After more than a year, the Physician-Scientist Faculty Seminar Series has resumed at UT Southwestern Medical Center. As an institution ranked No. 1 globally by Nature Index in healthcare research, it was fitting that the conference, supporting physician-scientists working in the field of cancer, be among the first to roll out.
The event was held on July 5 at the T. Boone Pickens Biomedical Building and the featured speaker was Isaac Chan, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, who spoke about the role of NK cells in cancer. Approximately two dozen faculty attended the seminar and luncheon, which was sponsored by the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The seminar series is supported by a five-member organizing council comprised of Drs. Lu Le, Deepak Nijhawan, Kenneth Westover, Hao Zhu and James Brugarolas.
“By deploying their skills as scientists, physician-scientists are uniquely poised to rigorously address medical quandaries,” says Dr. Westover.
The purpose of the seminars is to assist faculty who are in the early stages of building research programs and clinical practices. The peer support platform allows junior faculty to present their research programs, particular projects, or funding strategies to veteran colleagues for feedback.
“It’s like having two jobs,” says Dr. Le.
Dr. Zhu notes the unique challenges physician-scientists face managing laboratory-based programs alongside clinical practices. “As fellow physician-scientists, we have a shared experience,” says Zhu. “We understand the complexities and demands of this role. We also recognize the part we play in addressing the problems that matter to patients.”
Dr. Brugarolas, Kidney Cancer Program Director, regards the green-lighting of the event as a testament to the significance of physician-scientists as engines of discovery and the importance of catalyzing collaborative systems that support team science.
“The physician-scientist is iconic of UT Southwestern Medical Center,” says Brugarolas. “The Kidney Cancer Program makes a substantial investment in the recruitment and training of physician-scientists, providing networking and educational opportunities in addition to resources and funding support.”
