This four-year track is designed to train academic clinical investigators in cardiology. The program begins with two years of mentored research training that is followed by two years of clinical cardiology training. Fellows maintain a continuity clinic throughout the training period.
During the first two years, fellows are paired with a mentor who is an independent investigator. Most faculty mentors are part of the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute (ECCRI). Research performed in this pathway can encompass a broad range of areas including epidemiology, outcomes research, health services research, cardiovascular imaging, ethics, and patient-based translational research. The mentor works with the fellow to identify, develop and execute the research project and to develop funding proposals and recommendations. During the research portion of their training, fellows participate in and present work at ECCRI and national conferences. They also participate in didactic sessions focused on developing grant writing and statistical skills.
Clinical responsibilities for the first two years are limited to weekly half-day continuity clinics. Years three and four consist of supervised clinical training as per the most recent ACGME guidelines and COCATS4 recommendations. Fellows gain experience in all aspects of clinical cardiology, which includes performing inpatient and outpatient cardiac consultations and diagnostic evaluations using noninvasive (ECG and Holter monitor interpretation, exercise stress testing echocardiography, MR, CT and nuclear imaging) and invasive (cardiac catheterization) approaches. The fellows also become familiar with cardiac electrophysiologic studies and interventional cardiology. This program exceeds the requirements for cardiovascular disease board eligibility.
This track does not participate in the NRMP match. This is due to our commitment to providing the best possible research experience and mentor pairing for our trainees. We encourage applicants with questions about this aspect of the program to contact us with any questions.
Faculty Research Areas
- Interventional cardiology
- Structural heart disease
- Congenital heart disease
- Bioethics
- Decision-making and informed consent
- Ethics of clinical research
- Quality of care
- Outcomes research
- Sports Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Novel resuscitation methods for cardiac arrest
- Implantable cardiac devices in adults with congenital heart disease
- MRI and cardiac resynchronization
- Coronary artery disease
- Vascular injury / stem cells aortic stenosis / transcatheter aortic valve replacement
- Coronary endothelial, microvascular, and smooth muscle dysfunction
- Cardiac autonomic nervous system
- Persistent angina in women, mental-stress angina
- Integrative cardiology
- Outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure, including LVAD and transplant patients.
- Translational research on the role of biomarkers of oxidative stress (OS) and endothelial dysfunction in patients with heart failure, and the importance of metabolomic signatures in determining HF progression.
- Studying the impact of non-modifiable risk factors such as race and gender that contribute to excess disease in high-risk populations.
- Complex Coronary Intervention
- Novel Interventional Device Design and Development
- Applications of artificial intelligence in coronary artery disease
- Novel techniques for chronic total occlusion intervention and outcome
- Women and heart disease
- Epidemiology of coronary artery disease
- Depression and coronary artery disease
- Cardiooncology
- Endothelial function Regenerative medicine
- Peripheral arterial disease Predictive medicine research
- CVD Risk Prediction and Mechanisms
- Health Technology in CVD Assessment
- Mental Stress and Arrhythmia Risk
- Preventive cardiology
- Cardiovascular risk prediction
- Cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention
- Social and behavioral determinants of cardiovascular risk
- Stress and heart disease
- Cardiovascular disease in women
- Metabolic and cardiovascular population research
- Determinants of coronary artery disease, including projects on physical activity, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, vascular calcification, hormonal factors, inflammatory markers, and genetics
- Metabolic factors as antecedents of diabetes mellitus with consideration of traditional factors and insulin resistance
- Genetic risk assessment in cardiovascular disease
- In-hospital cardiac arrest and CPR
- Role of mobile technologies in heart failure management and cardiac rehabilitation