Research Opportunities

Department of Pediatrics faculty members are in key national leadership positions across a broad spectrum of academic pediatrics and biomedical research. Of the 56 tenured faculty, 33 are members of the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR); 15 are members of the American Pediatric Society; and two are members of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Five Pediatric faculty members have served as President of the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research; two presently are national SPR council members.

Over the past decade, 10 pediatric faculty have served on NIH study sections, and one each has served as a member of the NHLBI Advisory Committee, the NIH Data Safety and Monitoring Board, the governing board of the National Association of Medical Scientists Training Program Directors, and the NIH General Clinical Research Center Council. Three Pediatric faculty have been editors or associate editors of peer-reviewed biomedical journals, while 15 faculty currently serve on editorial boards of 32 journals. A member of our faculty received the E. Mead Johnson Award for his contributions to pediatric research.

Additional evidence of our department's academic leadership is evident by our faculty members' service on the American Board of Pediatrics or its sub-boards.

Federal NIH research funding to Department of Pediatrics faculty has increased steadily from $5.2 million in direct costs in fiscal year 1991 to $15.0 million in fiscal year 2000. Based on the published NIH rankings for total funding for U.S. medical school faculty in pediatric departments, Iowa now ranks 2nd for all publicly-supported programs and 7th for all listed pediatric programs. During the recently completed fiscal year 2002, Iowa's Department of Pediatrics received approximately $18 million in direct research grants from all sources. Thirty-nine faculty members were principal investigators for 121 research awards of all types in fiscal year 2002. Fifty-nine percent of tenure track faculty at all ranks were principal investigators on research grants. The Department of Pediatrics is the home of one of four COM Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators.

The College of Medicine is internationally recognized for its excellence and leadership in biomedical research. This year it is ranked 30th nationally by U.S. News & World Report magazine. In its national ranking of Pediatric Graduate Programs for 2002, the University of Iowa ranked 20th. Annual national surveys also consistently rank the University of Iowa's Hospital among the top hospitals in the nation. Within the COM there are more than 30 NIH or NSF supported training programs.

Additionally we are very pleased to announce The Carver College of Medicine's Physician Scientist Training Pathway (PSTP) created this year. This pathway is intended to promote the postgraduate training and career development of physician-scientists who will become future leaders in academic medicine. The Pathway integrates the transition period from completion of the MD degree through residency, clinical fellowship, and basic or clinical postdoctoral research training with total training being about 5-6 years, taking advantage of alternative pathways of residency and subspecialty fellowship training in accordance with established criteria for American Board of Pediatrics. This highly individualized Pathway is designed primarily for physicians about to enter residency programs at the University of Iowa who have completed both the MD and PhD degrees. Applicants who have not completed the PhD degree but have a record of outstanding basic or clinical research experience are also eligible.

The objective of the Iowa PSTP is to provide a flexible postgraduate training program of mentorship, clinical training, and postdoctoral research that is tailored to the career goals of the individual trainee. The ultimate goal is to foster the career development of trainees by facilitating their transition to independence as physician-scientists. PSTP trainees receive an annual academic allowance of $4,000 and supplemental salary support during their research training years. Application for the PSTP requires that after your interview with the general pediatric residency program ends at about 2pm, you would meet with faculty that would be arranged based on your interests that afternoon, participate in a social event that night, and possibly meet additional faculty the next morning. The program would cover your hotel stay that second night. If you are interested in learning more about the PSTP program, please complete the PSTP Application Form and/or contact Dr. Jack Widness, the Director of our Neonatology Fellowship Training Program and the Associate Director of the PSTP.