Scholarly Activity

Many fellows begin their training with minimal research experience. Thus, the Jefferson Medical College Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Program begins the training process in research with a series of lectures of study design, grant preparation, data management, the IRB process, and related topics. Additionally, all first-year fellows will take a mandatory 8-week course in statistical analysis.

The process for selecting a research project begins with a presentation by the faculty about current research areas of interest. Fellows are then encouraged to meet with individual faculty to delve more deeply into their areas of investigation. Fellows then pick an area of study that is suitable to their own interests and long-term career goals.

Fellows who need assistance identifying a project may receive additional guidance by the program director and key faculty. It is also acceptable if the fellow’s scholarly interests lie outside the division. Each fellow is also provided with a Scholarly Oversight Committee, which will help guide them through the process by meeting periodically to assess the fellow’s research progress and productivity.

There are many research opportunities within our Neonatology Division. Fellows are encouraged to pursue projects in basis science and clinical research. The laboratory research experiences offered included Dr. Janet Larson’s laboratory for translational genetic research and Drs. Thomas Shaffer and Marla Wolfson’s laboratories, which study newborn respiratory physiology. Active clinical research areas include a long history of neonatal epidemiology and outcomes research, infectious disease transmission, family stress, maternal depression, and many others. Clinical research is also supported by three research nurses.