Research Opportunities
Scholarly Activities
The UCSD Internal Medicine Residency has a strong tradition of being a highly academic training program. In that regard, the residency has taken advantage of the excellent research and clinical faculty to help achieve the goals of participating in scholarly activities for all residents. It is our purpose to train residents in both clinical medicine and the scientific basis of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. In other words, we emphasize both the science and practice of medicine. The residents have two areas of scholarly activities. One is required and the other is elective.
All of the residents are required to present their scholarly activities in one or more of the following venues: Morning Report, Noon Conference/Journal Club, or Evening Journal Club. These activities include presentation of topics on evidence-based medicine, and critical research journal article analysis as well as topics focused on "mechanism of medicine." These activities are presented to their fellow residents as well as the Program Director and their attendings. They are critiqued at that time, and the hand-outs for prepared work are included in the resident's portfolio. They are required to do a minimum of five EBM'S and one journal club.
Research Elective
The residency offers two months of elective time during their second or third year when trainees undertake a research project under the tutelage of a faculty mentor. During the previous year, the residents are taught about preparation of a proposal for a research project which takes the form of an abbreviated NIH research application. They prepare this after the educational sessions with the help of their mentor. We emphasize the importance of the choice of a mentor who will spend time with a trainee and help them prepare their project to undertake at the beginning of the elective time. These projects run the range from epidemiology to clinical studies to basic science/ bench research. The faculty has been extremely receptive to mentorship, and the projects are presented in the traditional oral format of research papers at the end of the year. Their colleagues, mentors, and other faculty attend these evening presentations, and they have been quite successful. Many of the research projects have gone on to not only national meeting presentations, but also to peer-review manuscripts. Generally about sixty percent of the residents will choose this elective.
With this combination of required and elective activity, we feel that the resident has at the least had the experience to undertake a project and critically evaluate it or at the best end up with a peer-review publication. It has proved to be a valuable experience not only to those who are going into an academic career, but also those who may be going into a clinical practice.
Resident Research Symposium
At the end of the year, residents present the results of their reserach projects during a symposium coordinated by the residency program. The general academic community is invited in addition to the housestaff and their mentors. This is a great opportunity for residents to showcase their work as well as a supportive environment to gain experience preparing and delivering an academic talk.
Research Conferences
Housestaff are encouraged to submit and present their results at regional and national conferences.
Prior Research Topics
"Prognostic and Therapeutic Utility of B-Type Natriuretic Peptides in Renal Failure Patients."
"Radioactive Microspheres: Role in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer."
"A Mouse Model to Study the Hemostatic Effects of Viral Gene Therapy in Malignancy."
"Temporal Correlation ECG Analysis Accurately Determines Cycle Length in Atrial Fibrillation."
"The Contribution of Connective Tissue Growth Factor in the Pathogenesis of Airway Remodeling in Asthma."
"B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Impedance Cardiography Testing: Helpful Predictors of Heart Failure Events."
"The use of FRET in Exploring Insulin Resistance."
"Lower Extremity Arterial Disease and Erectile Dysfunction."
"Low Complication Rate of LISS for Femur Fractures Adjacent to Stable Hip or Knee Arthroplasty."
"The Inflammation of Fatty Growths in Adiposis Dolorosa (Dercum's Disease) is Different from Obesity."
"Response to Intra-Articular Steriods in Knee Osteoarthritis Using Ultrasound Predictors."
"Effects of Mast Cell Degranulation on Middle Ear Mucosa: An In-Vitro Model."
"Effect of Immunostimulatory DNA Sequences on Key Aspects of Fibroblast Metabolism."
"Improvement of Brain Dopamine Metabolism by Branched-Chain Amino Acids in Ischemia-Induced Hepatic Injury in Rats."
"Allergin-induced peribronchial fibrosis and mucus production mediated by IkB kinase B-dependent genes in airway epithelium."
"Mechanism of Coxsackierviral Myocarditis."
"Regulation of AMPK in Impaired Glucose Tolerance."
"Baclofen in the Use of Refractory Heartburn."
"Clinical Probability Scores in Patients Who Subsequently Died of PE."
"Adenosine, Akt Phosphorylation and Insulin Sensitivity."
"The Role of IL-9 in Airway Remodeling in Asthma."
"Differential Effects of (R)- and (S)- Albuterol in T Lymphocytes."
"The Role of Nucleic Acid Amplification in the Diagnosis of TB."
"The Effects of Passive Smoking on Allergic Inflammation in the Upper Airways and the Response to Steroid vs. ISS."
"An Engraftment Model of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia into a NOD/SCID Mouse."
"NFkB Activation in ZAP 70+CLL Cells."
"Does Prior Endoscopy Improve Survival in Esophageal Adenocardinoma?"
"Computed Tomography Compared with Echocardiography in the Evaluation of Hemodynamically Significant Pericardial Effusion."
"The Effects of w-6:2-3 Proportions on the Induction of Inflammation in Raw Cells."
"Mid-Systolic Deceleration ("Notching") of Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Pulsed Wave Doppler Velosity: A Specific Marker of Elevated Pulmonary Vascular Resistance in Suspected Chronic Thomboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension."
"Health Care Workers' Perceptions of Barriers to HIV/AIDS Care on the San Diego-Tijuana Border."
"A Possible Mechanism for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Excessive Sialylation of the Fibrinogen gamma-Chain."
"Predictive Value of Thumb to Forearm Flex Test on Progression through Labor."
"Thiazolidinedione Use and Protection Against Reperfusion Injury at Cardiac Catheterization."
"A Search for Cardiac Progenitor Cells."
"Isolation of cell wall mutants in Aspergillus nidulans by screening for hypersensitivity to Calcofluor White."
"ECG Analysis and Characterization of Atrial Arrhythmias."
"Echocardiographic Evaluation of Diastolic Dysfunction."
"Predicting Arrhythmia-Free Survival Using Spectral and Modified-Moving Average Analyses of T-Wave Alternans."
"Mpl Dimerization and Jak2 Signaling."
"The Effect of Anti-TNF-alpha Agents on Glycemic Control in Patients with Diabetes."
"Helicobacter pylori infection and iron deficiency anemia in an adult population: a single university experience."
"Dopamine Beta Hydroxylase Activity and Hypertension."
"Thrombopoletin Effects on GSk3-beta: Cellular Regulation Up Close."
"The Role of Myocardial Contractility in Mitral Valve Prolapse."
"Using Volumetric Capnography to Predict Liberation from Mechanical Ventilation."
"Glomerular Filtration Rate and N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide as Predictors of Cardiovascular Mortality in Vascular Patients."
"Weight Gain and Fat Distribution with Pioglitazone in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes on Insulin Therapy."
"Physical Health and Depression as Predictors of Fatigue in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy."
"NASH that is not caused by Obesity."
"Impact of Vascular Access Surveillance on Outcomes."
"Left Ventricular Dysfunction Among Methamphetamine Users."
"Clinical Probability Scores in Patients who Subsequently Died of Pulmonary Embolus."
"Venous Thromboembolism in Cirrhotic Patients."
"3-D Echo in the Evaluation of Right Ventricular Hypertrophy."
"Routine Inpatient HIV Testing."
"Structural and Functional Changes in the Right Ventricle Following PTE Characterized by MRI."
"Treatment of Crohn's disease in a university-based gastroenterology clinic: is our standard of care the optimal care?"
"Circulating Adiponectin Levels in PCOS."
"Health Related Quality of Life and Predictors of Clinical Response in Pulmonary Rehabilitation."
"Feasibility of 2D-Speckle Tracking Strain Rate Imaging to Evaluate for Stress Inducted Myocardial Infarction."