Predoctoral Research Fellowship
Enhancing your medical education through research, mentorship, and academic growth
The TUCOM On-Campus Predoctoral Research Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for DO students to engage in full-time, mentored research across a range of biomedical disciplines, including, but not limited to, basic science, clinical science, public health, community health, and outcomes research. This one-year program is designed to cultivate future physician-scientists, enrich clinical education, strengthen evidence-based practice, and advance scholarly contributions to science and medicine.
Overview
Hosted by the TUCOM Research Department, this fellowship offers a structured and immersive research experience for DO students. Fellows work closely with TUCOM faculty mentors to gain hands-on experience in research design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination. The program provides rigorous training in research methods and the responsible conduct of research, equipping fellows with the skills and ethical foundation needed to advance medical knowledge and integrate scholarly inquiry into their clinical practice.
Fellows Will:
- Be formally trained in a research environment
- Develop research skills appropriate to their chosen discipline
- Deepen their understanding of clinical applications of research
- Cultivate leadership, collaboration, and communication skills
- Gain experience in grant-writing, as appropriate, to support future research activities
- Build research capacity to support career development
- Build insight into academic medicine and evidence-based practice
- Strengthen residency applications through scholarly achievement
Goals & Expectations
The goals of this fellowship program are to:
- Develop research, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
- Strengthen scientific writing and communication
- Present and publish research findings
- Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration
- Build professional networks
Fellows are expected to:
- Engage full-time in all aspects of their research project
- Attend regular lab meetings, journal clubs, research seminars, workshops, and research-related events, as available at their research site
- Meet regularly with their faculty mentor (weekly + quarterly evaluations)
- Complete and disseminate a scholarly research project, in the form of a peer-reviewed publication, by graduation
Fellowship Details
What: Structured research program under TUCOM faculty mentorship
When: After completion of Year 2 or Year 3 of medical education
Duration: 12 months (adds one year to medical education)
Program Timeline: June 2026 – May 2027
Application Deadline: Monday, November 20, 2025 (COB)
Interviews: Early December 2025
Decisions Announced: Late December 2025
Fellowship Mentors & Research Areas
Faculty mentors and areas of research for the 2026-2027 fellowship cycle:
Dr. Mookerjee – Mitochondrial energetics in health, disease, aging, and pharmacotherapy
Dr. Chinta – Neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease
Dr. Schwarz & Dr. Jones – Glucose/fructose contributions to chronic disease
Dr. Young – Diabetes and cardio-renal-metabolic care using AI and public health
Dr. Belec – Gestational diabetes care and doula support
Dr. Shubrook – Technology integration in primary care and diabetes management
Off-campus Predoctoral Research Fellowship
Students may also pursue a year-long Predoctoral Research Fellowship with faculty or clinician mentors from other academic institutions, with approval from the TUCOM Research Department.
Note: Off-campus fellows are not eligible for the Research Training Award, Student Health Insurance Plan coverage, or Student Technology fees.
Program Contact
If you have questions about TUCOM’s Predoctoral Research Fellowship Programs, please contact the Associate Dean of Research, Dr. Nathalie Bergeron, at nbergero@touro.edu.