Visiting Fellow Clinical Research Fellow for the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

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Description

The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine is seeking a highly motivated Clinical Research Fellow to join a dynamic and growing academic surgical research program. This fellowship is designed to provide comprehensive training in clinical research methodology, outcomes research, clinical trials, and translational investigation across the full spectrum of cardiothoracic surgery and cardiovascular disease.

This position offers an exceptional opportunity for surgical residents, medical graduates, or postdoctoral trainees interested in academic medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiovascular research, or physician-scientist careers. The Fellow will work closely with faculty mentors on diverse clinical research initiatives spanning cardiac surgery, mechanical circulatory support, heart and lung transplantation, structural heart disease, extracorporeal support, surgical innovation, and outcomes research.

The fellowship provides structured mentorship, formal research training, and hands-on experience in clinical research design, execution, analysis, and dissemination.

Program Goals and Training Objectives

The Clinical Research Fellowship is designed to provide Fellows with:

• Comprehensive training in clinical and translational research methodology
• Experience with retrospective, prospective, and registry-based studies
• Exposure to clinical trials, device development studies, and investigator-initiated protocols
• Formal instruction in:
• Biostatistics and statistical interpretation
• Clinical research design and methodology
• Manuscript writing and scientific communication
• Grant preparation and funding strategies
• Research ethics and regulatory compliance
• Database management and analysis

A key longitudinal goal of the fellowship is to prepare trainees for academic careers and future roles as independent clinical investigators.

Research Environment and Opportunities

The Fellow will be embedded within a highly productive academic cardiothoracic surgery research environment with access to:

• Large institutional clinical databases and electronic health record-derived research data warehouses
• National clinical registries including STS, UNOS, SRTR, CMS, and administrative datasets
• Clinical trial infrastructure supporting investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored studies
• Multicenter registry collaborations
• Translational and device-related clinical research initiatives
• Opportunities to participate in innovation and surgical device development

The Fellow will work directly with faculty mentors and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including surgeons, cardiologists, intensivists, biostatisticians, engineers, and research coordinators.

Research areas include, but are not limited to:

• Outcomes research in cardiothoracic surgery
• Mechanical circulatory support (LVAD, RVAD, ECMO)
• Heart and lung transplantation
• Structural heart and valve interventions
• Surgical innovation and device-related clinical research
• Health services and policy research

Registry-based outcomes and comparative effectiveness research

Fellow Responsibilities

The Clinical Research Fellow will:

• Design and conduct clinical research studies
• Perform data collection, management, and analysis
• Lead and contribute to manuscript preparation and publication
• Present research findings at national and international scientific meetings
• Assist in clinical trial development and execution
• Participate in research meetings, journal clubs, and academic conferences
• Contribute to grant preparation and regulatory submissions (IRB, protocols)
• Participate in seeking out fede