The UCLA Scholars in Oncologic Molecular Imaging (SOMI) Program brings together faculty across 9 departments in UCLA Life and Health Sciences, to provide a unique training program for biological researchers and physicians who desire to integrate molecular imaging into cancer research. Oncologic molecular imaging is a rapidly growing area which combines the disciplines of cell/molecular biology, chemistry, biomedical physics, biomathematics, pharmacology, imaging sciences, and clinical medicine to advance cancer research, diagnosis and management. The UCLA SOMI Program is funded by a Cancer Education grant from the National Cancer Institute, with the goal of implementing a curriculum-dependent, team-oriented program to train postdoctoral candidates in cancer research team settings that are highly interdisciplinary and collaborative.

The SOMI program will train postdoctoral fellows through a diverse group of 33 basic science and clinical faculty mentors representing 7 program areas. In addition to conducting multidisciplinary research with two SOMI mentors, fellows will participate in formal courses in molecular imaging, pharmacology, cancer biology, cancer immunology, virology, gene therapy, and clinical rounds. Graduates of SOMI will be uniquely trained to study cancer in an organismal context with state-of-the-art technologies.

Applicants to the SOMI program will be evaluated based on criteria including the following:

1. Record of research achievement including publications
2. Three letters of recommendation
3. Merit of proposed research and, in particular, its relevance to the SOMI program
4. Evidence of interdisciplinary work in previous research