T32 Interdisciplinary Training for Vascular Surgeon Scientists (ITVSS)

T32 Interdisciplinary Training for Vascular Surgeon Scientists

Program Summary. The goal of the University of Florida – Interdisciplinary Training for Vascular Surgeon Scientists (ITVSS) Program is to provide the training required for success as future academic surgeons and scientists in the field of vascular surgery. Graduates of our training program will be prepared to join an academic surgical faculty, conduct independent research, compete for grant funding, and provide translational surgical expertise at their institutions. Research into the pathophysiology of vascular diseases and their treatments will be strengthened by training vascular surgeon-scientists in investigative methods allowing them to develop and maintain state-of-the-art laboratory skills and pursue novel strategies for cure and prevention. This provides a 2-year integrated training program for four surgery residents and/or fellows to create a career pathway for conducting mechanistic and clinically relevant translational research in vascular disease. We identify 4 primary tracks for trainees: Vascular Repair, Clinical Trial Design, Inflammation, and Personalized Medicine, with the recognition that these areas may overlap for specific projects.

Program Directors: Gilbert R Upchurch, Jr. MD & Scott Berceli, MD, PhD

How to apply: The following documents should be sent via email to Kerri O’Malley, PhD, MHA

  • CV
  • Personal statement (In two pages or less, describe your background, interest and experience in vascular surgery and your career goals)
  • Research plan or goals statement (in two pages or less, please describe a proposed research project)
  • Letter of support from proposed Research Mentor 

Priority deadline is September 30 for the following year July 1 start, but applications will be processed on a rolling basis. 

UF vascular surgery trainees

Program Strengths and Opportunities:

• Focused on the training of surgery residents with the intent to develop the next generation of surgeon-scientists.
• High-density of NIH-funded surgeon-scientists provides the necessary training environment and role models.
• Employs a team mentoring approach, where each trainee has an identified research and clinical mentor.
• Trainees engage in an “Immersive Training Experience” that is away from their home institution and outside of their research focus area to provide the foundation for conducting team-based, multi-disciplinary research.
• Supported by a robust vascular research portfolio that offers trainees highquality experiences in basic, translational, outcomes, and clinical research.
• Institutional commitment by the department, college, and health science center to support T32 programs, providing administrative and supplemental financial support to maximize the training experience.