Building Talent. Strengthening Pathways.
Supporting education and training across all stages of the cancer research workforce.
High School Students | Undergraduate Students | Graduate Students | Postdoctoral Fellows | Case CCC Members
Case CCC's Office of Cancer Training, Education, and Research (OCTER) provides training and education opportunities for high schoolers to early career faculty members, preparing them for productive careers in cancer research and oncology healthcare, hastening scientific discovery, and developing future leaders.
Build the skills, experience, and connections you need to launch your future in cancer research and oncology healthcare. Case CCC’s Office of Cancer Training, Education, and Research (OCTER) offers hands-on training, mentorship, and career development opportunities designed for every stage of your journey—from high school and college students to postdoctoral fellows and early career faculty.
Whether you are exploring cancer science, strengthening your research experience, preparing for graduate or medical school, or growing as an independent investigator, OCTER helps you gain the knowledge, support, and real-world experience to move your career forward while contributing to discoveries that improve cancer prevention, treatment, and care.
Meet the OCTER Team:
Mark Jackson, PhD
Director of OCTER, nationally recognized educator, and leading cancer researcher, Jackson studies how cancers grow, spread, and resist treatment. His work has identified promising therapeutic targets and explores why some tumors resist immunotherapy, with a focus on improving outcomes for aggressive cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer.
Ruth Keri, PhD
Damian Junk, PhD
Gena Richmann, MEd
Jason A. Mears, PhD
Mears studies the molecular mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial dynamics, focusing on the proteins that control mitochondrial fission. His lab combines structural biology, biochemistry, and cell biology to understand how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to cancer, neurodegeneration, and aging, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic opportunities.
J.T. Render
Render serves as Department Assistant supporting administrative operations and educational initiatives, including the Youth Engaged in Science (YES) program. He previously worked alongside the late Nathan Berger, MD, helping coordinate the YES summer program while supporting academic and research activities focused on inspiring the next generation of scientists and cancer researchers.
Case CCC Trainee Associate Membership is open to students, postdocs, residents, fellows, and junior faculty who conduct cancer-focused research and/or are engaged in oncology-related clinical training. Trainee Associate Members are eligible to apply for trainee awards and are invited to cancer center sponsored events.
The Cancer-focused Summer Undergraduate Research (CanSUR) program is a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded program meant to generate excitement in highly motivated undergraduates to pursue a future in cancer research and prepare them for the next stage of their careers. With generous American Cancer Society (ACS) support through its Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT), Case CCC's Associate Director for Basic Science, Ruth Keri, PhD, leads eight CanSUR undergraduates through a longitudinal project designed to create awareness about cancer prevention and care in Cleveland communities. At Case CCC, we prioritize potential and promise, building programs to meet you where you are—and move you forward.
The Cancer Biology Training Program (CBTP) provides PhD training focused on cancer research, including the many facets of cancer biology: cancer pathology, cancer genetics, cell signaling, control of cell growth, tumor apoptosis, stem cell biology, cancer imaging, tumor immunology, and others.
The Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program provides interdisciplinary training to clinical oncology junior faculty physicians who are interested in pursuing academic research careers as physician-scientists.
Case CCC manages two National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded mentored research programs: Training in Computational Genomic Epidemiology of Cancer (CoGEC) and the Cancer Biology Training Grant. Exceptional postdoctoral candidates are eligible to apply for the Postdoctoral Catalyst Fellowship, with a $10,000 annual stipend premium above current NIH stipend levels.
Case CCC's Summer Training for Medical Students program allows medical students to participate in extensive, direct experience in laboratory research while completing their medical training.
Youth Engaged in Science (YES) is a paid summer program that encourages high school students to pursue a future in cancer research and care by giving them the opportunity to work on cancer research projects in labs with outstanding scientists.
The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center is located at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio—the "Rock & Roll" city known for its leading hospitals, dedicated sports teams, unique museums, and beautiful parks and beaches.