• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
UCLA Neurosurgery

UCLA Neurosurgery

UCLA Neurosurgery
  • About Us
    • Chair's Welcome
    • Neurosurgery Faculty
    • Our History
    • Clinical Quality Program
    • Innovation and Technology
    • Giving
    • eNewsletters
    • In the News
    • Webcasts
    • Webinars
    • Resources and Links
    • Global Neuro Health
    • Golden Portal Awards
    • Visionary Ball
    • Lab Party
    • UCLA Neurosurgery App
    • Spotlights
    • Chair's Welcome
    • Neurosurgery Faculty
    • Our History
    • Clinical Quality Program
    • eNewsletters
    • Innovation and Technology
    • In the News
    • Webcasts
    • Webinars
    • Giving
    • Global Neuro Health
    • Lab Party
    • Spotlights
    • Submit Anonymous Feedback (For Faculty)
  • Conditions Treated
    • Alphabetical Conditions
    • Brain Conditions
    • Brain Tumor
    • Pediatric Conditions
    • Spine Conditions
    • Vascular Conditions
    • Acoustic Neuroma
    • Adult Tethered Cord
    • Acromegaly
    • Acute Subdural Hematomas
    • Anaplastic Astrocytoma (AA)
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Aqueductal Stenosis
    • Arachnoid Cysts
    • Arnold Chiari Malformation
    • Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
    • Astrocytoma
    • Ballism
    • Basilar Invagination
    • Brachial Plexus Injury
    • Brain Aneurysm
    • Brain Attack (Stroke)
    • Brain AVM
    • Brain Conditions
    • Brain Metastases
    • Brainstem Glioma
    • Carotid Dissection
    • Carotid Stenosis
    • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
    • Causalgia
    • Cavernous Angioma
    • Cerebral Aneurysms
    • Cerebral Contusion and Intracerebral Hematoma
    • Chordomas
    • Chorea
    • Chronic Subdural Hematomas
    • Colloid Cyst
    • Coma
    • Concussion
    • Congenital Dermal Sinus
    • Cranial GunShot Wounds
    • Craniopharyngioma
    • Craniosynostosis
    • Cushing's Disease
    • Cyst Epidermoid Tumor
    • Dandy Walker Syndrome
    • Degenerative Disc Disease
    • Dermoid Tumor
    • Disc Herniation
    • Dural Arteriovenous Malformations
    • Dystonia
    • Ependymoma
    • Epidermoid Tumor (Cyst)
    • Epidural Hematomas
    • Epilepsy
    • Essential Tremor
    • Extratemporal Lobe Epilepsies
    • Facet Joint Syndrome
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Frontal Lobe Epilepsy
    • Ganglioglioma
    • Glioblastoma
    • Germinoma
    • Glioma
    • Glomus Jugulare Tumor
    • Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
    • Hemangioblastomas
    • Hemi-Facial Spasm
    • Hydrocephalus
    • Hyperhidrosis
    • Intracerebral Hemorrhage
    • Intracranial Hypotension
    • JPA
    • Low-Grade Astrocytoma
    • Lymphocytic Hypophysitis
    • Lymphoma
    • Malignant Nerve Sheath Tumors
    • Medulloblastoma
    • Meningioma Brain Tumor
    • Meralgia Paresthetica
    • Metastatic Brain Tumors
    • Moyamoya Disease
    • Myelomeningocele
    • Myelopathy
    • Nelson's Syndrome
    • Neurocysticercosis
    • Neurofibromatosis Type 2 and Schwannomatosis
    • Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
    • Oligodendroglioma
    • Optic Nerve Glioma
    • Osteoarthritis of the Peripheral Joint
    • Osteoarthritis of the Spine
    • Osteomyelitis
    • Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures
    • Parkinsons Syndrome
    • Pediatric Conditions
    • Pediatric Hydrocephalus
    • Peripheral Nerve Injury
    • Phantom Limb Pain
    • Pineal Tumor
    • Pineoblastoma
    • Pineocytoma
    • Platybasia
    • Postherpetic Neuralgia
    • Post-Traumatic Seizures
    • Primary CNS Lymphoma
    • Pseudotumor Cerebri
    • Radiculopathy—Cervical & Lumbar (Pinched Nerve)
    • Recurrent Adenomas
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Schwannomas
    • Scoliosis
    • Seizure
    • Skull Fracture
    • Slit Ventricle Syndrome
    • Spasticity
    • Spinal Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
    • Spinal Compression Fractures
    • Spine Conditions
    • Spinal Cord Injury
    • Spinal Cord Lipomas & Lipomyelomeningoceles
    • Spinal Cord Tumors
    • Stenosis
    • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
    • Syringomyelia
    • Tethered Cord Syndrome
    • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
    • Thyrotroph (TSH) Secreting Adenomas
    • Torticollis
    • Traumatic Hematomas
    • Trigeminal Neuralgia
    • Trochanteric Bursitis
    • Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
  • Clinical Programs
    • Brain Tumor Center
    • Cerebrovascular
    • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery
    • Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
    • Pediatric Neurosurgery
    • Peripheral Nerve
    • Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery
    • Spine Center
    • Brain Tumor Center
    • Cerebrovascular
    • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery
    • Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
    • Pediatric Neurosurgery
    • Peripheral Nerve
    • Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery
    • Spine Center
  • For Patients
    • Appointment Request
    • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
    • Contact Us
    • Maps and Directions
    • myUCLAhealth
    • UCLA Neurosurgery app
    • Preparing for Neurosurgery
    • Peer Support Program
    • Going Home After Surgery
    • Billing Information
    • Suspect a Brain Injury?
    • Patient Stories
    • Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Resources and Links
    • Appointment Request
    • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
    • Contact Us
    • myUCLAhealth
    • UCLA Neurosurgery App
    • Preparing for Neurosurgery
    • Going Home After Surgery
    • Billing Information
    • Suspect a Brain Injury?
    • Patient Stories
    • Neurosurgery Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Resources and Links
  • Research Innovation
    • Research Scientists
    • Brain Injury Research Center (BIRC)
    • Brain Tumor SPORE
    • Clinical Trials
    • Research Grant Funding
    • Surgical Neurology International
    • Publications
  • Education
    • Residency Training
    • Resident Accolades & Scholarly Activity
    • Fellowship Programs
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Calendar
    • Events
    • Conferences and Courses
    • 100 Subjects in Neurosurgery
    • Submit Anonymous Feedback
  • For Healthcare Professionals
    • How to Refer a Patient
    • Clinical Updates
  • Our Expert Team
    • Joint Faculty
    • Affiliated Faculty
    • Emeritus Faculty
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

UCLA Neurosurgery

Education

Education

Education

  • Residency Training
    • Program Overview
    • Clinical Faculty
    • Clinical Sites
    • Research Training
      • Resident Research Day
    • Our Residents
      • Mark Attiah, MD, MS, MPH
      • Shivani Baisiwala, MD
      • Joseph Bell, MD, PhD
      • Joshua Casaos, MD
      • Jasmine Thum, MD
      • TJ Florence, MD, PhD
      • Maya Harary, MD
      • Matiar Jafari, MD, PhD
      • Wi Jin Kim, MD
      • Azim Laiwalla, MD, PhD
      • I. Yagmur Muftuoglu, MD, PhD
      • Kunal Patel, MD
      • Sophie Peeters, MD
      • H. Westley Phillips, MD
      • H. Milan Samarage, MD
      • Sheel M. Shah, MD, PhD
      • Matthew Sun, MD
      • Zoe Teton, MD
      • Benjamin Uy, MD, PhD
      • Bayard Wilson, MD
      • Peter B. Wu ll, MD
    • Resident Life
    • Resident Accolades & Scholarly Activity
    • Application Process
    • Verifications
    • History of UCLA Neurosurgery
      • In Memoriam
    • Alumni
      • Alumni List
      • In Memoriam
  • Resident Accolades & Scholarly Activity
  • Fellowship Programs
    • Interventional Neuroradiology Fellowship
    • Neurocritical Care Fellowship - UCLA
    • Neurosurgery Spine Fellowship
    • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery Fellowship
    • Verifications
  • Visiting Scholars
    • Neurosurgery Diversity Scholarship
  • Calendar
  • Events
    • Neurosurgery Charity Volleyball Tournament
      • 2018 Event Photos
  • Conferences and Courses
    • Neurosurgery Update
    • Neurotechnology Symposium
  • 100 Subjects in Neurosurgery
  • Submit Anonymous Feedback
  • Residency Training
  • Resident Accolades & Scholarly Activity
  • Fellowship Programs
  • Visiting Scholars
  • Calendar
  • Events
  • Conferences and Courses
  • 100 Subjects in Neurosurgery
  • Submit Anonymous Feedback
  • Program Overview
  • Clinical Faculty
  • Clinical Sites
  • Research Training
  • Our Residents
  • Resident Life
  • Resident Accolades & Scholarly Activity
  • Application Process
  • Verifications
  • History of UCLA Neurosurgery
  • Alumni
  • Resident Research Day
  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Residency Training
  4. Research Training

Research Training

Share this

IMG_6114.jpg

The UCLA Neurosurgery Residency Program seeks to train future neurosurgeons who will strive to extend the frontiers of knowledge, increasing our understanding of the brain and spine, and advancing treatments for a full range of neurological conditions. Accordingly, research training is one of the central pillars of this program and is centered around a longitudinal program to develop residents' research interest and capabilities.

Our aim is to provide an environment where residents can tailor their experience to individual interests and needs, with the end product being a resident fully prepared to excel in an academic career. Under the guidance of the Residency Research Committee, junior residents submit an R25 research proposal in preparation for one year of dedicated research time during the 4th year of training. Residents with modest research experience entering residency learn the fundamentals of scientific research. Other residents with a greater existing experience, including prior PhDs, utilize this opportunity to further enhance their research skills. Residents are supported to attend regional and national conferences and courses throughout their training.

IMG_0036.JPG

The UCLA Neurosurgery Department is one of the top neurosurgery departments in the world in terms of total research funding, with over half of the clinical faculty receiving support of NIH grant support as principle investigators. Department laboratories include neurosurgical-oncology and neuro-immunology, spine and spinal cord injury, neurovascular, epilepsy and functional/neuromodulation, and neurotrauma. Residents can also elect to obtain their research experience outside of our department laboratories, taking advantage of any of the distinguished research faculty at the David Geffen School of Medicine or at the other world-class schoolsUCLA (i.e., Samueli School of Engineering, UCLA Anderson School of Management, etc.) or at the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech). The research training provided results in proven academic successand the academic productivity of the UCLA residency program is ranked second highest in the country among all neurosurgical programs (Taylor et al., J Neurosurg 123:547–560, 2015).

Research activities by PGY and the R25 grant process

PGY1

  • Explore research endeavors in department
  • Orientation to R25 process
  • Begin thinking about area of interest and potential mentors

PGY2

  • Identify research mentor and write the preliminary research proposal

PGY3

  • Finalize research plans and develop a grant proposal with research mentor
  • Participate in the RUNN course 
  • Present research proposal to the Residency Research Committee for critique/approval followed by subsequent modifications as needed
  • Complete an NIH R25 grant proposal for review by the Residency Research Committee
  • Submit IRBs to Human Subject Protection Committee (or Animal Research Committee) for approval and complete all required laboratory safety training courses as needed
  • Submit R25 proposal and any additional grant proposals

PGY4

  • Conduct proposed research
  • Complete mandatory bioethics course

PGY5-6

  • Continue/complete analysis of conducted research with expected submission for peer-reviewed publication
  • Consider applying for extension of R25

PGY7

  • Transition to academic practice year may be used to continue funded research or begin an advanced degree

Alternative research experiences

IMG_0045 2.jpg

For residents looking to expand upon or seek an alternative research experience, our residency program offers many alternatives, including but not limited to:

  • Training at the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute 

  • Masters degree in health policy training at the UCLA School of Public Health

  • UCLA STAR Program, where selected residents can obtain a PhD during residency

  • UCLA Biodesign Program

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube LinkedIn
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap