FSR launched its Clinical and Research Fellowship Program in Fall 2017. With a total of $1,000,000 awarded this year for four fellowships, this is a first of its kind within the sarcoidosis space. These four awards, providing two-year, $250,000 each in funding, are designed to increase clinicians and researcher involvement, engagement, and commitment within the sarcoidosis field. The Fellowships provide an opportunity for early career clinicians and researchers to develop specialized skills and gain experience in clinical and/or basic science settings and directly contribute to advancing knowledge within the field and medical care for patients.
FSR’s Executive Director Ginger Spitzer elaborated on the impact this program will have on the future of treatment for sarcoidosis patients, saying, “FSR is committed to making sure patients can receive care from physicians who truly understand sarcoidosis. But there are so few opportunities to develop excellent sarcoidosis doctors due to lack of funding to support their training. These FSR Fellowships pay for that training to ensure these new physicians become sarcoidosis experts.”
The awardees for the 2018 -2020 Fellowship Program include:
Dr. Ozioma Chioma
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Mentored by Dr. Wonder Drake
Dr. Lori Garman
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Mentored by Dr. Courtney Montgomery
Dr. Changwan Ryu
Yale University
Mentored by Dr. Erica Herzog
Dr. Bryan Young
Yale University
Mentored by Dr. Edward Miller
FSR is committed to investing in these emerging researchers that are contributing to the pipeline towards a cure. As OMRF scientist and Fellowship mentor Courtney Montgomery, Ph.D. stated, “Having worked in sarcoidosis research for over a decade and witnessed the progress we are making, it is critical to future success to bring new, bright scientists into the field”.
Ozioma Chioma, Ph.D., awardee recipient from Vanderbilt spoke on her award, saying, “I am immensely grateful to FSR for this funding opportunity and look forward to yielding new discoveries that would make a difference in the lives of sarcoidosis patients.”
Learn more about additional research projects and initiatives funded by FSR, including our upcoming travel stipend to ensure that clinicians and researchers who are interested in sarcoidosis are able to attend the Sarcoidosis Postgraduate Course at the ATS 2018 conference.