Education and Training

2010 Clinical Research Scholars Named

A “friend-to-friend” electronic message system to encourage colorectal cancer screening and the development of a “risk adjustment score” that considers psychosocial, and geographic factors impacting non-trauma emergency surgery outcomes are the research topics to be investigated by the two new Clinical Research Scholars, chosen in a pilot program of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science. Sarah L. Cutrona, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine and Heena P. Santry, MD, an assistant professor of surgery, have been named recipients of the 2010 Clinical Research Scholar Awards. Launched in 2008, this program combines coursework, seminars, and mentored research, and provides 3-5 years of financial support and training for investigators committed to careers in innovative, hypothesis-driven clinical and translational research. Read more

Clinical Scholars Program at UMass

Program Director: Dr. Gyongyi Szabo

This new program was designed to enhance research training opportunities for development of physician-scientists in translational and clinical research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The program will provide an optimal research training environment and mentoring structure to empower the Clinical Scholars to master skills for a future independent career as a patient-oriented and translational investigator.   For details on program structure and eligibility...

Program Highlights

• offers the choice between vigorous research training in biomedical or clinical and population health sciences
• offers research opportunities with leading scientists on individually tailored research topics to match the Scholar’s academic career goals

Application Procedures

Candidates for Clinical Scholar Program at UMass will apply with the support of their clinical residency and fellowship director by submitting the Clinical Scholar Program Application Form by June 25, 2010.

Meet our Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Mentors

Faculty in the UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science represent a wide range of research interests and a commitment to training the next generation of clinical and translational researchers.  They come from well-established research careers and have already trained many others who are now establishing their own successful track records in academia, industry, and clinical settings. 

Click here for a 90-second intro to our mentors 

Pathway to Clinical and Translational Research

The University of Massachusetts Medical School recently launched an exciting new pathway for medical students   interested in medical careers in clinical or translational research.  Through a longitudinal and structured program over the four-year medical school curriculum, selected medical students will learn the concepts and methods of clinical and translational research.  The first clinical and translational pathway students began their studies in the academic year (2007/8) as members of the medical school Class of 2011.  This year saw the Class of 2013 begin their studies.

Learn more about the Pathway to Clinical andTranslational Research...

Congratulations and Good Luck to our Class of 2013

1. Inna Baran, BS, Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
2. Leah Biller, BS, Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
3. Michelle Dyke, BS, Biochemistry, BA, Spanish, Commonwealth College, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA
4. Andrea Haas, BA, Biology, Harvard College, Cambridge, MA
5. Tom Kingsley, BS, Pharmacology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
6. Nancy Lee, BA, Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA
7. Elizabeth Scannell, BS, Neuroscience, Bates College, Lewiston, ME
8. Stephen Skinner, MS, Biomedical Science, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
9. Rabi Upadhyay, SB, Applied Mathematics, Minor, Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
10. Kreshnik Zejnullahu, BA, Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME

Congratulations and Good Luck to our Class of 2012

1. Jennifer Aborn, BS, Double Major, Biology and English, Pre-med, Tufts University
2. Jenna Checchi, BS, Biology and Psychology minor, George Washington University
3. Costas Gioules, BS, Biology, Cornell University
4. Rashad Hardaway, BS, Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI); Doctor of Medicine, UMass Medical School
5. Erin Habecker, BA, Smith College
6. Ali Irshad, BS, Biochemistry, Minor in Linguistics, Pre-Med Track, UMass Amherst
7. Nicholas Maselli, BA, Chemistry, Concentration Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Williams College
8. Yaphet Tilahun, MS, Microbiology, UMass Amherst
9. Alexander M. Tucker, BA, Neuroscience, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
10. Stefan Vanderweil, BA, Biochemical Sciences, Harvard University
11. Kristy Webster, BS, Biology, Concentration Neurobiology, Yale University
12. Irena Zaretskaya, BS, Biology and Neuroscience, Brandeis University

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Class of 2012 Summer 2009 Research Projects

1. Pathway Student: Jennifer Aborn
   Research Mentor: Robert J. Goldberg, PhD
   Pathway Advisor: Carole Upshur, EdD
   Project Title: Worcester Heart Attack Study
2. Pathway Student: Jenna Checchi
   Research Mentor: Shalesh Kaushal, MD, PhD
   Pathway Advisor: Patricia Franklin, MD, MBA, MPH
   Project Title: Retrospective Chart Review of Patients Receiving Valpric Acid for Retinal or Macular Degenerative Diseases
3. Pathway Student: Costas Gioules
   Research Mentor: Stephen O. Heard, MD
   Pathway Advisor: Patricia Franklin, MD, MBA, MPH
   Project Title: Assessment of Routine Intraoperative Horizontal Transmission of Potentially Pathogenic Bacterial Organisms and Associated Morbidity and Mortality
4. Pathway Student: Rashad Hardaway
   Research Mentor: Jean King, PhD & Carl Fulwiler, MD, PhD,
   Pathway Advisor: Carole Upshur, EdD
   Project Title: Enhancing mindfulness as an adjunct to anger treatment: Application of fMRI
5. Pathway Student: Erin Habecker
   Research Mentor: Tiffany A. Moore Simas, MD, MPH, MEd
   Pathway Advisor: Carole Upshur, EdD
   Project Title: Giving Birth Study
6. Pathway Student: Ali Irshad
   Research Mentor: Guangping Gao, PhD
   Pathway Advisor: Patricia Franklin, MD, MBA, MPH
   Project Title: Development of Novel AAV Vector Based Gene Therapeutics for Canavan Disease
7. Pathway Student: Nicholas Maselli
   Research Mentor: Patricia Franklin, MD, MBA, MPH
   Pathway Advisor: Carole Upshur, EdD
   Project Title: Total Joint Center
8. Pathway Student: Yaphet Tilahun
   Research Mentor: Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD
   Pathway Advisor: Patricia Franklin, MD, MBA, MPH
   Project Title: Evaluation of Micro RNA in Liver Disease
9. Pathway Student: Alexander Macom Tucker
   Research Mentor: Richard, P. Moser, MD
   Pathway Advisor: Patricia Franklin, MD, MBA, MPH
   Project Title: Brain Response Following Intracerebral Injection of A-Gal Glycolipids
10. Pathway Student: Stefan Vanderweil
    Research Mentor: Stephen Lyle, MD, PhD
    Pathway Advisor: Carole Upshur, EdD
    Project Title: Role of Pygo1 in Human Sebaceous Gland Tumors
11. Pathway Student: Kristy Webster
    Research Mentor: Michelle Kelliher, PhD
    Pathway Advisor: Carole Upshur, EdD
    Project Title: Testing Novel Therapies in Human T-ALL Mouse Models
12. Pathway Student: Irina Zaretsky
    Research Mentor: Jason Chen, PhD
    Pathway Advisor: Patricia Franklin, MD, MBA, MPH
    Project Title: Development of a Therapeutic HPV Vaccine

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