Program Director: Avindra Nath, M.D.
Overview
This multi-year fellowship, overseen by the Office of the Clinical Director (NINDS), is for individuals who wish to pursue a career as a physician-scientist with a specific area of research interest already defined. The goal of the fellowship is to prepare the fellow for submission of a successful career-transition award, and to further prepare them for the transition to an independent investigator.
Fellows who enter an NINDS clinical fellowship will obtain expertise in many different aspects of disease-oriented research from basic questions addressing the etiology of the disease to the design and conduct of clinical trials. There is great breadth and diversity of resources available allow the Fellows to design specific training experiences to suit their career goals. Access to on-campus resources helps build cross-disciplinary collaborations and strengthens the development of translational research projects. NINDS has a variety of specialized seminar series, translational research working groups and Neurology Grand Rounds. Fellows can also participate in weekly neurology consult rounds. Collectively, we provide unique training opportunities not available at other academic centers.
Program Structure
Fellows will be embedded in a lab with their primary research mentor overseeing their research, but will also have the support of the fellowship committee. During their time, fellows will be expected to conduct research leading to application of a career-transition award.
Clinical subspecialty areas of research include: neuroimmunology; neurovirology; neurogenetics; movement disorders; stroke; neurorehabilitation; cognitive neuroscience; surgical neurology; neurocardiology; neuroradiology and autonomic disorders; epilepsy; clinical neurophysiology; and clinical trials methodology.
Basic science disciplines include: structural biology and biophysics; neurogenetics; cell and molecular biology of the nervous system; developmental neurobiology; synapses/circuit/systems neuroscience; cellular physiology; bioinformatics; stem cells and neural differentiation; and membrane and receptor pharmacology.
The fellowship committee oversees the selection, hiring, and progress of each fellow sponsored through the Office of the Clinical Director. The Fellowship Committee, chaired by Clinical Director Dr. Avindra Nath, consists of members of the Office of the Clinical Director, the fellowship director as well as senior independent investigators. During the fellowship the committee will receive regular progress reports from the fellow and the mentor. This committee is tasked with ensuring that each fellow successfully progresses to a career-transition award and is well prepared for a career as an independent researcher. Outside of formal assessment, the committee is always available as a resource to fellows. Fellows will also be advised in establishing their own mentorship committee for personal and professional advice.
In addition to their research-oriented clinical responsibilities, all NINDS Clinical Fellows are afforded the opportunity to serve as junior attendings for the Neurology Consult Service (NCS). The NCS serves the entirety of the NIH Clinical Center and serves as neurology consultants to other research teams evaluating complex neurological presentations as well as rare diseases. This opportunity will benefit the fellow by allowing the maintenance of basic neurology skills, exposure to often complex and unique cases, and preparation for the post-fellowship experience of serving as an attending.
Additional Information
NINDS Clinical Fellowship Programs
Application Information
Apply to this program via the NIH GME Application System
Start dates for various fellowships are negotiable and applications are considered year-round. Applicants are encouraged to include a cover letter stating their area of interest and long-term career goals, their CV and names of references. Applicants with a strong commitment to a research career are encouraged to apply.
Those interested in this fellowship should have completed an approved neurology residency in the United States and be at least ABPN neurology board-eligible. Due to the nature of this fellowship, each application is reviewed by the Fellowship Committee.