goals are as follows: 1) To conduct rigorous, clinical and translational research in cancer palliative care with the short-term goal of relieving suffering among cancer patients; 2) To provide opportunities for career growth in cancer palliative care for a diverse group of young investigators with the long-term goal of, again, relieving suffering among cancer patients. Dr. Jatoi is well suited to meet these career goals. She has conducted multiple clinical and translational studies on cancer palliative care, thus generating over 120 published manuscripts. These studies have focused largely on palliating cancer-associated anorexia and weight loss, but they have also, at times, focused on the management of other cancer-related symptoms. As a mentor and senior author, Dr. Jatoi has published 28 manuscripts with 16 young investigators from highly diverse backgrounds. Finally, the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center holds an unwavering commitment to patient care, a vast clinical trial infrastructure, comprehensive laboratory resources, and a dynamic, highly collaborative environment- thus, further ensuring the success of this application.