Physician Scientists
Training the next generation of academic leaders in pediatrics is a priority for our department. We support residents who pursue a traditional three-year training program as well as those who choose one of the research pathways developed by the American Board of Pediatrics. In addition, our campus is very eager to support physician-scientist training, as evidenced by our strong NIH-supported MD-PhD program; the Associate Director for this program is Dr. Anna Huttenlocher, a faculty member in our department. We also have T-32 Training Grants for primary care research and health services research.
Research Opportunities
Our department has a number of NIH-funded investigators with a record of collaboration across the UW campus. Faculty members in our department are performing research in the basic sciences, as well as translational and clinical research. Our institution is pleased to have received one of NIH’s prestigious Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA). With this funding, we have developed the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR). As a result, the resources of our medical school and the entire UW campus are available to help foster the careers of our physician-scientists.
Some examples of faculty research include:
Elizabeth D. Cox, MD, PhD |
Dr. Cox’s research addresses quality and safety in pediatric care by examining interactions between parents, the child patient and the healthcare team. |
Marlowe W. Eldridge, MD |
Dr. Eldridge’s research addresses the function, regulation, and consequences of newly identified lung blood vessels in health and disease. More information is on his lab website. |
Anna Huttenlocher, MD |
Dr. Huttenlocher’s research focuses on characterizing the molecular mechanisms that regulate cell migration. Implications to tumor metastasis and inflammation are also areas of interest. Her website provides more information on her research. |
Pamela J. Kling, MD |
Dr. Kling is exploring the disparity in iron deficiency anemia among diverse populations of neonates. Her research brings together basic and clinical researchers in conjunction with the state screening program. |
Bruce S. Klein, MD |
Dr. Klein’s lab is interested in host-pathogen interactions, with an emphasis on fungi. They study the molecular and genetic mechanisms that enable fungi to invade human hosts, and the host defense mechanisms that promote recognition and clearance of fungal pathogens. They also investigate microbial pathogenesis and microbial immunity. |
De-Ann M. Pillers, MD, PhD |
Dr. Pillers’ research focus is in understanding the pathobiology and molecular basis of the nonmuscle manifestations of inherited muscular dystrophies. Dr. Pillers also investigates the genetic basis of disease in the newborn, and the application of molecular diagnostic methods to complications of prematurity. |
Christine M. Seroogy, MD |
Dr. Seroogy's research interests are focused on CD25+ T regulatory cells, specifically their role in allergic diseases and the role of a novel E3 ubiquitin ligase, GRAIL in their biological function. Her studies utilize murine models and human cells. |
Paul M. Sondel, MD, PhD |
Dr. Sondel's research interests are in the area of Clinical immunotherapy of cancer and tumor immunology. His website provides more information on his research. |
Fellowships
Our department sponsors fellowships in the following areas. The directors for each fellowship are listed and can be contacted for additional information:
| Allergy & Immunology | mhm [at] medicine [dot] wisc [dot] edu (Mark Moss, MD) |
| Critical Care | ghollman [at] pediatrics [dot] wisc [dot] edu (Gregory A. Hollman, MD) |
| Endocrinology & Diabetes | dballen [at] pediatrics [dot] wisc [dot] edu (David B. Allen, MD) |
| Genetics & Metabolism | wargowski [at] waisman [dot] wisc [dot] edu (David S. Wargowski, MD) |
| Hematology & Oncology | dovat [at] pediatrics [dot] wisc [dot] edu (Sinisa Dovat, MD, DSc) |
| Neonatal & Perinatal Medicine | pillersd [at] pediatrics [dot] wisc [dot] edu (De-Ann M. Pillers, MD, PhD) |
| Primary Care Sports Medicine | dtbernhardt [at] pediatrics [dot] wisc [dot] edu (David T. Bernhardt, MD) |
| Pulmonology | mjrock [at] pediatrics [dot] wisc [dot] edu (Michael J. Rock, MD) |
More detailed information for each fellowship can be found on the fellowship page.
We are fortunate to have a faculty that includes a number of MD-PhD-trained investigators who serve as physician-scientist role models and mentors for our residents.
We will tailor your interview day so we can learn more about your individual interests and so that you can learn more about what we can offer you.
Resident Research Interests
Our residents are actively involved in a variety of scholarly activity projects – looking at breastfeeding among Latinas, environmental health issues around lead screening, and advocating for high school coaches to become CPR trained – just to name a few.
We also have two MD-PhD residents currently enrolled in the program. Dr. Erin Klaffky completed her MD-PhD training at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Her PhD is in Cell Biology and she did post-doc research investigating the influence of laminin isoforms on trophoblast cell behavior in implantation and placentation. Dr. Adam Wolfe completed his MD-PhD training at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. His previous research was in molecular and cellular aspects of vertebrate lens development, and he plans to pursue a hematology-oncology fellowship.
Contact Us
We welcome the opportunity to talk with you to help you determine if the environment here will be supportive of your particular career goals. This individualized attention will continue during your residency, as we provide a stimulating academic environment to nurture your goals and offer you an excellent, balanced pediatric education. If you would like more information or would like to get in contact with our residents who are pursuing a physician-scientist path, please residency [at] pediatrics [dot] wisc [dot] edu (contact us).