Our department offers an NIH-funded research fellowship program (T32), which is available in only twelve academic anesthesiology departments in the U.S. The goal of this program is to provide training in scientific investigations to anesthesiologists who wish to become independent physician-scientists.

There are more than 18 participating faculty members representing a wide range of research interests in a variety of scientific and clinical disciplines. These faculty members are NIH-funded investigators within the Department of Anesthesiology, other clinical departments or within basic science departments on the Columbia University Health Sciences campus. Fellows are expected to make a commitment for a minimum of two years for training in the laboratory or in clinical research. During the initial period, fellows will familiarize themselves with the techniques used in the laboratory or in clinical research by participating in ongoing projects. Toward the end of the year, fellows will formulate an independent project with the advice and guidance of a mentor and the program director.

Program requirements include a course in ethics and policy in scientific research. The department holds a monthly research conference, at which all trainees present their research progress and results. Additional educational programs include a course in research design and statistics offered by the Medical Center and a monthly seminar series involving research and clinical fellows.

The track records of our past fellows have been spectacular in terms of continued extramural funding, and careers in academic anesthesiology. Fellows who have completed their T32 training have received FAER Starter Grants, FAER Young Investigator Awards, NIH K08 (Mentored Physician Scientist Awards) and NIH RO1 awards. All fellows who have completed their training have become faculty of the department.

In 2008, George Gallos, at the time a fellow in the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University, working in the laboratory of Charles Emala, won first place in the Resident’s Research Contest at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting for a manuscript entitled “A Novel Pharmacologic Strategy to Potentiate Relaxation of Human Airway Smooth Muscle”. This manuscript was also cited as one of the “top ten abstracts” at the 2008 annual meeting and was a featured manuscript in the April 2009 edition of the journal Anesthesiology. Dr. Gallos has subsequently received funding from the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research and a KO8 award from the National Institute of Health.

In 2009, Laurence Ring, a fellow in the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University, working in the laboratory of Lori Zeltser in the division of molecular genetics within the Department of Pediatrics at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, won first place in the Resident’s Research Contest at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting for a manuscript entitled “Selective Hypothalamic Leptin Receptor Knockout in a Murine Model Leads to Severe Obesity and Early Diabetes”. Dr. Ring also was an invited oral presenter at the 2008 meeting of the Association of University Anesthesiologists.

In 2010, Hannah Wunsch was awarded an NIH K08 training grant for Health Services Outcome Research entitled “Use of Intensive Care Services for Elderly Patients Undergoing High Risk Surgery”.  This award is mentored by an epidemiologist within the department, with a joint appointment with the School of Public Health, Dr. Guohua Li.

For further information, write or contact:

Fellowship Application Checklist
Fellowship Application

Lena S. Sun, M.D.
Co-Investigator — NIH T32 Fellowship Program
622 West 168th Street (PH505)
New York, NY 10032
Telephone: 212-305-8303
Fax: 212-305-3204
Email: lss4@columbia.edu

Charles Emala, M.D.
Principal Investigator — NIH T32 Fellowship Program
622 West 168th Street (PH505)
New York, NY 10032
Telephone: 212-305-8360
Fax: 212-305-8287
Email: cwe5@columbia.edu

Virginia Apgar Scholars

Physicians interested in applying to our residency program may elect to apply for one of the Virginia Apgar Clinical or Research Scholar positions that are available each year. As a scholar, the resident would commit him/herself at the beginning of their residency to an additional two years of training either in a clinical area or in the research laboratory. An award is given during each clinical year (CA1, CA2, CA3 and fellows) to the residents chosen to be the Apgar Scholars of $15,000 per annum. Please see the Virginia Apgar page for more information.