In order to increase the number of UT Southwestern faculty in the Clinical Scholar track, we are launching the Dean’s Scholar in Clinical Research Program. This initiative will provide early-career faculty with protected research time, research support, didactic research training, and career guidance and mentorship to facilitate their development as successful clinical scientists.

Physician-scientists who have completed their training and have exceptional potential as a clinical researcher may be nominated by their department chairs. Nominations will be reviewed by a steering committee of senior clinical faculty. 

Scholar Eligibility

• Physician-scientists can be nominated after they have completed their final year of training or up to three years after becoming faculty. 

• Candidates must be eligible to have at least 50% protected time and be appointed on the Clinical Scholar track.

Scholar Support

• The Dean’s office will provide up to 50% salary support (up to the NIH salary cap) for up to three years. The Dean’s office will also provide up to $50,000 per year for two years in startup support and tuition support for clinical research coursework at UT Southwestern.

• The department chair will provide salary support (if any) above the NIH cap, additional protected research time (beyond 50%), and matching startup research support.

• A Scholar mentorship team and annual review will provide career guidance and support.

Nominations will be considered on a rolling basis throughout the year. The program currently has funding to appoint between five to seven new scholars each year. Full details available online. 

Since 2019, Amy and Leslie Ware have provided early-career UT Southwestern clinicians with support to conduct research with a particular focus on the heart or brain. This year, four UT Southwestern faculty were chosen for this competitive award including: (top, from left) Dr. Alvin Chandra, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Dr. Nicholas Hendren, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Dr. Carrie McAdams, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Dr. Ying Xian, Section Head of Research, Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases and Associate Professor of Neurology. Each Ware Scholar will receive $50,000 for their clinical research.  

Dr. Benjamin Levine, Director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine (IEEM), speaks during the Institute's 30-year anniversary celebration last month. Dozens of scientists and patients from around the world, who have been part of IEEM's three-decade history, joined the hybrid event. 

The Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine (IEEM) – a partnership between UT Southwestern and Texas Health Resources (THR) – celebrated its 30-year anniversary last month. The program included remarks from a wide range of national and international scientists who trained at IEEM, and patients whose lives have been enhanced by the Institute’s integrative physiology approach to care.

Under the leadership of Dr. Benjamin Levine, Professor of Internal Medicine who holds the Distinguished Professorship in Exercise Sciences, the IEEM studies the limits to human functional capacity in health and disease with the objective of improving the quality of life for people of all ages.

From understanding the impact of space travel on astronauts to determining why certain patients are at risk for developing heart failure, the IEEM has contributed much to our understanding of human physiology. 

Since 1992, IEEM researchers have received nearly $200 million in extramural research funds from leading institutions such as NASA, the Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health. Investigators with the IEEM have published more than 1,000 peer-reviewed papers. They have trained 410 postdocs, students, and visiting scientists, and treated close to 11,000 patients.

Community Engagement Grand Rounds

Ank Nijhawan, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.C.S., presents "HIV/AIDS Reentry Coalition: Impact of Community Engagement of Patient Care and Research"

• Tuesday, Oct. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. Register to attend.

Sponsored Programs Administration Research Roundup

Funding agency deadline reminders, process changes, and general research regulatory and administrative updates for research support staff, faculty, and department administrators. 

• First Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. Register to attend.

Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Granting Opportunity

Young investigators conducting research on obesity, metabolism, and nutrition may apply for awards funded by the NIH's Nutrition Obesity Research Centers grant.

• Apply by Nov. 1. For submissions and questions, contact UTSWNORC@utsouthwestern.edu.

TAMU/UTSW Collaborative CTSA Program One Health Day Celebration

Dr. Sarah A. Hamer, Professor in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences at Texas A&M University, and Dr. Ashley B. Saunders, Professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, present “Trypanosoma cruzi: A One-Health Approach to the Epidemiology of and Control of Canine Chagas Disease.” 

• Thursday, Nov. 3, at noon. Register to attend. Zoom meeting ID: 950 8375 2298, passcode: 867320.

Clinical Researcher Catalyst Holiday Celebration

A new program for those with a strong commitment to a career as a clinical researcher will start with a pilot cohort in January 2023. Join a holiday celebration to network and learn more about clinical research career development opportunities.

• Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5-6:30 p.m. Register to attend.