Student Training: Research

Our strong emphasis on research training is woven throughout the program. We take pride in preparing our students in all aspects of research, to enable them to go on to become leaders in clinical research settings.

Our program operates on a mentor model, such that students work intensively with a primary mentor from the beginning of the program. Applicants should review faculty’s research interests to determine which mentor(s) would be a good fit in terms of research interests.

At the same time, we have a very collaborative atmosphere among faculty and students. We actively encourage students to collaborate with other faculty members beyond their mentors, and we also encourage collaborations with other students in and out of one’s own research lab. These collaborations facilitate broader perspectives on problems and allow for novel approaches to phenomena. They also expose students to multiple ways of approaching the research process.

We work intensively with students to train them in the skills they need to design and execute studies, analyze data, and disseminate their findings. This occurs in the context of coursework and hands-on experience. Most students in the program present and publish multiple projects during their time in graduate school. Moreover, given the increasing need for researchers to obtain funding to support their research, we offer extensive training in grant-writing to students who are interested. Many of our students have been successful in obtaining federal training grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Take a glance at our recent students’ presentations, publications, grants and honors/awards.

Consistent with our focus on preparing students for clinical research careers, many of our students go onto obtain internships, post-docs, and careers that are oriented toward research.