The major focus of the clinical research experience at Duke is to learn how to design a hypothesis-driven research project, acquire the necessary skills to collect data, conduct analyses to test the hypotheses, and present the work, all under the guidance of outstanding mentors.
Fellows are taught a rigorous, structured methodological approach to clinical research that enables them to design and coordinate complex and occasionally multi-center clinical studies whose results can change clinical practice. Our fellows have been highly successful presenting their work at national meetings, publishing their research findings in high-impact journals, and successfully pursuing internal and external funding during fellowship to support their reserach. In addition, our fellows have been recognized for the quality of their research with awards at national and regional meetings and at local research symposia.
The department has more than 300 primary faculty from 18 divisions and was ranked #1 nationally in NIH research funding amongst all pediatric clinical science departments in 2023. Our very own Micky Cohen-Wolkowiez was the #1 ranked NIH-funded Pediatric PI in 2023.
Clinical Research Training Options
All Duke pediatric ID fellows are exposed to clinical research through the Department of Pediatrics’ Fellowship Core Curriculum that provides an introduction to important clinical research skills, including biostatistics, study design, and basic analytical techniques. Fellows who choose to pursue clinical research as the primary focus of their research training are eligible to participate in the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) Research Fellowship Training Program.
Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) Research Fellowship Training Program
The DCRI is the world’s largest academic clinical research organization and comprises the main clinical research arm of Duke. The DCRI combines the clinical expertise and academic leadership of a premier teaching hospital with the full-service operational capabilities of a major contract research organization. Founded in 1987, the DCRI employs over 1,100 faculty and staff capable of conducting any clinical research project, from small pilot studies to international multi-center trials. DCRI expertise extends from Phase I to Phase IV trials, post-approval analyses, and health economics. Among the DCRI’s accomplishments are enrollment of >1 million patients in > 40,000 studies in 65 countries and generation of > 8,000 peer-reviewed publications.
The DCRI has a significant pediatric ID research program in place. One of our division faculty members, Daniel Benjamin, MD, PhD, MPH, is the Deputy Executive Director of the DCRI and works closely with many pediatric ID fellows who focus on clinical research. Additionally, another division member, Michael Cohen-Wolkowiez, MD, PhD, is the Executive Director of i-Cubed, the DCRI Center for Clinical Research Innovation. He is the PI of an NIH K24 award that supports his mentoring efforts in clinical pharmacology and early phase trials.
The DCRI Clinical Research Fellowship provides structured guidance and support to fellows engaged in research with a mentor at the DCRI, combined with a carefully developed advanced research didactic curriculum including experts across numerous fields including biostatistics, clinical trial design, outcome development. DCRI fellows acquire advanced clinical research management skills, develop proficiency in quantitative data analysis, and achieve a high level of research productivity.
Additional Opportunities
Pediatric Trials Network (PTN)
Dr. Benjamin is the chair of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act and NICHD funded Pediatric Trials Network (PTN), which is a unique alliance of clinical research sites across the US that cooperate in the design and conduct of pediatric clinical trials. PTN is currently conducting over 25 trials across the country, including several with an infectious diseases focus. The PTN is a one-of-a-kind organization that is actively working to change the face of pediatric research by establishing a unique infrastructure for training and mentorship in clinical trials. As a benefit to our fellows, the PTN national coordinating center is at Duke Children’s, allowing additional clinical research experiences and exposure for our fellows. Several of our past fellows have been integrally involved in clinical trials during fellowship via the PTN, learning operational clinical trial skills during their fellowships.
Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)
Dr. Benjamin is also one of the principal investigators for the NIH-funded Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) initiative. This program will integrate data from several longitudinal cohorts to include more than 50,000 children from diverse backgrounds across the US. These cohorts follow children from birth through adolescence with the goal of identifying early life influences that impact key child health outcomes, including respiratory health, obesity and neurodevelopment. The DCRI is the coordinating center for this initiative, making these data uniquely available to Duke fellows with a clinical research interest.