T32 Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
The University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine (UMKC) and Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute jointly offer a two-year Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Postdoctoral Fellowship. The program trains two fellows a year.
The fellowship’s proven success is based on an approach comprised of three synergistic components: education, mentorship, and hands-on research. The program is under the leadership of John Spertus, MD, MPH, Missouri/Lauer Endowed Chair, professor at UMKC, and clinical director of Outcomes Research at the Heart Institute. Dr. Spertus has built a fellowship program that has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in outcomes and health economics research. The center is supported by a large team of investigators and support staff resulting in a robust foundation for training.
Program training
Trainees will engage in hands-on research experiences and have access to highly experienced statisticians and numerous databases including multicenter outcome registries. The training program is designed for those who want to pursue an academic career focused on improving patient-centered cardiovascular care.
This training program offers:
Mentorship
- Multidisciplinary mentorship personalized to meet the needs of each fellow. Our extremely experienced mentors include those from medicine, biostatistics, nursing, health policy, implementation science, public health, and other fields.
- A team of six biostatisticians to help support research productivity.
- Numerous opportunities to improve fellows’ study design and writing skills, along with their public speaking and presentation skills.
- Access to numerous databases including multicenter outcome registries (PREMIER, TRIUMPH, PORTRAIT, PRISM, OPEN CTO, OPTIMUM); clinical trial databases (ISCHEMIA, PARTNER, FREEDOM, SYNTAX); national quality databases (ACC’s National Cardiovascular Data Registries, AHA's Get with the Guidelines—Resuscitation); and publicly available clinical trial and observational data sets.
Education & Certification
- Advanced seminars on specialized skills needed for outcomes research
- Support to obtain a Master's degree in bioinformatics with an emphasis in clinical research for those without prior formal training in the field
- Ability to earn a certificate in biomedical technology entrepreneurship—a key skill set for researchers seeking to create sustainable change in health care
Support
- Salaried position based on NIH postdoctoral stipend scale
- Insurance benefits, vacation time, tuition for Master's coursework, and funds for travel expenses to professional conferences
Integrate outcomes research with cardiology training
For those interested in clinical cardiology, the program offers a combined Clinical Cardiology & Outcomes Research Fellowship pathway that integrates outcomes research with clinical training (four years combined research/clinical). Learn more about the ACGME-accredited Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program.
Achievements and accolades
- Fellows have presented poster and podium presentations at national conferences, including AHA Scientific Sessions, AHA Quality of Care and Outcomes Research [QCOR] Scientific Sessions, and ACC Scientific Sessions, averaging more than 15 abstracts per graduate.
- Past participants have published in peer-reviewed journals, including JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, JACC, and Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, with an average of over 10 peer-reviewed publications per graduate.
- Fellows have received honors of special distinction at national conferences. For example, fellows have been winners and finalists in AHA QCOR Young Investigator Award competitions, ACC “Rising Star Fellow-In-Training Award,” “Best of AHA Specialty Conferences,” ACC “Best Posters,” and “Best Fellow-In-Training Posters,” and academic institution awards for excellence in academics and research.
- Fellows and graduates have received funding as principal and co-investigators on Patient Center and Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grants, AHA Grant-in-Aid, industry-sponsored projects, and post-fellowship career development awards.
- All program graduates have entered academic careers or are currently completing clinical training.
Saint Luke's faculty
Program leadership
John Spertus, MD, MPH
Program Director
Paul S. Chan, MD
Associate Program Director
Danielle M. Olds, MPH, PhD, RN
Assistant Program Director
Additional faculty
- Suzanne V. Arnold, MD
- Timothy M. Bateman, MD
- Matthew C. Bunte, MD
- Adnan K. Chhatriwalla, MD
- Stacy L. Farr, MPH, PhD
- Timothy J. Fendler, MD
- Anna Grodzinsky, MD
- Sanjaya K. Gupta, MD
- Chetan P. Huded, MD
- Phil Jones, MS
- Mikhail N. Kosiborod, MD
- Michael E. Nassif, MD
- James H. O'Keefe Jr., MD
- Adam C. Salisbury, MD
- Andrew J. Sauer, MD
- John T. Saxon, MD
- Brett W. Sperry, MD
- Daniel A. Steinhaus, MD
- Randall C. Thompson, MD
- Alan P. Wimmer, MD
Eligibility
- US citizens or permanent residents
- Possess an MD, DO, PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree
- Physician candidates must have completed residency training
- Applicants are welcome from health service professions including internal medicine, cardiology, public health, neurology, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, and other health-related fields
Application process
Cardiology-bound applicants should apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service. Indicate your interest in applying for:
- Cardiovascular Outcomes Research pathway
- Combined Clinical Cardiology & Outcomes Research pathway
Non-cardiology-bound applicants should email dolds@saint-lukes.org for application information.
More information
We welcome your interest in the Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Fellowship program. For more information, contact Danielle Olds, MPH, PhD, RN, Assistant Program Director, at dolds@saint-lukes.org.
About Kansas City
Saint Luke’s is proud to call Kansas City home. With locations on both sides of the state line, the health system serves more than 2.1 million people and 240 neighborhoods in Kansas and Missouri. USA Today has regularly named Kansas City a top area for affordability, high-quality schools, and low traffic. Learn more at www.visitkc.com.