Mentored Training

The research mission of Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center encompasses basic research, clinical research, community service programs and the training of new scientists and physicians for the enhancement of patient care. The Mentored Clinical Research Training Program provides a solid foundation for clinical/patient-oriented research for junior faculty, clinical and pre-clinical fellows, and post-doctoral scholars.

This training focuses on three core elements: didactic instruction, mentored research, and special experiences. The core components of this research training experience includes dedicated mentorship by accomplished faculty, core courses in the Responsible Conduct of Research and Scientific Writing as well as oral communications. The fellow will be matched with a mentor based on mutual scientific interest and work with the mentor from inception to completion of the research project. Fellows will be expected to submit a K08 or K23 grant at the completion of the program to support continuation of their research career.

For those interested in a career in clinical research, there are additional courses on Statistical Methods, Principals of Clinical Research, Ethical Issues in Clinical Research and Statistical Analysis. Elective courses are offered in Clinical Trials, Health Services Administration and Genetic Analysis of Human Disease and Genomics and the Biotechnology Revolution. During the training period, it also is possible to obtain a Master's of Health Sciences in Clinical Research through the Duke Clinical Research Institute. This degree is awarded by the Duke University School of Medicine.

Individuals interested in basic research careers can take courses focused on genomic applications to human disease, including Analysis of Genetic Data, Computational Functional Genomics, Introduction to Statistical Methods, Genome Information and Sequence Analysis, Genome Technologies, and Molecular Genetics & Human Disease. Electives are offered in Cell Signaling, Genetic Approaches to Solution of Biological Problems, and Genetics & the Biotechnology Revolution.

Mentored Research Training at Duke Children's is funded by a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health awarded to Dr. Joseph W. St. Geme, III, James B. Duke Professor and Chair of Pediatrics.

To be eligible, candidates must be either a US citizen or a US permanent resident before applying. Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For additional information about these unique opportunities for mentored research training, contact the Director of the specific training program that interests you.