The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the HIPRC in Seattle, Washington, USA are offering post-doctoral training in Pediatric Injury Research. This training program is funded through a US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH) T-32 grant.
Injury is the leading cause of death and acquired disability among children and adolescents in the United States, is the most expensive medical problem in the U.S., and disproportionately affects marginalized populations. Reduction of the burden of injuries requires research and intervention by well-trained investigators, of whom there is currently a shortage. The Pediatric Injury Research Training Program is designed to address this need.
The concept of “injury control research” encompasses not only the primary prevention of injuries, but also the acute and chronic care of the injured child and his or her subsequent rehabilitation; this applies to both intentional (assault or self-harm) and unintentional injuries. These areas have traditionally been divided among public health, surgery, and rehabilitation, respectively. We view this as an interdisciplinary problem in which prevention is not always successful, leading to an injury requiring optimal trauma care to minimize risk of death and disability, followed by rehabilitation to maximize the child’s potential and return to the community.
The fellowship program includes coursework, seminars and an intensively mentored research experience.
The specific aim of this program is to further develop US postdoctoral fellows to specialize in the field of pediatric injury research. Relevant research areas include elucidating the risk factors and causes of injuries, injury prevention strategies, acute and chronic care of
patients with injury, outcomes from trauma, and interventions to return the individuals with injury and their families to
their full potential. The program has an increased focus on the training of indigenous fellows and research on injuries to
indigenous youth.
The Training Program is two years long. A Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Science (MSc) degree is available as part of the Training Program. Post-doctoral level scholars are welcome from all health professions, and specialties within those professions including pediatrics, surgery, urology, emergency medicine, anesthesia/critical care, psychiatry, psychology, epidemiology, health services, public health, social work, and nursing. The program involves faculty from the UW Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Social Work, Nursing, and the Department of Psychology in the UW School of Arts and Sciences.
Program co-directors include Fred Rivara, MD, MPH,
Cari McCarty, PhD, and Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, MD, PhD.
Interested individuals should contact the program coordinator, Bonnie Rains, at pirtp@uw.edu .