Research opportunities are diverse in basic and clinical sciences. Research training is tailored to meet the particular needs and desires of the individual fellow. Opportunities not only exist within the division of Pediatric Cardiology, but also throughout the entire UCLA Medical Campus. Research begins in the first year of training with each fellow taking an existing dataset and preparing an abstract. This project culminates in an abstract presentation. By second year, the fellow directs research interests in their area of career interests, seeking a mentor and in some instances research grants. Fellows are taught in seminars on "How to do research, prepare and present abstracts, manuscripts and grants." Research opportunities exist in:
Developmental Cardiovascular Biology, Membrane, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Active Transport, Protein Biochemistry, Muscle Mechanics and Energetics, Cardiovascular Immunology, Molecular Biology of the Cardiovascular System, Genetic Basis of Cardiovascular Disease. Also, by having the entire UCLA campus on site, fellows have the opportunity to have research mentors through many areas beyond pediatrics, including internal medicine and biomedical engineering.
UCLA's large and diverse clinical volume lends itself to a variety of research opportunities, including both retrospective reviews and prospective studies. Fellows have access to a clinical database that can cross-index echo, cath and surgical data. Furthermore, fellows can obtain a master's degree (MPH) in clinical investigation through the Department of Public Health.
Trainees will be conversant with the scientific method of approach to clinical or fundamental biological problems. Such skills enable he/she to give critical analysis of the research and publications of others and to conduct a mandatory clinical or basic research project.
