Jeremy Meier, MD, PhD, and Simon Gray, MD, PhD, and Erin Steinbach, MD, PhD, will receive support from the UNC School of Medicine Physician Scientists Training Program to cultivate their careers as translational clinician scientists. Dr. Meier and Dr. Gray are both clinical fellows in the Department of Medicine while Dr. Steinbach is an assistant professor in the department.
As part of the Forward Together Strategic Plan, the UNC School of Medicine Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) supports a small number of clinicians committed to translating research findings to advance the practice of medicine in addition to providing clinical care and teaching. PSTP is a pipeline to recruit, train, and retain promising individuals and provide them with support and mentorship to cultivate their research programs.
The PSTP supports physician scientists at both the resident or fellowship level and the early stage faculty level. In the inaugural cycle, four individuals were inducted into this prestigious program. The success of the “grow our own” physician scientist development philosophy is already highlighted by these initial inductees. The two inaugural fellow trainees, Alena Markmann and Erin Steinbach have joined the UNC faculty and of the initial four inductees, Alena Markmann (Medicine), Tessa Andermann (Medicine), and Peyton Thompson (Pediatrics) have already successfully acquired NIH funding through K-series career development awards. In 2021 an additional six physician scientists were added to the program and this year’s four awardees in 2022 will join them in receiving funding and mentorship to help them develop successful research programs.
“Physician scientists are a critical bridge for translating the gap between novel discovery science and patient care, and the UNC SOM PSTP has cultivated a very successful environment that continues to grow and support our talented pool of physician scientists at early stages in their career” says Blossom Damania, School of Medicine Vice Dean for Research. “We are committed to the PSTP as a catalyst for translational research that enhances our recruitment and retention of the best and brightest physician scientists.”