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Medical Education

Translational Research in Medicine

Translational Research in Medicine (TRM) mentors medical scientists throughout their by providing opportunities for early engagement in applied clinical research across the university and hospital populations.

Concentration Director

Najam Zaidi, MD
Email Address:  Najam_Zaidi@brown.edu

Other participating faculty (Brown University):

Susan D’Andrea, PhD, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Director, The Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory, Providence VA Medical Center

J.J. Trey Crisco, PhD, Henry F. Lippitt Professor of Orthopaedics, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Professor of Engineering, Brown University

Francois I. Luks, MD, PhD, Professor of Surgery, Professor Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Pediatrics, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Susan Duffy, MD, MPH, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Harrison Bai, MD, Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Imaging, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Brett Owens, MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brown and Chief of Sports Medicine

Chathuraka Jayasuriya, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics (Research), The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Leo Kobayashi, MD, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Director, Research and Innovation, Brown University Health Medical Simulation Center, Rhode Island Hospital

Adjunct Faculty / National Collaborators 

Lisa Merck, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Vice Chair of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Adjunct Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Brown University

Derek Merck, PhD, Research Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Imaging, Brown University

Joseph Forrester, MD, MSc, Clinical Instructor, Department of Surgery, Stanford University

Overview

The primary objective of the Scholarly Concentration (SC) in Translational Research in Medicine (TRM) is to mentor medical scientists throughout their study at The Warren Alpert Medical School by providing opportunities for early engagement in applied translational research across the university and hospital populations. Translational research is the integration of basic research, patient-oriented research, and population-based research, with the ultimate objective of improving public health. Our collaborative team of researchers has successful programs in biomedical engineering, computer science, medical simulation, and the clinical subspecialties of emergency medicine, orthopedics, surgery, neurological emergencies, diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology, pediatrics, and surgery.

Students will be exposed to a broad array of translational research projects within this active group. They will have the opportunity to partner with a single faculty member, who will mentor them through their initial summer research assistantship and throughout the students’ II-IV years.  Dr. Tracy Madsen will oversee conference didactics in parallel with research activities; these didactics will include epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical research design, and applications in translational research. Students will participate early in laboratory and hospital activities as applicable to their research focus. Upon completion of a specific project, scholars will receive mentoring in the preparation of manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication and delivering presentations of their work at local and national conferences.

Students selecting the SC in TRM will be expected to:

  1. Undertake self-directed learning to acquire knowledge in chosen area of translational focus. 
  2. Choose and work closely with a faculty mentor in one of many collaborative settings: Neurological Emergencies, Orthopaedics, Engineering, Diagnostic Imaging, Surgery, and Emergency Medicine.
  3. Complete didactic work within the context of chosen translational focus.  This will occur in small group sessions in the summer period, and then monthly throughout Year II.  The objective of the small group didactic sessions is to facilitate learning in the basics of clinical research design, good clinical practice standards, regulatory requirements, statistical analysis, and data interpretation.  Scholars will be invited to attend additional didactics to complement their area of research focus in Years III-IV.
  4. Meet with the Directors of SC in TRM monthly to discuss individual progress, goals and trajectory of the project.

Year I

  • August-December: Attend information session, learn about the SC program, meet with concentration leaders and identify an area of interest in applied clinical research.
  • December-February: After consulting with SC-TRM directors, identify a research mentor and area of focus (see list below); together with mentor, outline and develop a SC project for the summer and over the ensuing 3 years; prepare application to the SC program; consider application for external funding.
  • Summer period (8-10 weeks): Begin summer project to lay the foundation of research project; attend and participate in small group didactic sessions. Didactic curricula will be designed to complement each student’s translational focus.

Year II

  • Allocate time on the day protected for self-directed learning each week to continue to work on research project.
  • As study personnel, students will also be engaged in enrollment of research subjects (as their schedule permits).  Responsibilities will include subject screening, recruitment, informed consent, data review, data analysis, and preparation/presentation of results.
  • Attend and participate in didactic sessions. Other didactic opportunities include emergency medicine resident lecture series, neuroradiology conference, as well as courses in sex and gender medicine, and responsible conduct in research, when possible.
  • Meet with the Directors of SC in TRM to discuss individual progress, goals and trajectory of the project; submit a brief summary report of progress.
  • Attend/present research results at a related regional or national conference venue.
  • Submit poster on summer work to the Summer Showcase event.

Years III & IV

  • Continue to work and develop research project as clerkship demands permit, with goal to prepare SC project report or manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal in Year IV.
  • Students who are study personnel will have the opportunity to remain active on projects and complete work/clinical shifts as their schedule permits.
  • Attend and participate in specific monthly didactic sessions as determined by the research mentor.
  • In Year IV, complete at least one clinical elective based on concentration focus. For example, a student working on a project in Stroke would have the opportunity to enroll in a Neurology or Emergency Medicine elective, with a focus on Clinical/Translational Research during the fourth year.
  • Meet with the Directors of SC in TRM to discuss individual progress, goals and trajectory of the project; submit a brief summary report of progress.
  • Attend/present research results at a related regional or national conference venue.
  • Present final scholarly project to TRM directors and faculty in spring of Year IV.

By graduation, Translational Research in Medicine (TRM) scholars will:

  • Acquire and utilize skills in clinical research design and good clinical practice
  • Develop and utilize ethical principles of conducting clinical and translational research
  • Formulate, design, and implement a clinical research investigation that is feasible to complete, publish, and present at a subspecialty meeting

For the above learning objectives, students will be evaluated by 1) their mentor; 2) co-mentors; and 3) SC in TRM leadership. Students will also submit a summary report of their educational and research accomplishments to the scholarly concentration leadership in March of Year IV. Approval of this summary indicates that the student has successfully completed all requirements for the Scholarly Concentration in Translational Research in Medicine.

 

Students may choose to work in one of many collaborative settings: Emergency Medicine, Neurology/ Neurologic Emergencies, Orthopaedics, Engineering, Diagnostic Imaging, and Surgery. Other clinical settings can be discussed with the SC director.  

Please contact the SC Director (Dr. Tracy Madsen) to discuss interest in the concentration or specific project examples.

The Concentration can currently accommodate up to 8 students (in total).  The program will assess enrollment goals annually.

Brown University
Providence RI 02912 401-863-1000

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