Funded by the 2021 Victory Ride to Cure Cancer
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC) is committed to making cancer care accessible to the people of North Carolina. This includes opportunities to participate in clinical trials, which are important to improving cancer treatments. Few patients participate in clinical trials, and fewer still are patients who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC). Many BIPOC patients are hesitant to participate in clinical trials. Enhancing diversity in our workforce will help BIPOC patients feel more comfortable enrolling in trials. This grant will provide opportunities for local BIPOC college students to learn about cancer care and research. The goal is to create interest in pursuing a career in this field at LCCC, and ultimately, ease hesitations that prevent BIPOC patients from participating in clinical trials. We will partner with NC Central University in creating a summer internship for 5 students. Students will be matched with mentors with experience in cancer research, clinical trials, and patient care. Students will also receive overall professional development such as resume and presentation development. To measure project success, we will encourage students to provide feedback during and after the program. A follow up survey will allow students to provide additional insights such as barriers to participation and measure their interest in a cancer related field. We will follow the students over time to understand the number that become employees at LCCC; we will also measure the number of BIPOC patients who enroll on clinical trials at LCCC.
