T32: Training Program in Lung Science

We are currently accepting applications for the Training Program in Lung Science for predoctoral and postdoctoral positions. To apply, please send a recommendation letter from your mentor, your CV, and a short cover letter describing your research activities and interest to pulmonary@northwestern.edu with the subject line: Training Program Applicant. The deadline to apply is six months prior to when you would like funding to begin.

Program Eligibility

All candidates for the Northwestern University Lung Sciences Training Program must meet NRSA citizenship and support requirements:

• Citizenship: Any individual to be trained must be a citizen or noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. 
• NRSA Support: No individual trainee may receive more than 5 years of aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the predoctoral level and 3 years of aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the postdoctoral level, including any combination of support from Kirschstein-NRSA institutional research training grants and individual fellowships.

For more information on NRSA eligibility requirements, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement on Kirschstein-NRSA grants.

Predoctoral Applicant Eligibility

The Northwestern University Lung Sciences Training Program has funding to support three predoctoral trainees. Predoctoral trainees from the following programs are eligible to apply:

• Driskoll Graduate Program (DGP)
• Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program (IBiS)
• Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
• Biomedical Engineering Program (BME)
• Material Science and Engineering Program (MSE)

All predoctoral applicants should have completed their rotations and required coursework and passed their qualifying examinations.

Postdoctoral Applicant Eligibility

The Northwestern University Lung Sciences Training Program has funding to support five postdoctoral trainees. Applicants should be recent PhD postdoctoral fellows with at least one year of training or MD physicians in our fellowship program with at least two years of training in clinical pulmonary and critical care medicine, who aspire to pursue an academic career and have conducted research with one of the mentors of the NULSTP.

Application Process and Deadlines

We are currently accepting applications for the Training Program in Lung Science for predoctoral and postdoctoral positions. To apply, please send a recommendation letter from your mentor, your CV, and a short cover letter describing your research activities and interest to pulmonary@northwestern.edu with the subject line: Training Program Applicant. The deadline to apply is six months prior to when you would like funding to begin.

Meet current trainees and learn more about their research projects. All trainee publications may be viewed on PubMed.

Predoctoral Scholars

McKenzie Fulcer

Mentor: Karen M. Ridge, PhD

McKenzie Fulcer’s research focuses on mechanisms of lung repair and recovery following viral infection. Influenza A virus infection damages type II alveolar epithelial (AT2) cells, leading to accumulation of mitochondrial DNA and subsequent activation of the cGAS-STING pathway to induce type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines. It is known that overactivation of this pathway leads to inflammatory diseases and that patients who develop idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis show increased cGAS-STING pathway activation. However, the role played by AT2 cells in overactivation of the innate immune response after viral clearance and its impacts on alveolar repair is unclear. To shed more light on this pathway, in the laboratory of Karen M. Ridge, PhD, Fulcer is investigating cGAS-STING pathway activation and immune response of AT2 cells following viral infection and clearance.

Selected Publications: 

• The role of the C2A domain of synaptotagmin 1 in asynchronous neurotransmitter release. Shields MC, et al. PLoS One. 2020 May 14;15(5):e0232991. PMID: 32407359.

Jonathan Gurkan

Mentor: Benjamin D. Singer, MD

Jonathan Gurkan’s research examines fatty acid metabolism as a determinant of regulatory T (Treg) cell function during viral pneumonia, when the lungs undergo significant damage. Treg cells, a subset of CD4+ T cells, maintain immune self-tolerance and mediate the resolution of lung injury during viral pneumonia by suppressing overexuberant inflammatory responses and facilitating tissue protection and repair. Gurkan’s research in the laboratory of Benjamin D. Singer, MD is centered on the necessity of mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism in Treg cells to protect the host from excessive tissue damage during influenza viral pneumonia. The understanding of how cellular metabolism dictates Treg cell function will further elucidate processes that help protect the lung during viral pneumonia and in turn allow for the development of interventions that improve outcomes for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with severe viral pneumonia. 

Selected Publications: 

• FOXP3+ regulatory T cells require TBET to regulate activated CD8+ T cells during recovery from influenza infection. Mambetsariev N, et al. 2024, preprint. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.30.596295.
• AMP-activated protein kinase is necessary for Treg cell functional adaptation to microenvironmental stress. Torres Acosta MA, et al. 2023, preprint. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.29.568904.

Tatiana Ortiz Serrano

Mentor: Karen M. Ridge, PhD

Tatiana Ortiz Serrano’s research explores modulation of the cellular immune response to influenza A virus (IAV) infection by the intermediate filament protein vimentin. Preliminary data suggest vimentin-null mice are protected from IAV-induced lung injury without compromising recruitment of monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages (MoAMs), viral replication, or viral clearance; and that vimentin-null MoAMs exhibit a dampened inflammatory response and enhanced pro-repair function. Ortiz Serrano hypothesizes that modulation of vimentin expression in MoAMs alters their pro-inflammatory phenotype, promoting lung repair after viral pneumonia. To test this hypothesis, in the laboratory of Karen M. Ridge, PhD, she will implement a MoAM-specific genetic lineage tracing system and inducible vimentin deletion strategy in a murine model of IAV pneumonia.

Selected Publications: 

• The cGAS-STING pathway: The role of self-DNA sensing in inflammatory lung disease. Ma R, et al. FASEB J. 2020 Oct;34(10):13156-13170. PMID: 32860267.

Postdoctoral Scholars

Thomas Bolig, MD

Mentor: Alan R. Hauser, MD, PhD

Thomas Bolig's research under the mentorship of Alan Ar. Hauser, MD, PhD focuses on Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenesis in pneumonia. This involves the use of transposon-insertion sequencing techniques to investigate conditionally essential genes that cause pneumonia among phylogenetically divergent clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. Transposon-insertion sequencing mutant libraries of P. aeruginosa are used in a murine model of pneumonia and will be applied to an ex vivo human lung model. The analysis of conditionally essential genes in the bacterium is complemented by analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data of human bronchoalveolar lavage samples to assess differential immune responses among P. aeruginosa clinical isolates and correlating these data with clinical outcomes. 

Selected Publications:

• Individual target pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic attainment rates among meropenem-treated patients admitted to the ICU with hospital-acquired pneumonia. Rohani R, et al. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2022 Oct 28;77(11):2956-2959. PMID: 35869779.

Amy Ludwig, MD

Mentor: Ravi Kalhan, MD, MS

Amy Ludwig's research project focuses on recovery from pneumonia. There is now substantial evidence that the bulk of morbidity and mortality from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is in the years following the acute illness, including acceleration of cardiovascular disease, exacerbation of chronic lung disease, neurocognitive defects, and mortality. The long-term mortality risk after pneumonia is more than double in prospective cohorts of age-matched patients, even in young adults with no chronic lung disease or comorbidities. Current research efforts focus on identifying risk factors during the acute illness that may predict long-term morbidity, as well as acceleration of underlying chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease that mainly affect older adults. However, few studies have identified factors predictive of respiratory or cardiovascular-related morbidity in early life, when prevention strategies are the most effective. There is a gap in knowledge in the specific health burdens following CAP in young adults, despite the increasingly recognized role of pneumonia as a risk factor for de novo chronic disease in addition to acceleration of underlying comorbidities. Under the mentorship of Ravi Kalhan, MD, MS, Ludwig will investigate clinical phenotypes of recovery in young adults after pneumonia, which in turn will allow us to mechanistically link lung infection to pulmonary and extrapulmonary sequelae.

Selected Publications:

• Implementation of an interdisciplinary transfer huddle intervention for prolonged wait times during inter-ICU transfer. Hyder S, et al. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2024 May;50(5):371-376. PMID: 38378394.
• Multidisciplinary center care for long COVID syndrome—a retrospective cohort study. Bailey J, et al. Am J Med. 2023 May 22:S0002-9343(23)00328-5. PMID: 37220832.
• Asthma and coronavirus disease 2019–related outcomes in hospitalized patients: A single-center experience. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022 Jul;129(1):79-87.e6. PMID: 35342017.

Alexandra McQuattie Hanrahan, MD

Mentor: Douglas E. Vaughan, MD

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds it is important to study lung function during aging. Advanced age is the most important risk factor for severe lung disease. Strategies targeting aging are key to preserve lung function. Alexandra Hanrahan is interested in aging research and under the mentorship of Douglas E. Vaughan, MD is studying the effect of PAI-1 haploinsufficiency on pulmonary structure and function. It has been documented in the literature that dysregulated PAI-1 is a critical contributor in stress-induced murine lung aging pathologies including sustained inflammation, senescence, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, and vascular thrombosis. She plans to investigate PAI-1 deficiency and/or pharmacological inhibition of PAI-1 in preventing stress-induced lung aging pathologies.

Selected Publications: 

• Aging is associated with a systemic length-associated transcriptome imbalance. Stoeger T, et al. Nat Aging. 2022 Dec;2(12):1191-1206. PMID: 37118543.
• Resetting proteostasis with ISRIB promotes epithelial differentiation to attenuate pulmonary fibrosis. Watanabe S, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 May 18;118(20):e2101100118. PMID: 33972447.
• The lung microenvironment shapes a dysfunctional response of alveolar macrophages in aging. McQuattie-Pimentel AC, Ren Z, et al. J Clin Invest. 2021 Feb 15;131(4):e140299. PMID: 33586677.
• Impaired phagocytic function in CX3CR1+ tissue-resident skeletal muscle macrophages prevents muscle recovery after influenza A virus-induced pneumonia in old mice. Runyan CE, et al. Aging Cell. 2020 Sep;19(9):e13180. PMID: 32720752.
• A spatially restricted fibrotic niche in pulmonary fibrosis is sustained by M-CSF/M-CSFR signalling in monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages. Joshi N, et al. Eur Respir J. 2020 Jan 16;55(1):1900646. PMID: 31601718.

Ashley Smith-Nuñez, MD

Mentor: Ravi Kalhan, MD, MS

Ashley Smith-Nuñez researches disparities in lung cancer survivorship and survivorship care, a field that has gained prominence due to advancements in early detection and treatment. The definition of survivorship has evolved to encompass individuals from the time of diagnosis, promoting a holistic approach to patient care. Underrepresented minority populations, particularly Blacks and Latinos, often have higher incidences of lung cancer, are diagnosed at a later stage, and have poorer outcomes. In addition, the needs of these populations are frequently poorly understood and under-researched. Smith-Nuñez’s work under the mentorship of Ravi Kalhan, MD, MS and Marquita Lewis-Thames, PhD aims to characterize the experiences and needs of minority lung cancer survivors. Through community engagement and qualitative methods, she will collaborate with community organizations to conduct studies that amplify the voices of these marginalized groups, with the ultimate goal of enhancing care for all lung cancer survivors.

Selected Publications: 

• Readmissions decreased following implementation of a COPD bundled payments for care innovation program: An instrumental variable analysis. Nowalk N, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2024;209:A4754. https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm-conference.2024.209.1_MeetingAbstracts.A4754.

A strength of the NULSTP faculty is the extent to which they collaborate. As shown below, most NULSTP faculty mentors have had meaningful academic interactions with each other in the form of co-authorship in the past 5 years. Many of these collaborations have been stimulated by interactions between our NULSTP trainees.

Special thanks to Mao Soulakis and the Research Assessment and Communications Department of the Galter Health Sciences Library for generating these data and creating this visual.

Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Application of next-generation sequencing technology and integrative “wet” lab approaches to basic and translational research of lung diseases

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Research Interest: VEGF and Notch signaling in altering endothelial barrier function; mechanisms driving these pathways and their effect on vascular resilience during stress, including aging and COVID-19

Training Role: Preceptor

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)

Research Interest: In vivo infection dynamics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa using next-generation sequencing and animal models, better understanding of antimicrobial resistance in P. aeruginosa

Training Role: Preceptor In-Training

Professor of Surgery (Thoracic Surgery) and Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Lung preservation, transplant immunology, and airway biology; molecular mechanisms used by nonclassical monocytes retained in the donor lung in mediating primary graft dysfunction

Training Role: Preceptor

Associate Professor of Molecular Biosciences

Research Interest: Computational biology; development of methods for integrative, systems-level analysis of high-dimensional *omic “big” data, and the collaborative application of these methods to investigate the genomic causes of disease

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Cell and Developmental Biology

Research Interest: Acute respiratory failure, aging, and viral pneumonia; mechanisms driving changes in lung proteostasis resulting in altered innate immune response in alveolar macrophages during injury and repair

Training Role: Associate Program Director of Recruitment, Career Development, and Retention; Preceptor

Professor of Preventative Medicine (Epidemiology) and Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Cardiovascular disease epidemiology

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics

Research Interest: Mitochondria as signaling organelles

Training Role: Preceptor

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Critical Care)

Research Interest: Differences in the inflammatory response to viral respiratory infections in children and adults

Training Role: Preceptor

Research Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Acute lung injury, alveolar epithelial cell biology, effect of hypoxia and hypercapnia on lung function, and ubiquitination in lung disease

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Medicine (Allergy and Immunology) and Pathology

Research Interest: How dendritic cells, B cells, and T cells interact to induce tailored adaptive immune responses in the spleen, lung, and gut

Training Role: Preceptor

Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Medical Education

Research Interest: Pulmonary infections, COPD, asthma, and sepsis; UME critical care education, strategies for creating inclusive educational and clinical environments 

Training Role: Preceptor

Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Cell and Developmental Biology

Research Interest: Molecular mechanisms of cell-cell adhesion regulation required for normal tissue morphogenesis; how alterations in cell adhesion complexes drive disease states such as cancer, fibrosis, and asthma

Training Role: Preceptor

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial metabolism and cellular metabolism that affect lung epithelial stem cell function and fate, in the context of lung development and lung repair after injury

Training Role: Preceptor In-Training

Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research Interest: Understanding at the molecular level how microbial communities respond to anthropogenic chemicals and using that information to control the spread of undesirable traits such as antibiotic resistance

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Microbiology-Immunology and Medicine (Infectious Diseases)

Research Interest: Pathogenesis of healthcare-associated bacterial pathogens

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Molecular Biosciences

Research Interest: Signal transduction and gene expression in mammalian cells

Training Role: Preceptor

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology-Immunology

Research Interest: Development and adaptation of high-throughput, quantitative, systems-based approaches for use in primary models of disease to better understand the host-pathogen relationship

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Pediatrics

Research Interest: Respiratory diseases, cytokines, lungs and breathing problems—ARDS, sepsis, and cystic fibrosis—bacterial genotypic and phenotypic diversity, and mechanisms of fibrosis in lung disease

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Preventative Medicine (Epidemiology)

Research Interest: Asthma, COPD, and respiratory epidemiology; understanding impaired respiratory health as an intermediate phenotype that precedes chronic lung disease

Training Role: Associate Program Director of Curriculum Development and Evaluation, Preceptor

Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Macrophage biology in the context of lung diseases

Training Role: Preceptor

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Intercellular signaling pathways between immune cell subsets and the injured alveolar endothelium that promote tissue repair

Training Role: Preceptor In-Training

Professor of Medicine (Nephrology and Hypertension)

Research Interest: Genetics of normal and pathological organogenesis in lymphatic vasculature

Training Role: Preceptor 

Assistant Professor of Microbiology-Immunology

Research Interest: Basic mechanisms of T cell and B cell regulation, mechanisms by which immune checkpoints and type I interferons regulate adaptive immunity

Training Role: Preceptor 

Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology)

Research Interest: Role of co-morbidities in rheumatoid arthritis, macrophage heterogeneity in the target organs (synovium, kidney, and lung) of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis

Training Role: Preceptor 

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: To validate and improve the diagnosis and management of severe pneumonia in critically ill patients

Training Role: Preceptor In-Training

Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine (Allergy and Immunology)

Research Interest: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of intracellular calcium signaling

Training Role: Preceptor 

Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Cell and Developmental Biology

Research Interest: Immunologic mechanisms that modify cellular responses in the lung that promote inflammation and contribute to lung tissue damage and aberrant remodeling

Training Role: Program Director/Principal Investigator, Preceptor

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Research Interest: Unique immunoengineering and biomaterials-based strategies for the treatment and basic understanding of cancer, vaccination, immune dysregulation, and heart disease

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Pediatrics, and Chemistry

Research Interest: Molecular mechanisms underlying leukemogenesis and potential targets for therapy through detailed studies of proteins and protein complexes that regulate chromatin modifications, transcription initiation, and transcription elongation

Training Role: Preceptor

Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics

Research Interest: DNA methylation as a determinant of T cell function in the injured lung

Training Role: Preceptor 

Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care), Cell and Developmental Biology, and Medical Education

Research Interest: Airway inflammation and remodeling; mechanical stress and airway remodeling; hypercapnia and innate immunity in the lung

Training Role: Preceptor

Professor of Preventative Medicine (Health and Biomedical Informatics) and Medical Social Sciences (Determinants of Health)

Research Interest: Biomedical informatics, health informatics, data science, precision medicine, computational biology, information systems, internet intervention, medical informatics, and postgraduate medical education

Training Role: Preceptor

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Allergy and Immunology) and Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

Research Interest: Aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), chronic rhinosinusitis, and asthma

Training Role: Preceptor In-Training

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Novel research directions for understanding and ultimately mitigating human aging and lung disease associated with aging

Training Role: Preceptor In-Training

Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Cell and Developmental Biology

Research Interest: Acute respiratory failure, alveolar epithelial cell biology, and effect of hypoxia and hypercapnia on lung and muscle function; proteostasis and ubiquitination in lung disease

Training Role: Program Director/Principal Investigator, Preceptor

Professor of Medicine (Cardiology)

Research Interest: Role of the plasminogen activation system in tissue repair, fibrosis, and thrombosis

Training Role: Preceptor

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology)

Research Interest: Mapping the gene regulatory networks of immune cells in health and disease, particularly macrophages in sarcoidosis

Training Role: Preceptor 

Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

Research Interest: Diagnosis, pathogenesis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of infections in the critically ill, especially community-acquired pneumonia and hospital-acquired pneumonia; quality improvement in the ICU; septic shock; acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Training Role: Preceptor

• Karen M. Ridge, PhD: Program Director
• Jacob I. Sznajder, MD: Program Director
• G. R. Scott Budinger, MD: Associate Program Director of Recruitment, Career Development, and Retention
• Ravi Kalhan, MD, MS: Associate Program Director of Curriculum Development and Evaluation
• Khalilah L. Gates, MD: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair

The Department of Medicine at Northwestern University is committed to attracting and ensuring the success of inquisitive, motivated trainees who embrace a growth mindset in learning and education. There are many challenges facing medicine which require a diverse perspective brought by physicians and researchers collaboratively working to tackle these complex issues. The Northwestern University Lung Sciences Training Program recognizes the importance of a diverse and inclusive work environment that ultimately allows our trainees to achieve their goals individually and collectively. 

For more information about Northwestern’s commitment to diversity, please see the following resources:

• Department of Medicine Diversity and Cultural Affairs Council
• Northwestern McGaw Underrepresented Residents and Fellows Forum
• Feinberg School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• The Graduate School Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Initiatives at Northwestern and Beyond

The Training Program in Lung Science has consistently demonstrated our commitment to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels by providing and maintaining an inclusive and supportive environment for our trainees as they pursue academic careers in the lung sciences.

Here we highlight the involvement of NULSTP trainees and mentors in programs at Northwestern and beyond to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

American Heart Association Hispanic Serving Institution Scholars Program

NULSTP postdoctoral trainee Alexandra Hanrahan, MD, along with NULSTP mentor Laura Dada, PhD and NULSTP mentor-in-training and former NULSTP postdoctoral trainee Luisa Morales-Nebreda, MD, serves as a mentor in the American Heart Association's Hispanic Serving Institution Scholars Program, which works to reduce health inequities in Latino communities and increase representation in the healthcare workforce by investing in aspiring Hispanic researchers and healthcare professionals.

In the HSI Scholars Program, undergraduate students enrolled in biomedical and health sciences at Hispanic-serving institutions participate in academic and career-enriching experiences for a full school year. Scholars learn about health disparities in Hispanic/Latino communities, how cultural sensitivity can provide safe and reassuring clinical spaces, and how inclusivity is essential in science.

Says Luisa Morales-Nebreda, MD, “Personally, I think this is a fantastic opportunity for underrepresented students to engage in biomedical research at an early stage, with a structured mentorship program. There is a growing body of literature suggesting that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances organizational performance and impactful research. Thus, initiatives like the HSI Scholars Program are well positioned to help close the diversity gap in healthcare and biomedical research.”

Northwestern Medical Scientist Training Program Diversity and Inclusion Committee

MSTP student and former NULSTP predoctoral trainee Manuel A. Torres Acosta, PhD worked in the translational research laboratory of David Carbone, MD, PhD, during his undergraduate senior year at The Ohio State University. There, Torres Acosta developed a desire to frame his future scientific goals and interests around facilitating advanced care to underrepresented communities in medicine such as the Latino community. As an underrepresented minority himself, he has been proactive in pursuing leadership opportunities that allow him to grow as a current and future advocate for diversity and inclusion in science and medicine.

As an MD-PhD student in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) under the mentorship of Benjamin D. Singer, MD, Torres Acosta has contributed to the MSTP as co-chair of the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Committee, a student-led effort to assist in the recruitment of diverse trainees, the creation of educational resources for current students and faculty, and the revision of current recruitment and training practices through the lenses of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Under Torres Acosta’s tenure as co-chair, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee established a recurrent book club on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion; organized a speaker series with experts on these topics; and administered the first student climate survey focused on the experiences of current trainees as they relate to their identity. Torres Acosta also led a review with fellow MSTP student and former NULSTP predoctoral trainee Jeanne Quinn and others on the impact of underrepresented minority or marginalized identity status on training outcomes of MD-PhD students published in BMC Medical Education.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion Summer Research Opportunity Program

Tatiana Ortiz Serrano, a NULSTP predoctoral trainee under the mentorship of Karen M. Ridge, PhD, has been working as a Diversity and Inclusion Fellow in The Graduate School Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) since 2022. ODI focuses on the recruitment and support of underrepresented populations to foster an inclusive environment and facilitate community engagement, targeting graduate students and postdoctoral trainees. As a fellow, Ortiz Serrano assists with the development of student recruitment and retention programming.

In addition, Ortiz Serrano has served as a group leader for the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP), a competitive research experience hosted yearly by ODI for college sophomores and juniors; students belonging to groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education are encouraged to apply. Part of Ortiz Serrano’s duties as a group leader is to mentor five undergraduate students while they complete their assigned biomedical research project.

Says Ortiz Serrano, “Being an NU-SROP alumna myself, I am highly aware of how impactful good mentorship can be to these students. I am honored and grateful for having the opportunity to pass down my knowledge as a graduate student to the future generation of biomedical scientists. I am equally thrilled to share my experience as an ODI fellow and SROP group leader with our Division and NULSTP to foster a more diverse and inclusive community.”

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Kimberly Querrey Summer Research Program

Former NULSTP postdoctoral trainee Colleen Reczek, PhD, co-directs Pulmonary and Critical Care’s Kimberly Querrey Summer Research Program, which provides a competitive research experience for high school and undergraduate students. Supported by an endowment, the program was established by NULSTP program director Jacob I. Sznajder, MD, and today is co-directed by Reczek and NULSTP program director Karen M. Ridge, PhD. All NULSTP trainees participate as mentors in the program, which actively seeks out participants in demographics underrepresented in science and medicine as part of our broader commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in science and medicine. 

Other Initiatives to Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Carla Patricia Reyes Flores, a former NULSTP predoctoral trainee under the mentorship of Benjamin D. Singer, MD, co-coordinates STEM Circuits, an interdisciplinary mentoring program of the Chicago Women in STEM Initiative supporting the success of Chicago-area early-career women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She has also assisted with recruitment and outreach as a volunteer with Girls 4 Science, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing STEM exposure among girls 10–18 years old. At Northwestern, she has served as a moderator for the Sustained Dialogue Institute, which sought to understand how gender and sexuality impact the lives of medical providers, students, and patients, with the goal of generating an action item to spread awareness on the Feinberg campus.

Reyes Flores focuses her current endeavors on her roles as administrative assistant to the Northwestern University chapter of the Society of Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, advocacy committee chair for the Chicago Graduate Student Association, content advisor to the Feinberg LGBTQ Safe Space Training module, editor-in-chief of the Graduate Women Across Northwestern blog and spotlight initiative, and a mentor for the Student-Assisted Mentoring Program, where she helps an incoming graduate student navigate their first year of graduate school. In 2023, Reyes Flores was awarded an Underrepresented Trainee Development Scholarship from the American Thoracic Society.

Khalilah Gates, MD, serves on the Pulmonary Division’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and on the NULSTP Steering Committee as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair. As Assistant Dean of Medical Education, she leads the Task Force on Inclusion & Bias in the Department of Medical Education and leads Feinberg’s faculty and student council on racism, justice, and equity for the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education. Gates also serves on the Steering Committee of the Emma Reynolds Circle, which initiates recruitment and retention efforts for African American female students and trainees to foster mentorship relationships and build community.

Each trainee is expected to:

• Have their research results accepted for publication.
• Attend all Pulmonary Research In Progress conferences.
• Present their research at our Lung Symposium.
• Complete the Responsible Conduct of Research course.
• Submit an abstract to and attend a national or international conference related to their research.
• Create an Individual Development Plan with their mentor which will be reviewed annually.

The training grant provides:

• Stipend support for the development of physician, predoctoral, and postdoctoral research scientists.
• Mentorship by senior investigators.
• The laboratory environment, training, and supervision required for the development of independent investigators.
• Educational resources in the form of didactic courses, invited speakers, and collaborative interactions that will foster the skills required for an independent research career.
• Administrative structure that will facilitate the trainee’s acquisition of protected time from activities not directly related to research.

What is a payback obligation and how do I know if I incur one?
Any postdoctoral NRSA trainee or fellow incurs a payback obligation during their first year of support. Predoctoral NRSA trainees do not incur a payback obligation. Payback means that you will perform qualified research or teaching activities for a length of time equal to the period of NRSA support you received. Receiving 12 months of postdoctoral training support obligates you to perform 12 months of qualified research or teaching activities as payback. Only the first year of training incurs a payback obligation; the second year of training pays back the first year, with each month of qualifying payback activity paying back one month of NRSA support. If you receive two full years of NRSA training, you will have completed your payback obligation. In general, payback activity must involve at least 20 hours per week and be conducted over 12 consecutive months. Special exceptions to these requirements may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Additional resources on payback obligations can be found on the NIH website, along with separate payback FAQs.

All trainees are encouraged to take advantage of the following resources:

• Department of Medicine New Investigator Career Enhancement (NICE) group
  Contact Jennifer Felten with any questions
• NIH T32 Kiosk
• Taking Responsibility for the Responsible Conduct of Research
• NUCATS Center for Education and Career Development