University of Miami and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center to Train Next-Gen Experts in Exercise Oncology
Summary
- The University of Miami, in collaboration with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, is launching SOCKS, an 18-month exercise oncology certification starting January 2026.
- The program blends classroom learning with clinical experience to meet a rising demand for providers trained in an essential element of cancer survivorship.
- The program builds on Sylvester research and creates new career paths in cancer care.
Exercise as medicine is a concept increasingly recognized in cancer care. Research and real-world observations have shown that physical activity is an effective tool in reducing fatigue, improving mood and lowering the risk of recurrence in patients. Until now, however, there have been limited opportunities for individuals to attain a formal certification in the emerging field of exercise oncology.
That will change next year, when a collaborative effort between Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and the University of Miami’s School of Education and Human Development pilots an 18-month academic and internship program. It’s the brainchild of Tracy Crane, Ph.D., RDN, co-leader of the Cancer Control Program and director of lifestyle medicine, prevention and digital health at Sylvester, and Loren Yavelberg, Ph.D., CEP, a post-doctoral fellow. The duo came to the same conclusion while working at the intersection of lifestyle medicine and oncology.
“There is a supply and demand gap. We desperately need a trained workforce that can meet the demands of this growing field,” said Dr. Crane.
When Dr. Yavelberg was working as a post-doctoral associate at Sylvester’s Cancer Research Advancing through Nutrition and Exercise (CRANE) Lab in 2024, he, too, “noticed we had too few people for the demand” from physicians and patients. He began thinking of a way to fill that need, one that is expected to grow as cancer diagnoses rise due, in part, to improved and more routine screening.
UM’s first-of-its-kind certificate program is called Sylvester Oncology Care with Kinesiology @ School of Education, or SOCKS, for short.
“It translates the evidence-based knowledge in oncology and lifestyle medicine into actual practice,” Dr. Yavelberg said.
Program Blends Academics and Real-World Experience
The three-semester program is set to launch in January 2026 with a cohort of 15 students. SOCKS will provide participants with both classroom study and practical experience.
• The first semester will consist of a lecture course and lab titled “Exercise Oncology and Lifestyle Medicine: Knowledge Translation into Practice,” led by Drs. Yavelberg and Crane. The labs will complement the week’s lecture.
• The second semester will expose students to real-life scenarios with oncology patients through structured, supervised clinical and community-based experiences under the guidance of certified professionals.
• The third semester will further emphasize competencies through a 150-hour clinical experience internship that requires hands-on application of academic knowledge in oncology and lifestyle medicine settings. Students will shadow staff and work directly with patients, under supervision at Sylvester and in the community.
The program is open to both undergraduate and graduate kinesiology students. It will offer stipends for those who continue through the second and third semesters.
The first-semester course will be housed at the School of Education and Human Development’s Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences on the Coral Gables campus. The practical experience will take place at the medical campus.
The certification is a big step toward building “a trained workforce that has both the competence and confidence needed to stand out in this industry,” Dr. Yavelberg said.
Student surveys and informal discussions, assessment of student projects and practical experience and review of mentorship outcomes will serve as evaluation markers for the program.
Exercise in Modern Medicine
Laura Kohn Wood, Ph.D., dean of UM’s School of Education and Human Development, said the idea for SOCKS is part of a steady but gradual evolution in how we view physical activity in the context of medicine and wellness. Over the past two decades, the study of exercise has become more scientific, resulting in a growing number of research projects underscoring the power of exercise for the prevention and treatment of a variety of conditions. For example, where once cancer patients were told to rest and avoid physical exertion, oncologists are now recommending that patients stay active before, during and after treatment.
In fact, the exercise oncology clinic at the Sylvester Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute currently provides one-on-one appointments and group classes with exercise physiologists to help patients learn strengthening exercises, stretching routines and other strategies to promote healthy movement.
“The use of exercise has become more prescriptive,” Dr. Kohn Wood said. “Certainly, everyone is more aware of the benefits.”
Our goal at Sylvester is for every patient to have a personalized exercise prescription.
Dr. Tracy Crane
SOCKS, she added, also builds on another collaborative program piloted by Sylvester and the School of Education via Sylvester’s Academic Cancer Advisory Council. (Dr. Kohn Wood chairs the ACAC.) Called the Sylvester Program for Academic Research and Knowledge, or SPARK, the program is administered by UM’s Office of Pre-Health Advising and Mentoring. SPARK pairs undergraduates with top researchers at Sylvester, some of whom work at the CRANE Lab. SPARK was launched in the fall semester of 2024 and has attracted students from various backgrounds, including those in the field of kinesiology.
UM Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences professor and chair Kevin Jacobs, Ph.D., has talked to students about the SOCKS program.
“They express interest because exercise oncology is a new and growing field. They’re eager to apply to a program that will immerse them in the field,” he said.
In addition, there’s a robust track record of informal collaboration between the department of kinesiology and the CRANE Lab. The CRANE Lab is known for its pioneering research on the impact of exercise and nutrition on cancer patients at all stages of treatment. Current studies include National Cancer Institute-sponsored research that explores the effects of an 18-week medical nutrition and exercise therapy program during chemotherapy for patients with ovarian cancer and another clinical trial that seeks to determine whether a following a Mediterranean diet pattern and increased physical activity can improve treatment outcomes for newly diagnosed patients being treated for lymphoma.
While the SOCKS program is initially aimed at kinesiology students seeking certification in this emerging field, its founders believe it may eventually attract oncology nurses and others pursuing advanced degrees in medicine, exercise science or related fields. Drs. Yavelberg and Crane also hope graduates of the program will serve as a talent pipeline.
“Our goal at Sylvester is for every patient to have a personalized exercise prescription,” Dr. Crane said.
SOCKS provides a clear path for a trained workforce to achieve that.
Tags: cancer research, Dr. Tracy Crane, lifestyle medicine, Newsroom, nutrition, Sylverster Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sylvester Food Pharmacy