The purpose of the Anesthesia/Perioperative Medicine Research Training Grant is to provide academic anesthesiologists with two years of full-time research training.
We aim to identify, select and educate highly motivated individuals desiring an investigative career to function as clinician/scientists. The special importance of this grant is that it will provide an opportunity and support for a budding clinician/ scientist to pursue research on a full time basis. Many individuals are not pursuing research training due to the demands of practice, even in academics, are so great. It further provides the opportunity to receive formal didactic training in basic, epidemiologic or biostatistical science, including obtaining and advanced degree. Research opportunities are organized around four Tracks; Neuroscience/Pain Management, Vascular Biology/Bioengineering, Inflammatory Biology/Critical care medicine and Outcomes/Health Care Services Research. In each of these areas there is a highly experienced Director to provide global oversight, and a series of Participating Faculty members who will directly supervise research training. Most of these potential mentors are senior faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, although many are not primarily appointed in the Department of Anesthesia. Trainees select an area of interest, identify a potential mentor and the two together develop an investigative project. The Executive Committee, consisting of the four Track Directors, selects from among these individuals and their projects based on the originality, viability and feasibility for long-term potential of the project, the promise of the trainee and the """"""""fit"""""""" between trainee and mentor. The Track structure permits inclusion of relatively junior faculty as mentors, since the Track Director can """"""""mentor the mentor"""""""". Trainees and mentors are evaluated by the Executive Committee several times each year to assure that appropriate progress is being made. We anticipate offering three positions each year, with each position of two years duration. Thus, at most times we should have six individuals in the program. These positions will likely be filled by graduates of our clinical training program, many of whom are attracted to the department because of its long-standing and serious commitment to research. We will advertise positions widely to seek out the best and the brightest to expand the horizons of research being performed by anesthesiologist/perioperative physicians. This program has been reorganized and now consists of four areas of emphasis or tracks, Neuroscience/Pain Medicine, Vascular Biology/Bioengineering, Inflammatory Biology/Critical Care and Outcomes/Health Care Delivery Systems. Each area is directed by a senior member of the Anesthesia Faculty with special expertise in the field. Each track director has direct responsibility for trainees, rather than the overall program director. The goal of the program continues to be to train and develop academic investigators in anesthesiology. The program has an excellent training faculty, and a strong history of success in recruiting excellent trainees who go on to pursue careers in academic anesthesia.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 44 publications
