Postdoctoral Research Training - Cardiovascular

Program Director: Philip Greenland, MD

Background | History | Research Interests | Training Program
Eligibility | Duration | Stipend and Benefits | Application
Primary Mentors | Secondary Mentors

Background

The Department of Preventive Medicine of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine offers a postdoctoral fellowship training program in cardiovascular (CVD) epidemiology and prevention. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Research Service Award mechanism, this postdoctoral fellowship provides two to three years of mentored training to prepare fellows with the knowledge and skills needed for successful investigative careers.

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History

The Department of Preventive Medicine was founded in 1971 by Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, a leader in the field of CVD epidemiology and prevention. Under his leadership, and that of the current Department Chair, Dr. Philip Greenland, the Department has had long-standing success in conducting high-quality epidemiologic cardiovascular research, and activities in this area have continued to expand. From 1975 to 1996, the Department housed a successful postdoctoral training program through this same mechanism. Former fellows of this program can be found in prominent positions in academia, government, and industry. With ongoing funding of the Department’s multidisciplinary research in CVD, the Department is again in a unique position to train a new cohort of fellows.

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Research Interests

The Department is home to several NIH- and American Heart Association- funded studies that are available to trainees for research experiences (e.g., Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, Women’s Health Initiative, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry). Areas of research expertise of the faculty include CVD epidemiology, preventive cardiology, vascular medicine, genetic epidemiology, cardiovascular nutrition, health services research, and vascular biology. Faculty in the Department maintain collaborations with a number of Departments in Feinberg School of Medicine including Cardiology, General Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Pediatrics, Radiology, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. Additionally, collaborations are also established with faculty in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the Loyola University School of Medicine.

Several areas of emphasis exist at present:

• Observational study of the development of cardiovascular risk factors in young adults and long-term (20 + years) predictors of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality
• Non-invasive imaging (magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scanning) of atherosclerosis and its risk factors (collaborations with Cardiology, and Radiology)
• Health care costs and health-related quality of life associated with various cardiovascular risk profiles (collaborations with the Institute for Healthcare Studies)
• Ethnic and gender disparities in health (collaboration with Loyola University Department of Epidemiology)
• Peripheral arterial disease: functional consequences, causes, under-detection and treatment (collaboration with General Internal Medicine)
• Association of hormones and cardiovascular risk (collaboration with Endocrinology)
• Genetic determinants of obesity (collaboration with Endocrinology, Loyola University School of Medicine)

The program encourages and promotes multi-disciplinary, inter-departmental, and inter-institutional research.

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Training Program

The centerpiece of the fellowship program is mentored research. Distinguished physician/scientists and scientists who have successfully mentored junior colleagues in the past have been identified throughout the School of Medicine to serve as mentors for this training program. Clinicians in this program have available as mentors many successful physician/scientists as role models. Under the supervision of one or more research mentors, trainees are expected to gain hands-on experience in the design, conduct, and analysis of CVD epidemiologic or prevention research. Fellows are expected to generate research leading to presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals. Regular review and feedback will be provided to trainees about progress towards goals outlined at the beginning of the training program.

Formal training will typically involve the equivalent of one year of didactic coursework in the theoretical and methodologic aspects of research. The availability of a wide range of courses and seminars in epidemiology, biostatistics, cardiovascular medicine, research ethics, scientific writing and peer review permits individual tailoring of the formal training element of the program. All trainees have the opportunity to complete a Master’s degree program in Public Health or Clinical Investigation.

Clinical health professionals are in a unique position to gain skills from this intensive research training that will place them in a better position to apply for and receive future research grant support, an essential component of a career in academic medicine. For this reason, all MD fellows are expected to complete a Master’s degree in Public Health or Clinical Investigation. All PhD postdoctoral fellows must show evidence of competence in biostatistics; if such competence cannot be demonstrated, they will be required to undertake further training in this area as it relates to their research.

In addition to didactic training, fellows are encouraged to participate in an extramural training experience such as the two-week long American Heart Association / National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Summer Training Course in Cardiovascular Epidemiology. Attendance and participation at national meetings is supported by the training grant. The American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention sponsors a half-day session at its annual meeting devoted to the presentation of work from current NRSA trainees. Where funds permit, trainees are encouraged to participate in at least one other national meeting of their choosing. Through participation in national meetings, trainees are exposed to work in progress by other scientists in the field and are able to make professional contacts.

Professional development activities (led in large part by the primary and secondary mentors) are an integral component of the training program. Again, participation in career development activities is highly specialized. In general, fellows will be encouraged to attend University sponsored seminars on such topics as academic job search strategies, pathways to successful careers in academic medicine (targeted to clinicians), promotion and tenure, and concerns of women in academic medicine.

This combination of mentoring, formal coursework, seminars, and participation in ongoing research will be structured to provide the most useful training experience for each individual fellow.

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Eligibility

At the time of appointment, applicants must have a doctoral degree. MD candidates should have an interest in pursuing a research career in cardiovascular medicine or a related clinical field. PhD applicants should have degrees in the fields of epidemiology, biostatistics, nutrition, or other relevant areas. The applicant must be eligible to work in the United States (e.g., citizen or permanent resident) at the time of application. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply.

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Duration

Fellows are typically appointed for two or three years.         Back to Top

Stipend and Benefits

The NIH-approved stipend for postdoctoral fellows depends on the number of full years since the doctoral degree (MD or PhD). Stipend levels for NRSA-awards made after October 1, 2005 are as follows:

Tuition, books, fees, a professional travel allowance, and certain other research related expenses are covered by the Program. All postdoctoral fellows receive health insurance benefits through Northwestern University.

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Application

Interested candidates should contact Nancy Schelhas (email: n-schelhas@northwestern.edu; phone: 312-503-5291). The application deadline is December 31 of each year. However, interested candidates are encouraged to inquire about possible unexpected open positions at any time.

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Primary Mentors (listed alphabetically after Dr. Greenland)

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Secondary Mentors (listed alphabetically):