Are you interested in advanced training in Clinical Pharmacology?  There are a number of postdoctoral training opportunities available through NIH-, regulatory-, and industry-sponsored fellowship programs to prepare clinician-scientists for translational research careers in academia, government or regulatory agencies, or the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.  Typically, these programs involve at least two years of rigorous multidisciplinary training in the methodology and conduct of hypothesis-driven basic, clinical and/or translational research related to drug disposition, action and/or utilization in humans.  Trainees are expected to devote a minimum of 80 percent effort towards their research, with a focus on gaining advanced and specialized skills to address problems of clinical relevance.  The training experience typically provides the opportunity to acquire fundamental scientific knowledge and research techniques through a variety of mechanisms including specific coursework (e.g., clinical pharmacology, molecular medicine/gene therapy, research methods, biostatistics, pharmacogenetics/genomics, pharmacokinetics, clinical trial design, regulatory sciences, pharmacoepidemiology) and programmatic activities (e.g., seminar series, journal club, workshops, conferences). 

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) offers postdoctoral training (T32) programs in Clinical Pharmacology.  The goal of these programs is to prepare the next generation of leaders in the field of Clinical Pharmacology.  These programs are geared primarily towards clinicians (MDs, PharmDs, or other professional degrees) and are designed to complement the clinical background of trainees.  Trainees may be recruited from a broad range of clinical specialties (e.g, internal medicine, infectious diseases, pediatrics). For doctoral trainees that do not have clinical degrees, the research and training should be designed specifically to promote a career in clinical pharmacology research.  Currently, there are 10 NIGMS-funded Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA institutional postdoctoral research training programs: University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, San Francisco; University of Chicago; Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis; Johns Hopkins University; Mayo Clinic, Rochester; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-Duke University; Thomas Jefferson University; University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; and Vanderbilt University.  The American Board of Clinical Pharmacology (ABCP) offers board certification in Clinical Pharmacology, and some NIGMS-funded T32 Clinical Pharmacology programs are accredited by ABCP. Additional information regarding these programs may be found at the following website: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/training/instpostdoc/pages/PostdocInst-ClinPharm.aspx  

Many academic programs offer other types of postdoctoral clinical pharmacology training where the trainee is supported through individual NIH “K” or “F” award mechanisms, private foundations (e.g., PhRMA, Thrasher Research Fund), or industry-sponsored fellowships (e.g., drug development, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, pharmacoepidemiology, regulatory affairs).  Specific information may be obtained from the individual program websites.

The FDA also offers postdoctoral opportunities that can prepare scientists for regulatory careers in clinical pharmacology.  One opportunity is the FDA Commissioner’s Fellowship Program.  This Program combines rigorous graduate-level coursework with a regulatory science research project. Under the guidance of an FDA senior scientist Preceptor, Fellows explore a specific aspect of FDA regulatory science.  Fellows also have the opportunity to contribute to FDA's review of sponsor's applications for new products, or to other regulatory reviews.  Interested individuals can check the Fellowship web page (http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WorkingatFDA/FellowshipInternshipGraduateFacultyPrograms/CommissionersFellowshipProgram/default.htm. ) to find out whether there are any opportunities related to clinical pharmacology in a given year.  There are also opportunities to work on projects in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology.  Topics for projects may include drug metabolism, drug interactions, pharmacometrics, and pediatric clinical pharmacology.  Individuals can send inquiries to ocp@fda.hhs.gov to find out what opportunities are available.

ASCPT offers you the opportunity to learn more about advanced training in clinical pharmacology.  Current and former clinical pharmacology trainees and program directors are involved actively at all levels of ASCPT.  Clinical Pharmacology Program Directors meet at the annual ASCPT meeting.  Networking at the ASCPT poster sessions and social functions is one of the best ways to find out more about specific training programs and determine which programs might be best suited for your training objectives and career goals.

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