Research

The fellows have 20 months of blocked, protected research time. There are four additional months of scheduled elective time (two in the second and third year each), that will be tailored to the fellow’s interest, which may be used for research. The actual amount of time spent on basic science vs. clinical research is up to the individual fellow, but each fellow is required to complete at least one basic science project (see below) and one clinical research project.

During the first year, the first four months of blocked research time are dedicated to the “Introduction of Laboratory Techniques.” Fellows will learn and perform basic laboratory techniques and formulate a basic science project under the tutelage of Dr. David Cool, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology and director of the Proteome Analysis Laboratory. During the last two months of the first year and the first two months of the second year, fellows will complete a basic science research project. The blocked research time in the second and third years is designed to be tailored to the individual fellow’s interests. Each fellow is expected to complete and publish at least one basic science and one clinical research project, however the curriculum is designed to permit and accommodate many more projects and publications. There will be a monthly Fellow’s Research Conference where the fellows’ research plans and progress will be reviewed. The research conference will also serve as a forum for faculty oversight and mentoring of the fellows’ research.

The following is a sampling of current faculty research projects:

1. Randomized placebo controlled trial for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth with micronized progesterone
2. Effect of variable FiO2 on cesarean section surgical site infection rates
3. Serum progesterone levels in women treated with 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate
4. cis-Acting elements in the transcription of HOX A11 homeobox gene
5. Expression and function of NDGR1/RTP in human placental trophoblasts
6. The relationship between a single umbilical artery and fetal growth
7. Correlation between ultrasonographically detected facial bony abnormalities and Down syndrome in the second trimester
8. Effectiveness of tuberculin skin test vs. whole blood human interferon-gamma assay in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis in the obstetric population
9. Ion transport evaluation in cord blood cells and correlation with clinical markers of fetal brain damage in fetuses exposed to stressful delivery conditions
10. Mechanisms of placental protective role during antenatal steroid therapy

Fellows will receive protected and structured instruction in both basic science and clinical research. During the first year the Fellow will take two graduate classes: STT 510: Biostatistics for health professionals (4 credits), and BMS 703: Research Ethics (1 credit). Also during the first year the fellow will serve on the hospital ethics committee, under the supervision of Dr. David Uddin, Ph.D. Dr. Uddin is the vice chairman of the MVH Institutional Review Board (IRB) and chair of the MVH Ethics Committee. He will provide training to the fellows on bioethics, HIPPA and IRB processes and board membership. The first-year fellow will serve on the MVH Ethics Committee, and the second-year fellow will serve on the hospital IRB.

Dr. Harry Khamis, Ph.D., professor of mathematics and statistics and director of the Statistical Consulting Center at Wright State University, is available for consultation on research design and statistics. Dr. Khamis will periodically attend the monthly Fellow’s Research Meetings. It is required that each fellow receive approval from Dr. Khamis on the design and methods of his or her thesis prior to starting the project. The fellows will receive didactic instruction from both Dr. Uddin and Dr. Khamis on bioethics and research methods and design during the monthly Fellow’s Conference.