The Cancer Trainee Network (CTN) is a social and support network for all cancer trainees. Members include graduate students, postdocs, medical students, or residents in any area of cancer research or care. Members enjoy:
Seminar Series
Practice a presentation, discuss research hurdles with peers, get lab technique support and education from trainee experts.
Social and Wellness Activities
Opportunities to connect with fellow trainees.
Exchange Opportunities
Be an invited speaker at a partner cancer center. Build your professional network with research support and collaboration opportunities.
Outreach & Community Engagement
Volunteer with the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) team at community events.
Peer Mentorship
Team with a trainee mentor for support in an area of your individual need.
Hear about seminars, social and wellness events, and outreach activities in our newsletter.
To be eligible for professional development awards and travel opportunities, you must be a registered member.
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Faculty Advisors
This Cancer Trainee Network is named in honor and memory of two amazing scientists
Heidi Dvinge, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry and member of the Carbone Cancer Center, passed away unexpectedly in September 2019. With great sorrow over the loss of a brilliant young scientist, colleague, mentor and friend, we honor her memory and her scholarly work. Dvinge had been a member of the School of Medicine and Public Health faculty. Her research program was dedicated to understanding how misregulation of RNA processing contributes to disease, and how changes that occur in RNA splicing processes in cancer cells might be exploited to allow new therapeutic approaches. Her research interwove the disciplines of molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics and oncology with a combination of precision and creativity. “She had the knowledge and ability to conduct science involving big data, but at the same time, she had finesse for experimental science in the lab — a very rare combination.” Says Emery Bresnick, PhD, leader of the UW Carbone Cancer Center’s Genetics and Epigenetics Program. The scientific world took note of Dvinge’s brilliance: Over the past five years alone, her publications have been cited more than 4,600 times.
She was a skilled mentor to undergraduates and graduate students, serving as a faculty mentor in the Integrated Program in Biochemistry, the Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, and the Genetics PhD program.
Patricia Keely, PhD, was Professor of Cell and Regenerative Biology and
co-leader of the Tumor Micro-environment Group at Carbone Cancer Center. It would be easy to simply say Dr. Patti Keely was a world-class, nationally recognized breast cancer researcher at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. And, that would be correct – but only part of the picture. Patti transformed her personal cancer diagnosis into experiential learning opportunities that inspired her to dive deeper in search of a cure for the disease. Keely died in 2017 of advanced pancreatic cancer. Her prolific research career, which includes countless publications, was most recently focused on cell signaling related to cellular differentiation and transformation and included her sentinel research on the role of the cellular micro-environment in the behavior of breast cancer cells.
Her leadership, mentor ship and her collaborative nature allowed her to make a tremendous impact in this world, according to Dr. Howard Bailey, associate dean for oncology and past director of the Carbone Cancer Center. “She leaves behind a remarkable legacy as an outstanding scientist, dedicated mentor, strong academic leader, and caring and committed person,” said Dr. Robert Golden, dean of the School of Medicine and Public Health.