Practicum Opportunity, Morningside Center
Category : APE/ILE Student Opportunities
Practicum Goal:
For each type of cancer, find, evaluate and summarize existing clinical data (retrospective and small prospective studies) on supporting the use of off-label combinations of FDA approved non-cancer and cancer drugs.
Background:
Cancer patients have co-morbid conditions like diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Therefore, along with their cancer treatments (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, etc.) they are also taking drugs like metformin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBS), and statins. Many observational studies (case-control and cohort) have investigated the associations of these non-cancer drugs with cancer outcomes (off-label use). Evaluation of quality and statistical methods used in these studies will allow us to determine if a given drug is ready for prospective clinical trials.
Tasks:
- For each type of cancer, search PUBMED and other databases for Human data on off-label use.
- Review statistical methods used and determine quality of the paper.
- Summarize papers using a pre-agreed format and considering both safety and efficacy (QOL, PFS, OS; RR), and any biomarker use.
- Tabulate studies for different agents (Aspirin/NSAIDS, metformin, statins, etc.).
- Summarize the reviewed literature in a form of a meta-analysis (if sufficient number of studies is available)
Organization Description:
The Morningside Center for Innovative and Affordable Medicine (Morningside Center): We are an interdisciplinary unit within the Woodruff Health Sciences Center at Emory University consisting of a core group of staff, and affiliated faculty from across Emory. Extending the vision of GlobalCures Inc., a non-profit medical research organization, the Morningside Center was created to promote research, education, and advocacy for effective and affordable medical treatments.
Preferred Qualifications:
- MPH (1st or 2nd year) or PhD candidate
How to Apply:
Send an email to Nika Fedirko vfedirk [at] emory [dot] edu and Krista Charen kharkre [at] emory [dot] edu by May 15th:
- In the subject line indicate that you are applying for the summer position/practicum
- Attach your CV and a writing example
- Describe your level of proficiency with reviewing and summarizing epidemiologic literature
