Available SAHF Fellowships
Heart Failure |Cerebrovascular| Download Application
Heart Failure Research Fellowship
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Ernst R. Schwarz, MD, PhD, FESC, FACC, FSCAI
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Division of Cardiology, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Comprehensive Transplant Program
Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Appointment Period: January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009 (1 year, renewable)
Project title: Treatment options in end-stage heart failure
End-stage heart failure represents the most frequent reason fro hospitalization in patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases. Despite recent advances in treatment such as inhibition of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) by use of angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE)-inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBS), aldosterone inhibition an dbeta-adrenergic blockage as well as electric therapy such as implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRTD) implantation, overall morbidity and mortality of heart failure is rising. The advanced heart failure project consists of three subprojects:
Evaluation of quality of life in patients with advanced heart failure with special emphasis on geriatric patients and issues of sexual dysfunction and its impact on quality of life and potential treatment options.
Morphologic evaluation of advanced heart failure by tissue sampling including endomyocardial biopsies for analysis of cytoskeletal proteins, degree of cardiomyocyte degeneration and autophagic cell death and impact of different treatment options.
Assessment of potential treatment options including stem cell therapy and growth factor and gene application in experimental heart failure models as well translation into clinical studies.
The candidate for the research fellowship will work under close supervision at all times. The candidate will spend most of his/her time with research activities, i.e., will work in close collaboration with dedicated study coordinators and principal investigators within the frame of clinical studies and will have the opportunity to work with experimental animals. All clinical activities or any patient contact will be directly supervised. The candidate will be assigned to a pre-existing research project and has the opportunity to develop his own research project(s). The candidate will be supervised and guided how to perform basic as well as clinical research including its legal implications and will be taught how to present scientific data as presentations and in publications.
All activities within the Medical Center are subject to CSMC and state board approval as appropriate.
Cerebrovascular Research Fellowship
Proposed Mentor:
Keith L. Black, MD
Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Director, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute
Cerebrovascular Research Fellowship will include opportunites for clinical research, coursework in clinical research study design and basic science research depending upon the applicant’s interests. The fellow will have the opportunity to participate in acute stroke intervention pathway and interact with neuroadiologists, endovascular interventional neurosurgeons and critical care neurologists.
This fellowship may not be applied as part of basic clinical neurology training.
Start Date: January 1, 2009
Duration: One year with potential extension for a second year