Infectious Diseases Fellowship Research

Scholarship is an integral and active component of the ACGME-accredited Infectious Diseases Fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  Given the rich history of pioneering research conducted by its Faculty, Fellows are afforded an opportunity to participate in clinical outcomes, epidemiologic, translational, or basic research in infection and immunity.

1.  Educational Purpose:  An overall purpose of the research experience component of the Program is to instruct the subspecialty Fellow in the process of developing rational hypotheses, and designing basic science and/or clinical studies to test these hypotheses. 

2.  Publication:  The Fellow is expected to accomplish a research project suitable in quality for submission and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.  Original research is preferred.  It is anticipated that each Fellow will submit an abstract for presentation of their work to a national or international meeting (eg., IDSA, ICAAC, or ASM), followed by submission of a manuscript to a relevant peer-reviewed journal.  Publications are completed in Fellowship Year 2.

3.  Teaching Methods:  Several approaches are undertaken to place the Fellow in a learning environment that maximizes opportunity to achieve the Educational Purpose described above.  Among these are included experiences designed to develop conceptual understanding, and practical skill.  Approaches represent modalities through which the Educational Purpose is achieved include:

4.  Hypothesis Development.  The Program will provide instruction in the cognitive aspects of the following:

 

•  Identification of a significant and relevant infectious disease problem that merits further study;

•  Performance and integration of literature reviews to recognize the current status of research focusing on the issue;

• Synthesis of information to achieve a reasonable model of the problem that creates a hypothesis-driven context for research;

• Formulation of feasible and testable hypotheses based upon existing literature, experimental observation, or other rationale;

• Comparative feasibility of the various approaches available to test the proposed hypothesis (including statistical power, technical limitations, etc.)

 

5.  Formal Instruction: Specific content areas that will be included in the formal program (lectures, conferences, and seminars) include:

• Fundamental practices in laboratory safety (including where appropriate:  safe handling, management, personal safety, and disposal of biohazard and/or radioactive waste);

• Basic microbiology skills, including exposure minimization, pure culture, serial dilution, media preparation sterilization, and pipetting;

• As appropriate, animal husbandry and approaches to animal models as simulations of human infection;

• Basic concepts of molecular biology, such as genotypic and phenotypic differentiation, electrophoresis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Northern, Southern, Western blotting, or other specific techniques as applicable;

• Controls, reproducibility, and statistical interpretation of data;

• The ethical conduct of research;

• Scientific communication, presentation, and publication

 

6.  Research Progress and Timeline

The following timeline is intended to facilitate Fellow accomplishment of an original research project, and publication of results from that project in both a National meeting format, as well as in a peer-reviewed journal:

 

Fellowship Year 1

July:                                  Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator 

                                                Meet with Potential Research Mentors

First Research Block:       Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator

Identify Research Project / Mentor

                                                (If unknown, rotate through labs)

                                                Develop Specific Hypothesis

                                                Establish Project Aims / Timeline

                                                Develop Key Skills / Techniques

                                                Generate Initial / Preliminary Data

                                                Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator

 

Ensuing Research:          Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator

Establish Research Schedule with Mentor

Generate Data / Analysis / Interpretation

                                                Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator

Fellowship Year 2

July:                                       Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator 

 

First Research Block:       Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator

                                                Establish Research Schedule with Mentor

Generate Data / Analysis / Interpretation

Present at Divisional Research Meeting

Prepare / Submit Abstract for National Meeting

                                                Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator

 

Ensuing Research :          Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator

Establish Research Schedule with Mentor

Complete Data Acquisition / Analysis

                                                Present Abstract at National Meeting

                                                Prepare / Submit Manuscript to Journal

Meet with Fellow Research Coordinator

 

            As a traditional endpoint of the Fellowship program each June, Fellows present a lecture at the Infectious Diseases Grand Rounds conference.  The topic of this presentation may focus on their specific research, or a significant topic in contemporary infectious disease or HIV medicine. Typically, the Fellow presentation is 45 minutes, with 10-15 minutes for questions.