The Office of Research and Innovation in Internal Medicine (ORIM) has recently awarded grant support to two faculty members for their Clinical Scholar Pathway Program applications.
Kamyar Asadipooya, M.D., assistant professor in the division of endocrinology, and Amartya Kundu, M.D., assistant professor in the division of cardiovascular medicine, will each receive support and funding for their respective projects.
The Clinical Scholar Pathway Program was devised by ORIM and department leadership to provide protected time for an intensive, mentored, research and career development experience for faculty who provide clinical care and are appointed in the Department of Internal Medicine. The program supports innovative, cutting-edge pursuits across all categories of internal medicine research.
For faculty who are interested in developing careers as clinician-investigators, this program provides an important bridge between having a research question and building a sustainable, independently funded research program. The combination of protected time, mentorship and institutional support makes it much more feasible to turn clinical observations into rigorous research projects.
Asadipooya and Kundu will now be able to use their protected time to build and sustain a robust research program supporting their application projects, submit new grants and engage in professional development related to research.
Asadipooya's project focuses on reducing the size of atherosclerosis plaque by medical therapy. He aims to increase collagen synthesis and reduce lipid uptake or inflammation in the plaque to induce atherosclerosis regression.
Kundu's project establishes the Kentucky Premature Acute Coronary Syndrome Study, or KY-PACS. It is a retrospective study of patients under the age of 50 who were admitted to UK HealthCare with acute coronary syndrome. Premature heart attacks are a particularly devastating form of cardiovascular disease, yet there is very limited data describing its epidemiology and outcomes in this part of the country. The goal is ultimately to better understand why young and oftentimes seemingly healthy individuals develop heart attacks and identify opportunities for earlier detection and prevention.
"The Clinical Scholar Pathway provides something that is incredibly valuable for a clinician-investigator: protected time and a structured environment in which to develop a research program," Kundu said. "I see this award not simply as support for one project, but as the first step toward developing an independent research program."
Asadipooya and Kundu encourage faculty members interested in research to apply for the next application cycle. "This program is helpful for future academic activities," Asadipooya said.
"I would especially encourage early-career faculty to take advantage of the opportunity," Kundu said. "Having dedicated time and a supportive mentorship structure can make a significant difference in developing the skills, preliminary data, publications and grant portfolio needed to establish a successful academic research career."