The second and third years of training are largely devoted to research. The nature of the research will be individualized to the interests of each fellow, and their clinical activity will be tailored to fit those research interests as appropriate.
Vanderbilt offers rich opportunities for fellows’ involvement in both basic and clinical research. Dr. Anna Patrick has developed a strong program in investigating lymphocyte biology in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and is actively involved in leading translational research initiatives in pediatric rheumatology at the national level. Dr. Alaina Davis has been a leader in mental health research in pediatric rheumatology. She has studied the prevalence of depression in lupus and is expanding this work to juvenile dermatomyositis. Her work has noted connection between depression and medication adherence in pediatric lupus. She has led quality improvement initiatives to make mental health screening an integral part of our clinic and helped to disseminate this approach to other centers. Dr. Brent Graham is involved with registry and interventional studies in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. He has also published in the areas of autoimmune encephalopathy and pain in rheumatic disease in recent years.
The Division is actively involved with collaborative studies with CARRA (Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance) as well as PRCSG (Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group). Collaboration with adult rheumatology is also strong. Division fellows have received funding on T32 grants with other divisions, including adult rheumatology.
The process of selecting a research mentor will begin in the first year of training. The first year fellow will meet with the fellowship director six months into the year specifically to discuss research interests. Based on the fellows’ individual interests, the fellowship director will facilitate identification of a research mentor for each trainee. This timeframe will allow for sufficient and organized planning of the fellows’ research focus for their second and third years.