Education: Because Scholars will enter this program at different career stages, the curriculum intentionally incorporates substantial flexibility, with additional coursework available tailored to the individual. Each of the four major components is expanded upon below.
Core Curriculum: A cornerstone of the didactic component will be the mandatory intensive courses focused on the crucial aspects of human subject research offered by the MSCR program in the Graduate School at Emory University. These courses are taught by senior faculty members who are experts in the various subject matters and who have successfully trained graduate students, postdocs, and fellows for careers as researchers.
The Emory MSCR program requires a minimum of 30 hours of academic credit that include in-class didactic coursework and a written research thesis. Courses include introduction to Clinical and Translational Research Medicine (2 credits); Biostatistics for Clinical and Translational Research (3 credits); Analytic Methods for Clinical and Translational Research I (3 credits); Data Management for Clinical and Translational Research (2 credits); Community Engagement and Health Disparities in Clinical and Translational Research (1 credit); Health Services Research (1 credit); Clinical Trial Design and Analysis (2 credits); Analytic Methods for Clinical and Translational Research II (2 credits); Fundamentals of Bioinformatics (2 credits); Clinical Research Colloquium (1 credit); Analysis of Clinical Research Data (2 credits); Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues of Responsible Clinical Research (1 credit); Scientific and Grant Writing (2 credits); Investigative Mentored Research Thesis (6 credits); and Clinical Research Network (CRN)/IRB Rotations.
Depending on the individual’s level of training, a BIRCWH scholar may also have the option of taking the Certificate Program in Translational Research, which is a 12-credit program designed specifically for postdocs, and faculty who seek to conduct research at the interface between basic science and clinical medicine but do not require a full MSCR degree training. Scholars with interest in public health aspect of women’s health research would have the option of enrolling fully or partly in the MPH program.
Scholars who have completed the MSCR program prior to joining the BIRCWH Program will have the option of taking graduate level courses in research methodology or basic sciences through Emory. Scholars will be encouraged to take graduate level courses that are relevant to their areas of research, including basic courses in biochemistry, cell biology, virology, human and molecular genetics, infection and immunity, advance analytic methods, and qualitative research approach. Scholars will be particularly encouraged to take the course “Hypothesis Design and Scientific Writing” (IBS 522r) or “Scientific and Grant Writing” (MSCR 594) depending on their focus on basic science or clinical/translational work.
Key to the core curriculum will be participation in a variety of seminars including seminars on women’s health that will be organized monthly by the Emory BIRCWH Program in collaboration with the Atlanta Women’s Interagency HIV Study and Center for Women’s Health at Emory. Scholars will be expected to engage in a series of ongoing research activities including:
- The monthly MSCR Research Journal Club that is focused on critical review of the literature with emphasis on study design, analytical approaches, and novel experimental techniques.
- Participation in Research-in-Progress series associated with the Scholar’s Research Mentor’s Department or Division (monthly)
- Attendance of Departmental/Divisional Research Grand Rounds (weekly)
- Attendance of ACTSI Research lecture series (monthly)
- Attendance of EUSOM faculty development lecture series (monthly)
- Attendance and contribution to the Research Mentor’s laboratory group meeting (typically weekly)
- Attendance at K-club seminars (monthly)