Research training in biomedical imaging

The Department of Radiology at the University of California, San Francisco offers three one-year positions in biomedical imaging research. The Department has a long record of excellence in clinical and academic radiology, with substantive extra-mural funding, and the University provides a fertile ground for interdisciplinary collaboration with numerous outstanding basic scientists and clinicians already engaged in cutting edge imaging research. The program is sponsored by a grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (1 T32 EB001631-01), and is designed to give radiologists-in-training and junior nuclear medicine physicians the skills required to become independent clinical scientific investigators and leaders in academic biomedical imaging. The Program includes formal training in Clinical Research, Biostatistical Methods, and Grant Writing. Trainees will complete one year of full-time dedicated research supplemented by appropriate core and project-specific coursework in one of 4 systematic tracks (Abdominal Imaging, Musculoskeletal Imaging, Neuroradiology, and Molecular/Nuclear Medicine) followed by an additional clinical fellowship with 40% dedicated research time in the associated Section. The systematic tracks are based on existing sections in the UCSF Department of Radiology that have an ongoing and established commitment to multidisciplinary collaborative research in biomedical imaging, although the Program emphasizes flexibility and alternative approaches may be possible according to individual interests. Mentorship and supervision will be provided by teams incorporating radiologists, basic scientists, and clinicians. The Department provided state of the art imaging facilities with extensive laboratory support.

Application Procedures

In order to be considered for the program, an applicant must:

• be a citizen of the U.S. or permanent resident.
• have an MD degree (or be in or completing an approved radiology or nuclear medicine residency program.

Interested applicants should send their curriculum vitae, a cover letter including a description of their research interests, and three letters of references to:

Fergus Coakley, MD
Training Grant Program Director
UCSF Department of Radiology
505 Parnassus Avenue
Room M372, Box 0628
San Francisco, CA 94143-0628

All applications will be reviewed by the Training Grant Selection Committee, and applicants may be invited to interview.

Stipend levels are in accordance with NIH guidelines based on years of postdoctoral experience and may be supplemented.

Core Coursework

TICR (Training in Clinical Research) Summer Clinical Research Workshop,
UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
All trainees are required to take the Summer Clinical Research Workshop run by the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. The Summer Clinical Research Workshop includes three courses that are the starting point for all clinical research training at UCSF. The Workshop introduces the language of clinical research and provides detailed instruction in the most integral component of a clinical investigation; a written protocol that is scientifically sound, ethically appropriate, and competitive for funding. The course aims to train clinical scientists in the skills needed to:


• Create a sound clinical research protocol.
• Recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas in clinical research.
• Become familiar with sources of funding for clinical research.
  
  
The Workshop provides an introduction to the world of clinical research that is structured around individualized written products that trainees will find useful--a 5-page protocol for an actual study, a resolution of ethical issues in that study, and a career plan. For individuals who will participate in clinical research in a supportive capacity, the Workshop alone is sufficient training. For others desiring to be independent investigators, the Workshop serves as introductory material for the more advanced ATCR Certificate and Master's Degree in Clinical Research Program (note: UCSF faculty, fellows, students may take most TICR courses on an individual basis).
http://www.epibiostat.ucsf.edu/courses/summerworkshop.html
http://www.epibiostat.ucsf.edu/courses/schedule/index.html





UCSF Biostatistical Methods for Clinical Research II
All trainees are required to take the Winter Biostatistical Methods for Clinical Research II course run by the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. This course is a second course in statistics that supplements the preliminary course taken as part of the Summer Clinical Research Workshop. The advanced course covers multi-predictor methods, including exploratory data analysis, multiple regression (linear and logistic), survival analysis and repeated measures analysis. Emphasis is the practical and proper use of statistical methodology and its interpretation. At the end of the course, students will be able to:


• Describe the roles of descriptive versus inferential statistics.
• Identify characteristics of the problem to help choose the appropriate analytic technique.
• Describe techniques appropriate for handling a single outcome variable and multiple predictors.
• Outline data limitations and their consequences.

RSNA Advanced Course in Grant Writing
All trainees are required to take the Radiological Society of North America Department of Research Advanced Course in Grant Writing. The purpose of this course is to assist participants to prepare and submit a quality grant application to the NIH, NSF, or other equivalent institution by the October NIH deadline. The Advanced Course consists of 4 multi-day sessions spanning a 9-month period, held at RSNA Headquarters in Oak Brook, IL. Course sessions are generally held in September, October, April, and June. The eligibility of program trainees to undertake this course has been confirmed with the RSNA Department of Research. Upon completing the Advanced Course in Grant Writing, participants will be able to:


• Identify the elements of a good grant proposal.
• Create a grant proposal outline and write and edit a first draft.
• Produce a realistic budget and support it with a strong budget justification.
• Follow agency instructions.
• Write a grant proposal for an intended audience that demonstrates the mechanics and psychology of good expository writing.
• Describe the review process and the psychology of reviewers.

http://www.rsna.org/Research/educational_courses.cfm

Project Specific Coursework


UCSF Bioengineering, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program courses
Samples of potential project specific courses at UCSF that could be selected by trainees, in conjunction with their research preceptors, are detailed below. These courses have been chosen to illustrate the extensive course options available at UCSF, but this listing is not intended to be necessarily a complete or comprehensive listing; the number, range, and continual evolution of courses available at UCSF precludes formulating a final or all-encompassing list. The courses are offered by the Department of Bioengineering, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (http://www.ucsf.edu/bms/academic.html) is geared towards training students to become basic researchers that study biomedical problems. Course material begins at the molecular and cellular level and then moves to higher levels of organization into tissues and organs. At each stage, relevant disease states and models are discussed. Coursework will be selected by trainees, in consultation with their preceptors, as appropriate to their individual educational needs and research track. Other appropriate postdoctoral or postgraduate courses may also be selected, if they facilitate training in the clinical or research aspects of the projects chosen by trainees. Such additional coursework will be selected by consultation between the trainee and their preceptor team and is subject to approval by the Program Director.


Epidemiology and Biostatistics EPI 204: Clinical Epidemiology
Epidemiology and Biostatistics EPI 203: Epidemiologic Methods
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Biostat 183: Introduction to Statistical Analysis
Epidemiology and Biostatistics EPI 214: Systematic Reviews (Meta-analysis)
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epi 205: Clinical Trials
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epi 218: Database Management Systems for Clinical Research
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epi 213: Decision and Cost Effectiveness Analysis in Medicine
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epi 206: Medical Informatics
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Biostat 209: Biostatistical Methods for Clinical Research III
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epi 217: Molecular Methods in Clinical Research I
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epi 211: Outcomes Research
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epi 212: Publishing and Presenting Research
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epi 222: Clinical Research with Diverse Communities
Bioengineering 205: Introduction to Medical Imaging Informatics
Bioengineering 230A: Physics of Medical Imaging I, X-Ray Imaging and CTBioengineering 230B: Physics of Medical Imaging II, Radionuclide Imaging, SPECT and PET
Bioengineering 230C: Physics of Radiation Therapy
Bioengineering 240: Introduction to MR imaging
Bioengineering 241: Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Bioengineering 245: Introduction to Electromagnetic Neuroimaging
Bioengineering 243: Drug Delivery Systems
Bioengineering 244: Medical Image Processing and Analysis
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program 260: Cell Biology
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program 255: Principles of Genetics
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program 201: Biological Regulatory Mechanisms
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program 297: Cancer Biology: Molecular Pathology of Neoplasia
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program NS201B: Basic Concepts in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

UCSF Professional and Academic Success Skills (PASS) seminars
The PASS Program is a series of intensive workshops designed to enhance the professional development of graduate and professional students, postdoctoral and clinical fellows, residents and junior faculty.
http://saawww.ucsf.edu/career/pass/

RSNA Clinical Trials Methodology Workshop
This intensive 61/2-day workshop will train radiology, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine faculty, fellows, and residents past their 3rd year in the development of protocols for the clinical evaluations of imaging modalities. The participant will undergo a competitive application and selection process, advance preparation, didactic sessions, one-on-one mentoring, small discussion sessions, self study, and protocol synthesis process. Topics covered during the course will include principles of clinical study design, statistical methods for imaging studies, design and conduct of multi-institutional studies, and regulatory processes. Each workshop trainee will be expected to develop a protocol for a clinical study, ready for inclusion in a grant application for external funding.
http://www.rsna.org/Research/educational_courses.cfm

UCSF Clinical and Translational Sciences Training
The goal of CTST is to enhance clinical and translational research training broadly at all levels at UCSF. The program coordinates numerous didactic courses that have trained more than 700 fellows and junior faculty over the past 5 years, and have recently expanded to provide offerings for health science students and residents as well. CTST also oversees a growing set of career development and mentoring activities, and serves as a clearinghouse that provides information on training activities and resources at UCSF and beyond (note: click on the links below for current seminars, workshops, and events).
http://www.ctst.ucsf.edu/training.htm
http://www.ctst.ucsf.edu/events.htm

Potential Projects

1. Multiple projects in developing methods for incorporating PET-CT into radiation treatment planning for cancers of the lung, prostate, head and neck. These projects are currently being conducted in cooperation with the UCSF Department of Radiation Oncology and will allow the post-doctoral trainee to develop expertise in the clinical and physics aspects of both nuclear medicine and radiation therapy.
2. Radioimmunotherapy projects investigating the use of radiolabeled antibodies in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These projects will be conducted in cooperation with UCSF Oncology and will provide the post-doctoral trainee with expertise in the planning and dosimetry of radioimmunotherapy as well as the opportunity to perform research related to this cutting-edge technology.
3. Projects investigating the use of PET-CT in determining response to chemo- and/or radiation - therapy. These projects will allow the post-doctoral trainee to gain experience in various quantitative aspects of PET imaging and to interact closely with colleagues in UCSF Oncology.

2007-2008 T32 Trainees

From left - right: Akhilesh Sista, MD, David Wilson, MD, PhD,
Jafi Lipson, MD, and Nick Costouros, MD.

2006-2007 T32 Trainees

2005-2006 T32 Trainees

Matthew S. Falk, M.D., Antonio C. Westphalen, M.D., Christopher P. Hess, M.D., Ph.D., and Fergus V. Coakley, M.D., Training Grant Program Director

Informal enquiries can be addressed to Drs Fergus Coakley (Program Director and Section Chief, Abdominal Imaging – Fergus.Coakley@radiology.ucsf.edu), Lynne Steinbach (Section Chief, Musculoskeletal Imaging – Lynne.Steinbach@radiology.ucsf.edu), William Dillon (Section Chief, Neuroradiology - Bill.Dillon@radiology.ucsf.edu), or Randy Hawkins (Section Chief, Nuclear Medicine – Randy.Hawkins@radiology.ucsf.edu).