Research Training

After completion of one year of clinical training, most fellows spend a minimum of two years in research training. During the last few years, many fellows have extended the period of research training to three years which provides additional time for course work and permits involvement in more substantial research projects.

The core of research training is the pursuit of a specific project under the direct supervision of one or more members of the faculty. The training faculty have expertise in a broad range of disciplines relevant to nephrological research. The following pages introduce the faculty of the Section of Nephrology, their backgrounds, clinical and research interests, and representative recent publications. Both basic science laboratory and patient-based clinical investigation are emphasized. It is the philosophy of the program that preceptors should be chosen by trainees rather than assigned, and each fellow is provided with extensive help in the form of information, advice, and time to permit a careful selection of preceptor and project.

Fellows entering research laboratories after the first clinical year enroll in an intensive two-week course that introduces modern molecular and cell biology methods. Fellows are encouraged to audit additional courses offered by various departments in the School of Medicine including Biology, Cell Biology, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Genetics, and Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. The program director and faculty assist each trainee in selecting relevant courses. Trainees are also encouraged to attend departmental research seminars of relevance to their areas of research.

Fellows seeking rigorous training in patient-based clinical research are encouraged to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at Yale. This two-year curriculum provides didactic instruction in the conduct and analysis of clinical studies. Additional practical experience is gained by performing one or more discrete clinical research projects under the supervision of the clinical faculty.

During the research phase, trainees participate in the weekly nephrology journal club. A Research in Progress conference is held monthly at Yale. In addition, fellows discuss their recent experimental aims, methods, and results in weekly research seminars conducted at both Yale and the VA Medical Center.

Fellows who elect a second year of clinical nephrology training also engage in scholarly activity. Previously this has included participation in ongoing clinical research projects, writing case reports or reviews of selected nephrological topics, and taking courses in clinical epidemiology and public health.