The Future of Cancer Care: TRACC Program Funding Renewed
Summary
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Training to Reduce Burden Across the Cancer Control Continuum (TRACC) program is a postdoctoral fellowship designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in cancer prevention and control.
- The program equips early-career scientists with the tools to investigate and address the factors that influence cancer risk, treatment, survivorship and health outcomes.
- Fellows choose from two training tracks: Training in Multilevel Determinants of Cancer Burden or Training in Innovative Interventions to Reduce the Burden of Cancer.
At Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, a bold initiative is reshaping the future of cancer research and care.
The Training to Reduce Burden Across the Cancer Control Continuum (TRACC) program is a federally funded, interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellowship designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in cancer prevention and control. TRACC recently received renewed support from the National Institutes of Health–National Cancer Institute (NIH–NCI). The renewal is testament to the program’s success in developing leaders who advance impactful, community-centered cancer research.
Co-directors and multiple principal investigators Frank Penedo, Ph.D., and Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., launched TRACC in 2020 through a five-year federal grant for $2.3 million. TRACC’s funding was renewed for another five years.
Tools for Cancer Research and Discovery
The program equips early-career scientists with the tools to investigate and address the complex, multilevel factors that influence cancer risk, treatment, survivorship and health outcomes. With a focus on South Florida’s communities, TRACC offers a dynamic, collaborative environment where fellows engage in high-impact research.
“Funding like this supports the training that fuels discovery,” said Dr. Penedo, associate director for population sciences, the Sylvester DCC Living Proof Endowed Chair in Cancer Survivorship and director of the Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute. “It strengthens the people, projects and partnerships that drive real progress and ensures our knowledge translates into future generations and tangible benefits for patients and communities.”
Postdoctoral mentorship builds the next generation of leaders in cancer prevention and control, passing on not just knowledge, but persistence, creativity and resilience.
Dr. Tracy Crane
This interdisciplinary training program provides an exceptional, multidisciplinary collaborative environment that prepares postdoctoral fellows to address the complex determinants of cancer outcomes across the entire continuum, from prevention to survivorship, in South Florida and beyond.
The burden of cancer is profound, with 18 million survivors today and 26 million expected by 2040. Many of the communities Sylvester serves are disproportionately impacted. Through TRACC, Sylvester continues to foster innovation and train the next generation of researchers and clinicians equipped to meet these challenges head-on.
“We are cultivating exceptional scholars poised to ask the most compelling questions—those that deepen our understanding of cancer’s complex causes and inspire innovative approaches to prevention, early detection, care delivery and survivorship,” said Dr. Kobetz, associate director for community outreach and engagement and the Judy H. Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.
The Determinants and Burden of Cancer
Fellows in the TRACC program choose from two rigorous training tracks that combine scientific excellence, personalized mentorship and cross-disciplinary collaboration to accelerate discovery. Participants complete a core curriculum enhanced by specialized experiences in one of two areas: Training in Multilevel Determinants of Cancer Burden or Training in Innovative Interventions to Reduce the Burden of Cancer.
“Both tracks immerse fellows in a wide range of research and professional development opportunities, providing the depth and breadth needed to become leaders in cancer prevention and control,” said Dr. Penedo. “This structure empowers trainees to translate research into real-world solutions that improve outcomes, reduce inequities and lessen the cancer burden across the communities we serve.”
At the heart of the TRACC program is a mentorship model that empowers trainees to thrive as independent, innovative cancer researchers ready to lead in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape.
“Fellows are guided by accomplished, interdisciplinary faculty dedicated to providing the expertise, tools and collaborative opportunities that transform training into measurable impact,” said Dr. Kobetz. “They open their labs and create supportive spaces for trainees to explore, innovate and test their own ideas.”
Each trainee is paired with two mentors whose complementary expertise and shared dedication to excellence foster a strong, multidisciplinary foundation for growth. Primary mentors are established investigators leading extramurally funded cancer research, while associate mentors contribute specialized methodological or topical insight that expands each trainee’s perspective.
“Postdoctoral mentorship builds the next generation of leaders in cancer prevention and control, passing on not just knowledge, but persistence, creativity and resilience,” said Tracy Crane, Ph.D., RDN, co-leader of the Cancer Control Program, director of lifestyle medicine, prevention and digital health at Sylvester and a TRACC mentor since 2021. “True learning happens through hands-on mentorship that builds confidence, drives innovation and empowers trainees to reduce the cancer burden and improve lives.”
Fellow Harleen Kaur, Ph.D. (mentored by Dr. Crane)
Dr. Kaur focuses on developing and disseminating innovative nutrition and exercise interventions that leverage digital technologies to improve diet and physical activity behaviors among cancer survivors in the post-treatment survivorship phase and within their social networks.
“The TRACC program has been instrumental in my postdoctoral training,” said Dr. Kaur. “I have been able to expand my research expertise, take on leadership roles in clinical trials and collaborate with other trainees across disciplines. It provides protected time that is invaluable.”
Fellow Heidy Medina, Ph.D., M.P.H. (mentored by Patricia Moreno, Ph.D., and Dr. Penedo)
Dr. Medina’s work focuses on elucidating and addressing the complex patterns of cancer risk and outcomes across populations at a local, regional, national and global scale, with a focus on those facing a disproportionate burden of disease and less favorable clinical outcomes.
“The program has prepared me to lead an independent research career by exposing me to the full research enterprise, strengthening my leadership and mentorship skills, and providing me with teaching opportunities,” said Dr. Medina. “I have collaborated on and led grant submissions.”
Fellow Jiye Lee, Ph.D., MSN, CPNP-AC (mentored by Dr. Moreno and Dr. Penedo)
Dr. Lee’s work focuses on examining cancer survivorship and supportive care needs in pediatric, adolescent and young adult populations.
“TRACC provides rich resources that allow me to investigate a wide array of research topics within the pediatric and young adult oncology landscape,” said Dr. Lee. “My goal is to investigate the quality of life and long-term health outcomes for these patients.”
Tags: cancer research, Dr. Frank Penedo, Dr. Tracy Crane, Training to Reduce Burden Across the Cancer Control Continuum (TRACC)