Many residents at the UConn Pediatric Residency Program choose to participate in research during their training. A research rotation is a required component of many subspecialty pathways. Residents may elect up to two research rotations during their training using discretionary rotations. A wide variety of research opportunities are available to residents both in the Department of Pediatrics and elsewhere in the medical school and community. These include basic science research, translational research, clinical research, policy research, and community-based projects. Residents will find faculty eager to help them identify and pursue these research experiences. The success of this component of the training program is evident in the number of residents who have presented their results at regional and national meetings. This also represents one of the reasons why our residents who are interested in academic careers, have been able to obtain positions in outstanding fellowship programs. Community projects add to the overall professional development of our residents.
There are three research rotation options.
A one-block pathway rotation is available for residents with little or no research experience. The purpose of this block is to teach residents the basic research process. Residents have a faculty mentor and participate in a series of workshops that guide residents through searching the literature, identifying a gap in the literature, writing a good research question, and presenting results. Residents have a completed research protocol by the end of the block. Many residents decide to conduct their newly developed research project.
Residents with more experience can use one of their pathway blocks to work on a project under the mentorship of a faculty member. Some residents elect to use two of their pathway blocks, one to develop their project and one to work on their project.
Residents with well-developed research skills may have a mentored longitudinal experience that allows ½ day per week of time for research during their six pathways rotations.
The Health Services Research Institute at Connecticut Children’s is the research home to many talented medical professionals at the forefront of research and clinical trials.
Investigators from Connecticut Children’s and UConn Health are forging new partnerships for purposes of discovery and evaluation of biological mechanisms and agents for treatment of disease, improvement of health, and related fields of application as they affect children and youth.
Another important collaboration is Connecticut Children’s partnership with The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington (JAX-GM), which allows us to garner the power of the human genome to provide families with new treatment options today and positions us to help find tomorrow’s cures. Learn more.
Research Faculty
Sharon R. Smith, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics
Core Faculty Leader for Pediatric Residency Research
Emergency Department Research Director
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
srsmith@connecticutchildrens.org
Glen Flores, M.D.
Professor and Chief Research Officer
GFlores@connecticutchildrens.org
Elizabeth Brownell, M.D.
Assistant Professor
ebrownell@connecticutchildrens.org
Jacqueline McGrath, Ph.D.
Professor
jmcgrath01@connecticutchildrens.org
Zhu Wang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
zwang@connecticutchildrens.org
Stephanie Johnson, M.T. (ASCP), MPH
Interim Director, Research Operations
Research Department
sjohnson@connecticutchildrens.org