Students will be working at the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, in collaboration with the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences at the University of Siena. The program is overseen by Dr. Antonio Giordano, MD, PhD, Temple University professor and director of the Sbarro Health Research Organization, Dr. Luigi Pirtoli, MD, PhD, professor and director of the Radiation Oncology Unit at the University Hospital of Siena, and faculty and researchers at the University of Siena. Students will begin the program at the IES Abroad Siena Center with a comprehensive orientation, before beginning their six weeks of research. Throughout the program students will participate in cultural field trips, basic Italian language training and guided visits to Italian hospitals or labs. NOTE: This course may only be taken by students accepted into the Temple Education Abroad Summer in Italy Siena Biomedical Research Program.

This course will address the theory and practice of cancer research, providing knowledge, theory, and methods in cancer research, from the lab bench to the clinic, that are relevant to cancer biology, drug discovery, and patient assessment. This class will provide a starting point for the students to use these techniques and technologies in their own research. Objective 1. To give an overview of the cellular and molecular biology of cancer. Objective 2. To introduce the basic and the advanced techniques utilized in pre-clinical cancer research. Objective 3. To provide an overview of the whole diagnostic process and its prognostic role. Objective 4. Understanding the link between basic science and applied medicine: how research at molecular level can inform how we treat patients with cancer. Objective 5. To explain the main issues in the clinical management of the oncologic patients, the weight of surgery in the patient’s outcome. Objective 6. To explain the principles of cancer chemo and radio therapy.