Welcome to ITMAT Education & Training

What We Offer

We provide flexible ways for all research team members to participate in CTS training throughout their careers, including:

• Introductory programs for research team members who want to build foundational CTS knowledge
• Workshops and seminars for ongoing skill development and just in time learning
• Externships and internships for hands-on experience
• Certificates and degrees for advanced training
• Career exploration for undergraduates, clinical research professionals, investigators, and scientists

Our programs are integrated with Penn’s health sciences (MD, VMD, DMD) predoctoral and postdoctoral clinical training, as well as Penn’s biomedical predoctoral and postdoctoral PhD and MD-PhD training.

Who We Are

The Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Education Programs (ITMAT Ed) was established in 2005, prior to receiving our first Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) in 2006, and serves as the academic home for Penn's CTSA educational programs. ITMAT Ed began by focusing on training a workforce capable of bridging the knowledge gap between basic science and clinical medicine. Over the past 20 years, we have continuously expanded the range of educational opportunities offered by ITMAT Ed to meet the needs of students, scholars, trainees, and the broader professional clinical translational science (CTS) research community.

Our Mission

ITMAT Ed’s mission is to develop a CTS workforce capable of translating knowledge into therapies, devices, and health care strategies that improve human health.

Our Impact

ITMAT Ed has become a pioneering model for collaborative professional scientific education, setting standards locally throughout the university and nationally across the CTSA consortium. Locally, we have become the definitive resource for comprehensive professional skills training, successfully establishing our innovative practices across the Perelman School of Medicine and the University at large, with schoolwide adoption of our mentoring framework and Individual Development Plans. ITMAT Ed has become the University’s central hub for research mentor training. Nationally, we co-led the development of the NCATS KL2/K12 Visiting Scholars Program and the National CTSA Virtual Professional Development Series for KL2/K12 scholars, distributed our professional skills development series, contributed content to national mentor training initiatives, and led national education evaluation initiatives. 

What We Offer

We provide flexible ways for all research team members to participate in CTS training throughout their careers, including:

• Introductory programs for research team members who want to build foundational CTS knowledge
• Workshops and seminars for ongoing skill development and just in time learning
• Externships and internships for hands-on experience
• Certificates and degrees for advanced training
• Career exploration for undergraduates, clinical research professionals, investigators, and scientists

Our programs are integrated with Penn’s health sciences (MD, VMD, DMD) predoctoral and postdoctoral clinical training, as well as Penn’s biomedical predoctoral and postdoctoral PhD and MD-PhD training.

Leadership & Advising

Our team is here to guide you through your educational journey and help you find the right program for your career goals.

• • Leadership and Administration

ITMAT Education Collaborations

KL2 CTSA Visiting Professorship Program
Organized via a working group out of the Center for Leading Innovation & Collaboration, this program provides an opportunity for KL2 Scholars to virtually visit a CTSA institution, give a national talk and meet with faculty from the CTSA institution. The first cohort of KL2 scholars visits began in Fall 2020.  Dr. Emma Meagher, Director of ITMAT Education, serves on this Working Group Leadership Committee.

University of Pittsburgh — Building Up a Diverse Workforce for Biomedical Research

Aims to jump-start the careers of underrepresented junior investigators by providing them with the mentoring, skills, and knowledge needed for successful research careers.  Dr. Emma Meagher, Director of ITMAT Education, serves as the site champion for Penn.

University of Pittsburgh — R21 Customized Career Development Platform (CCDP) Study
A multi-site trial under the leadership of PIs Dr. Doris Rubio and Dr. Cecilia Patino-Sutton to understand the effectiveness of different types of individualized development plans (IDPs).  Dr. Emma Meagher, Director of ITMAT Education, serves as a Co-Investigator for this study.

UE5 Short Course: Cell & Gene Therapy Toolkit for Junior Faculty
Collaborative initiative between the Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), the Abramson Cancer Center, and Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is honored to be one of four institutions selected to host a short course education opportunity for junior faculty within the NCI Awardee Skills Development Consortium (NASDC). This program is led by key ITMAT Education faculty including Dr. Elizabeth Hexner, Dr. Andrew Fesnak, and Dr. David Mankoff.

Advanced Therapies Intensive
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with King’s Health Partners and King’s College London offers a one-week transatlantic educational experience for trainees focused on the development of novel therapeutics. The intensive is led by Emma Meagher, MD from Penn, Anne Greenough, MD from KCL, and Francesco Dazzi, MD, PhD from KCL. 

Rockefeller University — Team Science

Vanderbilt University — Flight Tracker

Externships with Pharma & Biotech

CTSA Workforce Development Taskforce

TL1 and KL2 Workforce