Increasing the Pipeline: Exito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training

Cancer has overtaken heart disease as the top Latino killer, making it critical to develop the next generation of researchers who can tackle and solve Latino cancer issues. But few Latinos seek doctoral degrees and study biomedical and behavioral science. Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, launched in 2010 and is funded by the National Cancer Institute.  Éxito!  offers an annual five-day summer institute and six-month internships to increase the number of master’s-degree-level Latinos who pursue a doctoral degree and a career in Latino cancer health disparities (CHD) research. Éxito! currently has 59 alumni of which, 16 have applied and 15 are currently enrolled in doctoral programs. Thirty-eight Éxito! alumni completed the 2013 annual survey, the majority the alumni (87%) strongly agreed the Éxito! program exposed them to the need for Latino researchers in the field of CHD  research, 80% strongly agreed that Éxito!  exposed them to the importance of CHD research, 60% strongly agreed that Éxito!  exposed them to a spectrum of CHD research areas and the same percentage (60%) strongly agreed Éxito!  influenced their interest in Latino CHD research. The Éxito! training program is successful because it targets Latinos who are capable of doctoral studies but have not yet chosen that path. Programs such as Éxito! are providing the mentorship and encouragement necessary to ensure Latinos obtain a doctoral degrees and conduct culturally effective research and programs to reduce the burden of cancer among Latinos.