Congratulations to Pediatrics Residents Amy Berkman, MD, and Lee McDaniel, MD, who received R38 grants through the Duke SCI-StARR program and the Duke Office of Physician Scientist Development (OSPD). Berkman will explore the mechanisms behind chemotoxicity of the heart, and McDaniel will be sequencing the human centromere to better understand genetic variation in determinants of health and disease.
The R38 Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (SCI-StARR) grants provide a competitive training pathway that allows 18 months of protected research time in a 4-year residency. The program is currently open to residents from the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics and Surgery. The SCI-StARR program provides research mentoring, funding for research and travel expenses, and eligibility for a new NIH early career award (K38 Stimulating Access to Research in Residency Transition Scholar).