Research Training

Fellows usually enter the research training period after having completed their clinical training. Fellows who enter the Research Track are selected during the application and interviewing process. It is anticipated that the Fellow will spend the 18 months remaining in the fellowship or longer acquiring the necessary skills towards to become an independent investigator. The initial 18-36 months of research training is supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutional Research Training Grants. The Section of Digestive Diseases presently has two Institutional Research Training Grants, one in Investigative Gastroenterology and the other in Investigative Hepatology and has been extremely successful in obtaining funding from appropriate granting agencies for subsequent career development. Strong mentorship within the Section of Digestive Diseases will be provided to support the trainee in the process to obtain early career funding.

Three major investigative directions are emphasized: gastroenterology, hepatology, and clinical investigation. The investigative training that the Fellow receives, whether it is basic science or clinical science research, includes both a core curriculum and supervised research under the direction of one or more preceptors. The primary preceptor may be a member of the Section of Digestive Diseases or from another Section or Department. Mentors within the Section of Digestive Diseases will help trainees identify a mentor from within or outside of the Section of Digestive Diseases to provide the best fit for the trainee's area of interest. Each trainee has a research advisory committee that includes the preceptor and other members of the faculty. The purpose of the advisory committee is to provide guidance and support and monitor the trainee's progress toward becoming an independent investigator.

The resources of the School of Medicine are available to enrich the research training experience of Fellows in the Section of Digestive Diseases. The proximity of Yale University's clinical and basic science departments with Yale-New Haven Hospital creates a collegial environment where trainees can find direction in all aspects of their activities. This can range from advice on the details of new research techniques to formal lectures by the faculty and daily seminars of visiting clinicians and scientists from around the world.