Season 2 – Episode 21: iCURE: A Path to Cancer Research

In this episode, we learn about NCI's Intramural Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (iCURE), a program that supports mentored research experiences from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Jessica Calzola, iCURE Program Director and Branch Director of Innovative Programs Branch in NCI’s Center for Cancer Health Equity, and Dr. Stephanie Pitts, an iCURE Scholar and Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Center for Immuno-Oncology in NCI's Center for Cancer Research, share their insights on how the iCURE program works and offer advice on how to apply.

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Episode Guests

Jessica M. Calzola, Ph.D.

Jessica M. Calzola is a Branch Director for the Innovative Programs Branch (IPB) of NCI’s Center for Cancer Health Equity. The IPB accelerates innovative approaches toward eliminating health disparities by developing and implementing programs, including a focus on cancer research capacity through programs like the Intramural Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (iCURE) and NIH Common Fund Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST). Dr. Calzola commitment for training comes from the mentorship she received as part of the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP) in the summer of 2007.

Prior to joining CCHE, Dr. Calzola was a Program Manager with Leidos, supporting the Army’s Medical Research Program in Systems Biology at Fort Detrick in Frederick, MD. Dr. Calzola also had a previous role providing project and program management support to the Congressionally Directed Research Program, specifically the Parkinson’s Research Program and the Joint Program Committee-6/Combat Casualty Care Research Program. In these roles she helped recruit, coordinate and execute programmatic review meetings and other program requirements.

Dr. Calzola earned her B.S. in biochemistry from Juniata College, Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate she was selected for the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program. In this program she conducted basic research for a summer at NCI. Dr. Calzola then went on to get her Ph.D. in microbiology and molecular genetics from Rutgers University, NJ. Her postdoctoral training was done in the Proteomic section of the Laboratory of Systems Biology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where she worked on modeling toll-like receptor 4 signaling.

Stephanie Pitts, Ph.D.

Stephanie C. Pitts is an iCURE Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Center for Immuno-Oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). She received her B.A. in Biology from Brown University. During this time, she also conducted research at the NCI, where she studied mechanisms of resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma. Dr. Pitts then earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she was the recipient of a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA F31 Diversity Predoctoral Fellowship. Her Ph.D. thesis focused on targeting RNA polymerase I as a cancer therapeutic strategy. Her current postdoctoral research examines how the peripheral immunome can be used to identify biomarkers of response to cancer immunotherapies.

Show Notes

Ad: Worta McCaskill-Stevens Career Development Award for Community Oncology and Prevention Research (K12)

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Episode Transcript

Oliver Bogler:

Hello and welcome to Inside Cancer Careers, a podcast from the National Cancer Institute where we explore all the different ways in which people fight cancer and we hear their stories. I'm your host, Oliver Bogler from NCI Center for Cancer Training.

Today, we're talking about NCI's Intramural Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences, iCURE, a program which supports mentored research experiences. And our guests are the director of that program and a current fellow in it.

Listen through to the end of the show to hear our guests make some interesting recommendations and where we invite you to take your turn. And of course, we're always glad to get your feedback on what you hear and suggestions on what you might like us to cover. The show's email is NCIICC@nih.gov.

It's a pleasure to welcome Dr. Jessica Calzola, the branch director of the Innovative Programs Branch in NCI’s Center for Cancer Health Equity. Welcome.

Jessica Calzola:

Thank you very much. Excited to be here, Oliver.

Oliver Bogler:

It's also a pleasure to welcome Dr. Steffie Pitts, postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Immuno-Oncology in NCI's Center for Cancer Research and an iCURE Scholar. Welcome.

Stephanie Pitts:

Thank you.

Oliver Bogler:

Jessica, the iCure program is described as supporting mentored research experiences. Could you elaborate on that and what does it look like in practice?

Jessica Calzola:

Happy to, so thank you for the opportunity. So as you said, the iCURE provides mentored research experiences. So at the foundation of an iCURE scholars experience is in fact the research and they are matched with investigators within the NCI. That matching process is coordinated between the scholars and potential NCI faculty or investigators who have an interest in working with iCURE scholars. And as you would expect, it's driven by mutual research interests.

And then surrounding that experience, iCURE scholars have a plethora of support. We offer … scholars are matched and supported with what we call and have termed their mentor scholar partnership. And this is kind of a multi-component partnership. The scholars, as I said, are matched with investigators at NCI, but they're also then, before they even get onboarded, we start prepping them and trying to support them as we know when you're on board at the NCI and NIH, there's a lot of paperwork. There's a lot of things about moving to NCI and to Maryland. So we connect them with peer mentors. So these are scholars that are currently at NCI, and they can talk to them and usually try and match them with peer mentors at the same level.

Once they onboard, we meet with them. The team meets with them every other month or more if needed to see how things are going and help identify if they need any resources or direct them to different things because NCI and NIH is a large institution and there's lots of stuff out there to support the scholars. Sometimes it's just a matter of pointing them in the right direction for things they might need.

Scholars are onboarded as a cohort. So they've got this built-in community and we promote that community by setting up events where they come together and they learn things, they network. It's a little bit easier when you know that you've got people at the same level coming in at the same time to talk to. The program takes a holistic approach to supporting scholars. And we know that they're here for a short transition in their careers to do research, but they're all going to move on to something. And so we match them with mentors outside their research group to kind of help them navigate those transitions. Are they going to grad school? If they're a postdoc, what is their next steps look like? Do they want to stay in the lab? Do they want to go into industry? So we match them with mentors to support and provide guidance for that. And I think that kind of, as I said, that all of that together, we holistically support them.

Oliver Bogler:

Thanks. So Steffie, Jessica referenced the holistic approach. What is your experience being in the program?

Stephanie Pitts:

Thank you. Yes. So it's definitely been the holistic approach that Jessica was referring to. So one of the things that I found really helpful is that every other month we have scheduled one on one meetings with the program directors. So either Jessica or Gregory. Those are just the scheduled ones. We can always meet with them more frequently if something comes up.

I just found that really helpful to have someone outside of the lab who's there to ask you about your lab experience, how that's going, but also there to ask you about how is the move, how is your work-life balance, what's going on with you both professionally and personally. So that's really helpful.

In addition to that, as she mentioned, we're matched with a mentor outside of our lab. So mine is another PI at NCI that I'm matched with and he's been really helpful to talk to. One of the things that I also find really helpful is just having a cohort of peers, as Jessica mentioned. So we have events, we have events where we all come together for the welcome ceremony to welcome the new cohort. We all come together. There are certain workshops on topics such as networking or mentorship or things like that where we all come together. So that's been really helpful to have sort of a group of peers that I can talk to because we all started at the same time and we're all sort of going through the same things.

Oliver Bogler:

Fantastic, you've both mentioned the cohorts. I think that makes sense. It sort of makes intuitive sense that being together in a group is valuable. I wonder though, Jessica, you've run this program now for many years. When cohorts graduate out of the iCURE program, do they still stick together? Do you still have community?

Jessica Calzola:

So, you know, I think it's like with any program, there are some individuals within the cohort who connect with each other and they form, you know, long standing friendships. And others where, you know, it works when they're there at NCI and they stay connected. We always encourage, you know, whether it's iCURE or outside of iCURE, you know, one of the lessons I think individuals need to remember is that everyone they worked with could be someone they need to lean on in the future. So we do encourage them to stay connected.

And we invite alumni to events throughout the year. We have the welcome ceremony when we bring in the new cohort. We have a year-end gathering. And in fact, actually, the iCURE scholars, they lead… there's an iCURE scholar-led journal club. And they've initiated an annual alumni symposium. So this is a scholar-led alumni symposium where they bring in the alumni back and invite them to talk about their experience during iCURE and after iCURE. It's organically created, you know, they form these friendships and they want to bring them back. So yeah.

Oliver Bogler:

Let's talk a little bit about how you got into the program, Steffie. When did you first hear about iCURE and what was it like to apply it?

Stephanie Pitts:

So I heard about it online. When I was an undergrad, I, well, I did my undergrad up at Brown, but I'm actually, I grew up in Arlington, Virginia. So when I came back for the summer, I did this program called the Cancer Research Interns Program at the NCI. And so that was sort of my first introduction to the NIH where I did a summer research experience between my junior and senior years in undergrad. And then I really liked it. And so after that, I sort of always had in mind that I wanted to come back to the NIH.

And so I was sort of always on the lookout for different opportunities to come back to the NIH. So toward the end of my graduate school career, was looking for different opportunities to come back to the NIH. And then I heard about the iCURE program online. And then I put my application in.

Oliver Bogler:

So you applied for iCURE at the same time as you were applying to join the NCI as a postdoc?

Stephanie Pitts:

So I didn't apply separately to join the NCI as a postdoc. I only applied through iCURE. So, it was, I think the applications when I was finishing up my grad school was due, I think they were due in January of that year. So I did have to apply earlier than … a lot of people apply for postdocs like right as they're writing their thesis and such like that. So it was a bit of an earlier deadline. So I did have to plan ahead a little bit. But when I applied to iCURE, then they go through the process. When you do your application, they help match you with a PI through the iCURE program.

Oliver Bogler:

So Jessica, the iCURE is only for people who come into the Intramural Program at NCI, right?

Jessica Calzola:

Yes, generally, well, we generally like to see individuals coming, you know, from the outside to the NCI. There is some considerations for those who might already be at the NCI, but our primary goal is to bring individuals from outside into the intramural research program to experience it and hopefully kind of encourage them to think about it as an opportunity for the future.

Oliver Bogler:

Yeah, and there is a whole CURE program, is for people who are not at the NCI. We're not going to talk about that today. That's for another episode. But in the iCURE program, Jessica, what are you looking for in the applicants?

Jessica Calzola:

So, you know, we're looking for an interest in cancer research, which we know there's a huge continuum of what cancer research can look. And importantly, how a research experience, you know, for the two to three years or two to five years that a scholar would be at the NCI, how that will build and be part of their career trajectory. So, you know, why do they want to do research, you know, a genuine interest and how that can help them in the future. I would say that's like the most important thing for a scholar.

Oliver Bogler:

Jessica, you mentioned already a little bit about how you're part of the support you give your iCURE scholars. Is that preparation for the next step? What does that look like for many of your scholars? Have you been keeping track of some?

Jessica Calzola:

Absolutely, absolutely. So I'm happy to say that we've actually just hit like a big number this year with our new cohort. We're over 100 scholars now since the beginning of the program. And of course, you know, with any program we've had some, some attrition. So some individuals have left before they've closed the program. A little over 60 scholars have transitioned. And, you know, for our postbacs 82 % of them have gone to graduate school. This includes, you know, PhD, medical school, MD/PhD, as well as a couple of masters and PhD programs.

Our graduate students have all graduated and are doing postdocs. Most of them actually end up liking NCI and choosing to stay here at NCI. So majority do postdoc at NCI, but we do have had some that have transitioned to industry and are doing postdocs there.

And then our postdocs fellows, so 78 % of them have transitioned and are staying at the bench. And when I say that, mean, you know, that can include industry, that can include, you know, staying at NIH and either NCI or a different institution, but also, you know, EPA and the FDA doing research. And then 17 % are, you know, still staying within the government and research administration.

Oliver Bogler:

And Steffie, how's that been for you? Do you already know your next step? Do you already know the path ahead and how has iCURE helped you make sure that that's the right path for you? Or maybe you're still looking?

Stephanie Pitts:

Yes, so I'm not exactly sure, but I am thinking of either staying at the NIH and becoming a staff scientist or potentially going to the FDA and applying to be a drug product reviewer. And the way that iCURE has helped me is that in the every other month meetings with the program directors. So, mine are with Gregory…

Oliver Bogler:

And we should just say that's Gregory Adams, right?

Stephanie Pitts:

Yes, sorry, Gregory Adams. Yes, and he has provided contact information for iCURE scholars who have transitioned. So, former iCURE post -docs who transitioned to the FDA, he provided contact information for me and then I was able to do informational interviews to see how they got that job, when they started applying, things like that. So that was really helpful. But I'm not 100 % sure. I am planning on staying in my current lab after the iCURE program ends. So the iCURE pays for three years for post -docs. And so I do plan to stay on as a post -doc in my current lab for at least another year after that.

Oliver Bogler:

Yeah, and I should just mention we have a program at NCI, the IOTF, the Interagency Oncology Task Force, that helps people find pathways into FDA. And that's one of the things you mentioned. And of course, we had staff scientists as guests on the show just a few weeks ago telling us about the vital position that that represents in the NCI Intramural Program. So it looks like you have really interesting options ahead of you.

Stephanie Pitts:

Thank you.

Oliver Bogler:

So I wonder, Steffie, what is the most rewarding part of being in the iCURE program? The one thing that you think is the best part?

Stephanie Pitts:

I think for me, it's to have the support network that they've provided. So it was really important for me to have sort of a network of peers. Well, I got really lucky in that my current lab, I hav … it's a big lab and I have a lot of great network of peers in my current lab. But the iCURE program also provided and even bigger network of peers. And I feel like I've made some really good friends through the iCURE program. So just as an example, one of the friends that I've made through the iCURE program, we go to the gym together, we just took a trip together. So we really do make sort of friendships at these events.

Oliver Bogler:

That's fantastic. It's an important part of life. Jessica, what's the best part of leading iCURE?

Jessica Calzola:

So seeing the scholar succeed and I’ve got to state that success is dependent on the scholar. When they say they want to do something and they achieve that, that's fabulous to hear. So whether it's applying for an award, getting to travel to a conference and present, publishing, right? That's not easy, writing a manuscript, tackling that, presenting, or those transitions to graduate school or different positions, that's... their victories… I celebrate them for myself too, because it's amazing.

Oliver Bogler:

What advice would you give to someone who is curious or interested in iCURE and is thinking about applying? Jessica, let's start with you.

Jessica Calzola:

Yeah, so we are open for applications now. And so we open generally for applications in the fall of each year. If you're interested in applying, I would say, you know, check out the pre-application webinar and listen and check out the information. And, you know, what I really say is the key here is an interest in doing research at NCI, right? You don't need to know who you want to work with. And the reality is there's literally hundreds of investigators you could possibly work with. And so that can be overwhelming. But what you need to know is you do want to do cancer research in some part of the continuum and we can help facilitate and match you if you're selected for the program.

So just check out the program, the information, and see if you are interested in moving to Maryland and working in NCI. Give it a shot, try and apply. I always tell people, I would recommend applying for things and then you can close the door if it gets opened for you, right? You can't walk through if you don't even try. I really encourage people thinking about and trying for things. And you can always come back and change your mind.

Oliver Bogler:

And what kinds of iCURE scholar positions you have postdocs, obviously, Steeffie is here. What other positions?

Jessica Calzola:

Thank you. Yeah, so we support postbacs. So individuals who are graduated within the past three years with their bachelors as well as postbac individuals can also include postmasters. So individuals have gotten their master's degree within the past, I think, six months and then graduate students.

Now, for graduate students, these are individuals who are enrolled in PhD programs. And when they on board with the program, we want them to be past their qualifier. So there's kind of optimal timing. If you're an interested graduate student and you're not quite sure when you should apply, would encourage reaching out to the team at iCURE@nih.gov to kind of inquire and better understand. For graduate students, they come here and they're doing part of their dissertation research here at NCI, and it's a collaboration with their mentor at their home institution.

Oliver Bogler:

At their home university. We're obviously we're not a graduate school.

Jessica Calzola:

Exactly.

Oliver Bogler:

So and we'll put all these links in the show notes so that you can find the emails and the links. Steffie, your advice to someone curious about iCURE who's thinking of

Stephanie Pitts:

So the application process has several different stages. So first, so after we submit our application, then we interview with the program directors. So that would be Jessica and Gregory. And then after that, there are interviews with the various PIs that they help match us with. And so I guess my advice would be one thing that really helped me was that in addition to the half hour or so interview with the PI and Jessica and Gregory, I also reached out to some of the PIs that I had interviewed with. And I actually, I was doing my PhD about an hour away from here. So I asked to come and visit the lab. And so I came to visit the lab … a few labs actually, and I was able to talk to the PI in person, but also I was able to talk to the people in the lab, like the other people in the lab. And I found that to be really helpful in trying to figure out which lab environment would work best for me. Because I think that the lab environment, everyone at NIH is doing really cutting edge research, but I think that figuring out which lab environment works for you is really helpful.

Oliver Bogler:

That's great advice. All right. We're going to take a quick break. And when we return, we'll talk career paths.

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Oliver Bogler:

All right. We're back. Steffie, let's start with you. What first sparked your interest in science, in biology?

Stephanie Pitts:

So, one of the things is that a lot of people in my family are scientists. So they always sort of fostered an interest in biology and science in me. And, I always knew that a PhD as a career path was an option. The other thing is that I went to a science and tech high school or a magnet school. And so I was exposed pretty early on to molecular biology and I actually took a DNA science class in high school that I really enjoyed. That's what inspired me to then major in biology in college. Then after doing the cancer research internship during the summer when I was an undergrad, then I wanted to do my PhD.

Oliver Bogler:

And I you got interested in cancer as well as a domain, right?

Stephanie Pitts:

Yeah, yes, from the cancer research interns program. And another thing that I really liked, so that program, so when I was doing that between my junior and senior years as an undergrad, I was sort of unsure about whether or not I wanted to go into a PhD or an MD. But the lab that I was in, was headed, it was at NCI and it was headed by an MD PhD, PI. And so he had a clinic, there were patient samples in the lab and there were also a variety. There were some MDs in the lab, there were some PhDs, there were some MD PhDs. And so I got to see what each role could really do. And so I knew that I wanted to work with patient samples, but I wanted to focus more on the research. that's what sort of made me lean toward a PhD.

Oliver Bogler:

Yeah, clarified it. That's great. Jessica, how about you? When did you know you wanted to be a scientist?

Jessica Calzola:

So I think this dates me a little bit, but I saw the movie Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman and I like fell in love with the idea of being a microbiologist. And so I stuck with that, but there was a point in time where I realized I thought I wanted to do like level four research, but I couldn't handle the anxiety of that. I decided it wasn't for me, but I did.

Oliver Bogler:

That's like Ebola hazmat suit stuff. Yeah. Wow.

Jessica Calzola:

Yeah, I thought that's what I wanted, but I knew microbiology was, you know, I stuck with that. And, you know, in my undergrad experience, I did some research experiences, I had a really great mentor who suggested I apply to the undergraduate scholarship program for NIH. And I was selected for that program and, you know, ended up doing a summer internship at with NCI with Dr. Susan Gottesman and just kind of reaffirmed, you know, the research interests, but also kind of sparked my interest in NIH and NCI.

Oliver Bogler:

It sounds very much like in both your paths, mentors are really vital.

Jessica Calzola:

I would say absolutely. Yeah, I don't think I would have applied to, you know, the NIH undergraduate scholarship program if they hadn't like literally brought it to me and said you need you should apply to this. You know, I wasn't looking for that opportunity and it was a suggestion. You know that mentor came for the undergraduate scholarship program for the summer part. He came down when we did our poster presentations and was, you know, showed support that way and he's been a good friend and mentor since.

Oliver Bogler:

So Steffie, you now work in immuno-oncology, right? That's the group here that's a really hot area. What led you specifically to that part of cancer research?

Stephanie Pitts:

So it's interesting because my background was not in that. When I was doing my, first internship at NCI, I look, I was doing more proteomics and looking at mechanisms of resistance to EGFR TKIs. and then when I was in grad school, I was doing, again, a lot of biochemistry and looking at the preclinical development of an RNA polymerase I inhibitor. But I knew that I was always interested in the development of therapeutics. Since I had all of this prior experience with small molecules, I then also knew that immunotherapy was a hot topic and so I wanted to explore that area of research.

That's how I sort of came in and I explained my background and how I wanted to look at immuno-oncology in my iCURE application. And then I was matched with and chose this lab and it's been a great experience.

Oliver Bogler:

So what's the focus of your project?

Stephanie Pitts:

I'm working on a lot of different projects, but essentially we work with a lot with clinical trials and we look at how various immunotherapeutic agents modulate the immune system, looking at the peripheral immunome. We take literally either plasma or serum and we analyze the immune cells via flow cytometry to look at A, how the immune, how the immunotherapy is modulating the immune system and B, to see if we can find any biomarkers of response to see if certain patients are responding well versus certain patients are responding not so well to see if we can identify biomarkers to see which trials they should be put on.

Oliver Bogler:

Interesting. Jessica, so at some point you decided to pivot into program leadership and I'm wondering what was the context? What led you to that, make that pivot?

Jessica Calzola:

Yeah, so for graduate school, I studied microbiology and molecular genetics and had a wonderful mentor and loved the experience. And as part of that undergraduate scholarship program that I mentioned, there's a contractual obligation to come back and work at the NIH. So I used that to come back and do a postdoc. When I was thinking about my career as a graduate student to postdoc, I thought I should kind of pivot away from studying the microbe and look at how our body responds to the microbe. So I did a postdoc in a laboratory within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, looking at modeling a response to Toll-like receptor 4 to better understand sepsis development and prevention of sepsis development.

I had a great mentor and a great lab, but there was a part of me that just didn't love it as much, the topic. I started exploring kind of other avenues. And if you talk to any of my brothers, so I'm one of four, I've always been bossy, is what they say, and always been the one to organize things with the family.

And so I started exploring. I participated in the fellows committee while I was a postdoc. I participated in, there's a research excellence award and the committee for that. Actually, I was a co-chair for the committee for that. So I started taking like position like, doing things on the side in addition to my research that involved kind of organizing and engaging other scientists. And so I did some informational interviews and ended up with a position supporting the congressionally directed medical research programs. They're not NIH, they're congressionally directed, they're army, military, but their research programs with prostate cancer, breast cancer and such. Got my foot in the door there and really liked it and have kind of continued on that route.

Oliver Bogler:

Interesting. So you already brought a natural skill set with you to this work as you described. But I wonder what other things that you learned in your research phase of your career, skills that were transferable to your current role.

Jessica Calzola:

Yeah, I mean, I think it's important to realize that even when you think you know how to do things, right, there's always room for improvement, right? So as a scientist, you know, I think the communication is a really important skill, right, both writing and orally, because, you know, we get the best way, the best research comes from talking to others about it and getting other ideas. So presenting posters and presenting presentations on your research. So there, you know, there's that skill, which is very important and transfers I really think to any career across the continuum.

Then scientists were, there's a lot of time management, right? Like you're never doing just one experiment. You're never doing just one thing. You've got multiple experiments going. You're doing data analysis at the same time. So there's a lot of coordination and time management, which is again, transferable to this career. And there's a level of project management also. Again, you've got multiple projects going. You've got a lot of science now is collaboration. You're working with other people to navigate different parts and components of a project and moving it along. All of those transferred and were valuable in the new positions.

Oliver Bogler:

Thank you. The iCURE program, one of the goals of it is to address the, how shall I put it, under-representation of certain communities, people in the cancer research workforce, right? That's one of the things that's being addressed with iCURE and other programs. And iCURE is part of the efforts of the Center for Cancer Health Equity that has a much broader purview in that area.

I wonder if you might both comment on your experience, Steffie, let's start with you in the iCURE program, given this sort of context of trying to make the cancer research workforce more diverse.

Stephanie Pitts:

I think that in terms of networking, it's been really good because oftentimes it's really hard if you don't see people who look like you in the workforce. I mean, my lab is very diverse, but I know that in some branches, they're less diverse than others.

And so I think that having these events and being with a cohort who can relate to the same issues that you can is really helpful. Also talking to Gregory Adams and Jessica, who I should add, were both were both postdocs at NCI. I know Gregory was. They were both postdocs at NCI. So they were really helpful in providing further resources that could help you not only just with iCURE, but also through OITE.

Oliver Bogler:

And we should mention, sorry, acronym alert. That's the Office of Intramural Training and Education at NIH.

Stephanie Pitts:

Okay. But I think mostly just having the network of peers and also of support. I guess another thing that I wanted to add is that at all of a of these iCURE events, we not only meet with Gregory and Jessica, but also some of the other staff within the CCHE are there and so it's a great opportunity to talk to them and share experiences with them.

Oliver Bogler:

I mean, one thing that I guess that we're trying to achieve is the diversity of viewpoints in our cancer research workforce. And that's reflected, Steffie, in your experience of the program.

Stephanie Pitts:

Yes.

Oliver Bogler:

Perfect. Jessica, your thoughts on this issue of diversity.

Jessica Calzola:

Yeah, I mean, I think the program does, we strongly encourage applications from individuals who identify with underrepresented populations, diversity is at every level, right? It's at experience, it's demographics, it's socioeconomic status, it's within the continuum of cancer research, there's diversity.

The iCURE program, we're trying to encourage people to think about NCI as an option for their career path. And we try and reduce some of the barriers for applying and getting into the NCI environment by kind of not requiring individuals to identify investigators right away, right? Because that can be intimidating. Like I said, there's hundreds of PIs, lots of cutting edge, exciting research, and that can be overwhelming to try and identify.

So all you need to do is know that you want to give cancer research a try and that you're really interested in kind of learning about it and engaging with it and showing that this is an option for people who might not have realized that there's this intramural research program that's out there, right? That's not always something people are even aware of. And so just sharing information about it, disseminating it to groups and institutions where they may not have known about it, it's kind of what we're trying to do when we bring individuals in.

Oliver Bogler:

Steffie, I wonder as your career progresses, and I realize the path is not yet defined or picked, but as you progress and increasingly mentor people, I wonder what your experience in the iCURE program has brought to your own notion of how to mentor people.

Stephanie Pitts:

So one of my friends in my cohort, is a, or is a grad student came in as a grad student. she's, you know, not a postdoc yet. So it was, I guess I sort of was able to informally mentor in terms of providing advice on, you know, how to finish up the PhD, how to approach writing the dissertation.

That was helpful in terms of having a cohort. Not only there were tons of postdocs in my cohort that I could also talk to about issues that I was dealing with, but then also having a cohort that included some graduate students or some postbacs, I know at some of the events there were a lot of postbacs who were asking me about my experience applying to grad school. So I was able to sort of informally mentor them. And so I think that that's been helpful.

Oliver Bogler:

Jessica, you received, I think quite recently, the Director's Award for your role in the iCURE program. Is that correct?

Jessica Calzola:

I think it might have been a couple years ago, but that sounds like I got something at some point.

Oliver Bogler:

That's recent. That's recent. What accomplishments are you most proud of in your work with iCURE to date?

Jessica Calzola:

You know the program - we're in our seventh year. We're welcoming our seventh cohort and I'm proud of where it's come, you know over the past several years and the community and that's that the scholars have and that I see that's grown from it, you know that I mentioned that alumni symposium that the scholars have organized. I think we all remember that COVID was was not long ago. You know, the iCURE kind of launched a couple years before COVID. So, that had an impact on everyone. And I, I see the program's kind of grown and our understanding of, you know, what scholars and researchers are expecting and how time, how things are changing with COVID. I'm proud of how we've kind of adapted to that. And we're, you know, we're still getting amazing individuals applying to the iCURE and getting them interested in cancer research, but balancing that now with what people are looking for in life.

Oliver Bogler:

There's a lot of conversation in the biomedical career space about challenges that early career individuals who are thinking about this pathway and are coming into it or contemplating coming into it are facing, right? There's a sort of a big shift going on. I wonder what your thoughts are on your advice might be to someone who might be listening, who might be in high school or an undergraduate and might be thinking about cancer research specifically, or even just biomedical, academic biomedical research. What would your advice be to someone at that stage thinking those thoughts with regard to this career path? Steffie, let's start with you.

Stephanie Pitts:

I think that in terms of advice for people, I think it would be to keep an open mind. Because when I was, look, even when I was looking for, when I was trying to figure out which lab I wanted to do as my postdoc, a lot of people were telling me, you, don't have any experience in this. You should go to a lab that … you know, you've been doing a lot of biochemistry. You have a strong skill set in biochemistry. You should keep staying in biochemistry and just do what you're comfortable with.

For me, I knew that I sort of wanted to get a more holistic view of drug development. And I wanted to see what the immunotherapy side was like. And I knew that I could bring sort of a unique skill set to my new lab and a unique sort of point of view. And I was lucky to find a lab that was very helpful and willing to train me in the new techniques. And that was very open to me having a different background and had other individuals that had different backgrounds. And it's been one of the best decisions that I've made to also to go into this immunotherapy lab, because now it gives me a better sort of holistic view. So I guess to keep an open mind that would be my advice to people looking to pursue a career.

Oliver Bogler:

Thank you. Jessica.

Jessica Calzola:

So first, I think it's important for everyone to recognize that career paths are never linear. I think there's this underlying assumption that everyone, you've got an idea of what you want to do and you get there and you go straight there. And I don't think that wasn't true for me. I think that's a theme I've heard from many leaders across the cancer research workforce. And so understanding that your path will not be linear.

And I think it's important to take opportunities as they arise that you think are interesting because you never know what kind of doors that could open. And you may think you want to do something and then you try out an experience and realize that that's of interest and that's a strength you have and it might change your trajectory. And importantly, you're going to come across a lot of people in life and recognizing that you might be surprised at the number of people and where someone comes from that you end up going back to and asking, for advice or for connections to get you to where you want to go. taking advantage of talking to people and learning about people and how they got to where they're going and what they're doing and staying connected with them. So, I guess that's a couple different things there, the mentoring and network aspect, the resilience in that your pathway might not be linear, but take opportunities and keep pushing forward if you know what you want to do.

Oliver Bogler:

Thank you. That's great advice from both of you. Thank you.

[music]

Oliver Bogler:

Now it's time for a segment we call Your Turn, because it's the chance for our listeners to send in a recommendation that they would like to share. If you're listening, then you're invited to take your turn. Send us a tip for a book, a video, a podcast, or a talk, anything really that you found inspirational or amusing or interesting. You can send these to us at NCIICC@nih.gov. Record a voice memo, send it along, and we will play it on an upcoming episode.

Now I'd like to invite our guests to take their turn. Let's start with you, Jessica.

Jessica Calzola:

Thank you. So what I'd actually recommend is stepping outside your comfort zone. So, and my example is that I have been part of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign now for going on four years. And this is not something I would have done ever before. I'm still, you know, it really takes me every time we do it out of my comfort zone. I am not someone who's into acting or anything. And it just... It's taught me. It's taught me a lot and helped me grow professionally even. But it's something fun on the side that I do with my husband and our friends. So don't be afraid to step out of the comfort zone and try something new.

Oliver Bogler:

That might be the best advice we've ever had on the show. Sources say you play a cleric. Is that correct?

Jessica Calzola:

That is accurate. I'm a support person. That's my, although I tend to be a tank as well. Like I tend to have a lot of buffers. So yeah.

Oliver Bogler:

Fantastic. I think I've just outed myself as a fellow D&D player. Thank you for that recommendation. Steffie?

Stephanie Pitts:

This sort of goes with stepping outside of your comfort zone, but I would recommend, one experience that I found to be really rewarding is joining a running club. And I never really considered or still don't consider myself a runner. But I think it's a really great way to meet people in your neighborhood, especially if you've just moved to a particular area, while also getting exercise and making new friends. So, I know that running clubs are becoming, I'd heard that running clubs are becoming more popular, but I'd never really tried one until recently. And it's been, it's been great.

Oliver Bogler:

That's great advice. Fantastic. Thank you very much.

So I'd like to make a recommendation as well. I'm a huge fan of The Expanse, a science fiction series of books written by James S.A. Corey and then made into a really fabulous TV show as well. Both of them are fantastic in their own right and transport you to a future where humanity has colonized the solar system. It's a future filled with political tensions and technological advancements and the ever-present threat of conflict. Sounds familiar maybe.

The series delves into the implications of space travel and colonization, exploring themes like artificial gravity, resource scarcity, and the challenges of adapting to life beyond Earth. It doesn't just gloss over the science, though, and that's one of the reasons I like it. It's very grounded in real world physics, making the story feel relatively plausible and immersive. You follow a diverse set of characters, lots of interesting folks, and the story is full of twists and turns, keep you on the edge of your seat.

And I recently learned that there is a role playing game, an RPG, based on The Expanse. And I am actually in the process of joining a game where I will myself, at least in my imagination, go into space. So that's my recommendation.

Well, let me thank you both very much for your participation in our podcast and your advice and sharing your stories. Thank you so much.

Jessica Calzola:

Thank you again for the invitation.

Stephanie Pitts:

Yes, thank you for inviting us.

[music]

Oliver Bogler:

That’s all we have time for on today’s episode of Inside Cancer Careers! Thank you for joining us and thank you to our guests.

We want to hear from you – your stories, your ideas and your feedback are welcome. And you are invited to take your turn and make a recommendation to share with our listeners. You can reach us at NCIICC@nih.gov.

Inside Cancer Careers is a collaboration between NCI’s Office of Communications and Public Liaison and the Center for Cancer Training. It is produced by Angela Jones and Astrid Masfar.

Join us every first and third Thursday of the month wherever you listen – subscribe so you won’t miss an episode.

If you have questions about cancer or comments about this podcast, you can email us at NCIinfo@nih.gov or call us at 800-422-6237. And please be sure to mention Inside Cancer Careers in your query.

We are a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. Thanks for listening.