As research trainees, fellows develop investigative skills to understand clinical and basic research and to translate emerging knowledge in lung biology into clinically relevant concepts.
This program builds on a long history of training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Duke University Medical Center. The Division has highly successful investigators that provide a broad array of research opportunities for trainees. Fellows may also choose mentors outside the Division and even outside Duke University at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences or the Environmental Protection Agency.
Eligible fellows in the Physician Investigator track will be supported by the T32 Training Grant that provides their salary support, tuition, and travel expenses to national meetings.
With grant writing mentorship and support, fellows apply for individual NIH-sponsored NRSA grant support and/or a KO8/K23 Clinician-Scientist Award during their third year of fellowship. A fourth fellowship year can be offered to trainees who have successfully progressed during their research training and need further time for development.
Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI)
The Duke Clinical Research Institute program provides training in the quantitative and methodological principles of clinical research. Designed primarily for Duke clinical fellows interested in academic careers, the program offers courses in research design, statistical analyses, research ethics and research management.
Students who complete a prescribed course of study in the training program are awarded a Masters of Health Sciences in Clinical Research by the School of Medicine. Individual courses are also offered for those not interested in the full degree; however, a full application and acceptance into the program is still required. The DCRI is the primary site for a number of large multi-center trials.
Specialized Interest Areas
Cell and Molecular Biology
Cell and molecular biology studies are a major focus in this division. An NIH program project grant and multiple R01 grants support this research effort. The goals of the various programs reflect the diverse interests of the principal investigators, but all share physical resources, common technique, and a focus on understanding the molecular basics of lung disease.
Environmental Lung Disease
The biologic and genetic determinants of environmental lung disease are another major focus of research in this division. An NIH program project and multiple RO1 grants support these studies in asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. The division has recently established an NIH-supported Environmental Health Sciences Center to develop the infrastructure (microarray, proteomics, inhalation toxicology and bioinformatics facilities) to support research in environmental lung disease. Ongoing studies focus on innate immunity, environmental asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and comparative genomic responses to common inhalational toxins.
Clinical Studies
Investigators at Duke are conducting important active human clinical studies. All fellows contribute to parts of this clinical research during their clinical year of training. By participating in human study protocols, fellows learn to appreciate the different problems and unusual complexities involved in human studies. While rotating on the appropriate clinical services, most fellows participate in patient recruitment as well as in clinical study protocols.
Center for Hypo- and Hyperbaric Medicine
The hypobaric and hyperbaric facilities at Duke University constitute a national center that supports interdisciplinary clinical and research programs through the Departments of Medicine, Surgery, and Anesthesiology. An NIH Program grant supports core research facilities, provides a stable environment for maintenance of these complex facilities for regulation of high- and low-pressure environments, and supports basic research. The Pulmonary Division offers research training in this area.