The goal of the research training program is to provide an introduction to basic translational pulmonary and critical care research. It is an introduction for those who wish to pursue on academic career.

Pulmonary research fellows are assigned a mentor toward the end of the first year of their fellowship. The fellow is encouraged to review literature in the mentor’s area of expertise and begin a preliminary study during the second year. The entire third year and an optional fourth year are available for research under the mentor’s direction.

A 20-lecture course on clinical research emphasizing epidemiology and biostatistics is offered through the GCRC and is required. Lectures in research ethics are offered throughout the Division and Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences; these are also required. A basic science core curriculum is also attend during the summer for the third year of the program.

The Division has a weekly Molecular and Cell Biology Research Conference where each fellow presents their work at least twice per year. Presentations include hypothesis, background, experimental approach and data. Fellows are expected to submit an abstract to an annual society meeting in their first year. They are also expected to complete a manuscript during their fellowship. The Division has been awarded an institutional training grant (T32) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for molecular and cellular biology training in environmental medicine.

Investigations are conducted at various research centers.