Training Program in Tumor Microenvironment T32

The TPTM has four slots for predoctoral trainees annually. The call for applications is typically shared in early July, and all application materials must be submitted through the CompetitionSpace application by the deadline.  

Appointments provide one year of funding (candidate tuition, NIH stipend, and GradCare), covering the period from September 1 through August 31. The funding is limited to one year of support and is not renewable for an additional year.  

Eligibility 

The TPTM is open to doctoral students who have achieved candidacy, are in one of the 14 PIBS PhD programs, the MCDB Program, or other relevant PhD program at the University of Michigan, and are working on research related to the tumor microenvironment. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. If an applicant plans to perform their thesis work in the lab of a faculty member who is not currently affiliated with the TPTM, the TPTM committee may require the trainee to identify a co-mentor who is affiliated with the TPTM or work with the faculty mentor to become affiliated with the TPTM.  

Application Components  

All application components must be submitted through the CompetitionSpace application: 

• Nominee’s NIH style Biosketch

• Mentor(s)’ NIH style Biosketch

• Mentoring Plan (including plans for training in the responsible conduct of research)

• Research Plan (2 pages) written by the nominee 

Applicants will be reviewed and selected by members of the TPTM Executive Committee and will be notified of a decision around mid-August.  

The TPTM supports two postdoctoral trainees. Postdoctoral appointments are filled on a rolling basis, and calls for applications are issued when slot(s) become available. All application materials must be submitted through the Competition. 

Appointments provide one year of funding at the NIH stipend rate, with the possibility to apply for a second year of funding.  

Eligibility 

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and preference will be given to postdoctoral applicants who are no more than one year into their training. Both MD and PhD postdocs are eligible, and the degrees must be conferred before the start date of the postdoctoral position. The nominee does not have to already be on site - this can be used as a recruiting tool.  

If a nominee is planning to do a postdoc in the lab of a faculty member who is not currently part of the program, the program committee may require the trainee to identify a co-mentor who is affiliated with the TPTM or work with the faculty mentor to become affiliated with the TPTM.  

Application Components 

All application components must be submitted through the CompetitionSpace application: 

• Nominee’s NIH style Biosketch 

• Mentor(s)’ NIH style Biosketch 

• Three page research proposal, written by the nominee  

• Nomination letter from postdoc faculty mentor that includes their assessment of the nominee. 

• The mentor should also indicate their relative involvement/contributions to the writing of the research proposal 

• Two letters of recommendation, one of which should be from the nominee’s doctoral mentor or a thesis committee member (if the nominee holds or will hold a PhD)  

Applicants will be reviewed and selected by members of the TPTM Executive Committee.  

• Padma Kadiyala, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Pasca di Magliano and Carpenter Labs 

• Emily Seiden, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Grohar Lab 

• Kathryn Buscher: Molecular and Integrative Physiology PhD Student, Shah Lab 

• Rachael Hinshaw: Cancer Biology PhD Student, Grohar Lab 

• Liddy McCulla: Cancer Biology PhD Student, Wahl and Shah Labs 

• Matt Perricone: Immunology PhD Student, Lyssiotis and Carty Labs

• Eric Horst, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Mehta and DiFeo Labs 

• Padma Kadiyala, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Pasca di Magliano and Carpenter Labs  

• Erin Holcomb: Immunology PhD Student, Green and Zou Labs 

• Nicole Jerome: Cancer Biology PhD Student, Palmbos Lab 

• Paola Isabel Medina-Cabrera: Cancer Biology PhD Student, Pasca di Magliano and Allen Labs

• Fjorela Xhyliu: Chemical Engineering PhD Student, Lahann and Castro Labs  

• Wajd Al-Holou, MD

• Joshi Alumkal, MD

• Maria Castro, PhD

• Mark Chiang, MD, PhD

• Arul Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD

• Pierre Coulombe, PhD

• Adam Courtney, PhD

• Analisa DiFeo, PhD

• Eric Fearon, MD, PhD

• Patrick Grohar, MD, PhD

• Gary Hammer, MD, PhD

• Evan Keller, DVM, PhD

• Carl Koschmann, MD

• Pedro Lowenstein, MD, PhD

• Costas Lyssiotis, PhD

• Sami Malek, MD

• Sofia Merajver, MD, PhD

• Meredith Morgan, PhD

• Goutham Narla, MD, PhD

• Phillip Palmbos, MD, PhD

• Carole Parent, PhD

• Marina Pasca di Magliano, PhD

• Arvind Rao, PhD

• Yatrik Shah, PhD

• Daniel Wahl, MD, PhD

• Stephen Weiss, MD

• Joshua Welch, PhD

• Max Wicha, MD

• Thomas Wilson, MD, PhD

• Weiping Zou, MD, PhD