CZ Biohub Launches Physician-Scientist Fellowship Program To Promote Medical Research and Discovery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO — The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, a nonprofit medical research organization, has launched the CZ Biohub Physician-Scientist Fellowship Program designed to train the next generation of physician-scientists dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and discovery.

Physician-scientists are doctors who combine the practice of medicine with a mix of basic or clinical research. Trained in a multidisciplinary approach, physician-scientists are uniquely equipped to explore research ideas that link the biomedical sciences to the clinical care of patients, leading to discoveries that enhance human health.

In recent years, the number of physician-scientists has decreased dramatically. This pilot program aims to provide young doctors with a new track to pursue scientific training and to reduce the barriers to explore those interests. The fellowship also tests whether there is demand for programs like this and if providing this kind of opportunity will increase the number of physician-scientist trainees.

“At CZ Biohub, our mission is to develop the tools and technologies needed to understand the fundamental biological mechanisms underlying diseases and to enable the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics,” said Joe DeRisi, co-president of CZ Biohub. “My own experience has taught me that fascinating new biology often accompanies unusual patient presentations, and physician-scientists are uniquely positioned to both realize and investigate such biology. I believe our fellows will have a unique opportunity to take part in an immersive program that will give them the tools to make good on the promise of both medical and basic scientific discovery.”

The CZ Biohub Physician-Scientist Fellowship Program is a two- to three-year program for individuals enrolled full time in a medical residency or post-residency program at Stanford University or the University of California, San Francisco. Fellows will have the opportunity to conduct biomedical research for 24–36 months in the laboratory of a faculty mentor at one of CZ Biohub’s three collaborating campuses – Stanford, UCSF, or the University of California, Berkeley – or in one of the intramural research labs at CZ Biohub.

“We are excited to help support the career development of an emerging generation of physician-scientists, which will further our overarching goal to cure, prevent, or manage disease within our children’s lifetime,” said Steve Quake, co-president of CZ Biohub.

In addition to providing research experience and mentoring, the program will include a curriculum taught in a peer-to-peer fashion focused on biomedical and clinical research topics selected by the fellows, as well as medical economics, grant writing, career development and ethics.

“Despite their important role in biomedical discovery, fewer physicians are dedicating their professional lives to research,” said David Cornfield, M.D., the program’s co-director and a professor in pediatric pulmonary medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. “The CZ Biohub Physician-Scientist Fellowship Program aims to change that by providing medical doctors who have limited research experience with the opportunity to pursue a basic research path, gain expertise, and cultivate their passion for advancing medical knowledge.”

“An interdisciplinary approach is essential to addressing the most challenging problems in human health,” added Ethan Weiss, program co-director and associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. “Training the next generation of physician-scientists to converse fluently in the languages of science, computational biology, technology, and medicine will be integral to posing the right questions, solving medical challenges, and transforming current paradigms of patient care.”

Applications are currently being accepted through Oct. 1, 2019. Applicants must be enrolled full time in an accredited post-graduate medical training program at either UCSF or Stanford, and must hold an M.D., but not a Ph.D. Applicants must also:

• Participate in a residency or post-residency program during fellowship training
• Commit 100% time to a 24-month program, with an option for another 12 months
• Commit to at least 75% research effort while maintaining at least 20% clinical effort

Interested individuals may visit https://www.czbiohub.org/psfp for more information and to apply online.