T32 Fellowship Track
Adult and Pediatric GI and Hepatology.
Dr. Natalie Torok, MD
Program Director, NIH T32 Program
OVERVIEW
Welcome to the Stanford Adult and Pediatric GI and Hepatology T32 Training Program.
Our NIH funded program trains future leaders in academic gastroenterology and hepatology. The T-32 training grants from the NIH prepares individuals for careers in research that have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation. The grant pays stipend, travel, research costs and other expenses and is supported by most institutes at the NIH.
Our training program has been designed to help ensure that our fellows are prepared to undertake leadership roles and help advance the nation’s biomedical and clinical research agenda. Our previous T32 fellows have a strong track record of establishing independent careers in academic medicine and in acquiring external funding for their research program.
Structure of the T32 Program
The T-32 training grant from the NIDDK prepares individuals for careers in research that have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation. The grant pays stipend, travel, and training-related expenses. The Program also supports for some trainees Master of Science (MSc) degree programs. These include MSc in Epidemiology and Clinical Research, MSc in Health Policy/Health Services Research, as well as MSc in Biomedical Informatics.
The fellows enrolled in the program have around 24-30 months of dedicated research time, apart from 18 months of clinical training. We have shown a sample of the structure of the GI fellowship of T32 fellows.
| Year | Clinical Training | Clinical Months | Research Months |
| 1 | Inpatient GI and Liver x 10 months |
12 months | 0 months |
| 2 | Inpatient GI x 1 month |
6 months | 6 months |
| 3 | Weekly Continuity Clinic- Subspeciality GI |
0 months | 12 months |
4 |
Weekly Continuity Clinic- Subspeciality GI |
0 months | 6-12 months |
Total |
18 months | 24 - 30 months | |
Research Training
We have a structured and comprehensive research training plan for our T32 fellows. We further tailor the plan to enable individual fellows to reach their academic and training goals.
The core components of the research training include:
Mentored research- Each T32 fellow is paired with a mentor who trains the fellow in either basic, translational or clinical research in the field of GI and Hepatology. The fellow will be embedded within the mentor's research program for the duration of the T32 fellowship and will have access to the mentor's research resources.
Weekly GI research seminar series where T32 fellows can present their research and get critical feedback and also hear career development advice from from leaders in the field.
Option to pursue a Master's degree in clinical or translational sciences offered at Stanford
Training in grantsmanship to enable the fellows to pursue funding from both internal sources at Stanford and external sources like the NIH K award programs.
Research Advisory Committee
The Research Progress/Evaluation Committee helps the fellow develop and implement an Individual Development Plan for their fellowship. The T32 fellows meet annually with the committee and review their progress. This forum provides the trainees with an opportunity to present their goals and project timeline.
Similar to a thesis committee, the Committee provides feedback on the project's progress and the trainee's personal development. This event serves as an objective assessment of the trainees' progress that is independent of their mentor's input.
Natalie Torok, MD
Ray Kim, MD
David Limsui, MD
Jeffrey Glenn, MD
Michael R. Howitt, PhD
Mentors
The T32 program is supported by outstanding mentors, including faculty from the Division of Gastroenterology and other departments within the School of Medicine.
Mentors within the division of Gastroenterology
Mentors from other divisions and departments
Current Fellows
All of the current T32 trainees are currently involved with specific research projects that are mentored by the project leaders.
Nakia Chung, MD
Mentor: Ray Kim, MD
Mai Sedki, MD, MPH
Mentors: Ray Kim, MD; Renu Dhanasekaran, MD
Ofer Fass, MD
Mentors: John Clarke, MD; Uri Ladabaum, MD
Patil Kavarian, DO
Mentor: Katrin Svensson, PhD