Pre-doc Preparatory Program (P3) in Translational Research

This program lays the foundation for understanding practical aspects of rare disease translational research.  Scholars are introduced to clinical study design, ethical considerations in clinical research, data management, the pre-clinical drug development process. Scholars will build and practice professional skills throughout the academic year though communication workshops (VitalTalk) and workplace interaction coaching sessions, meet with advocacy group leaders, practice presenting their research in progress, and learn about career pathways through panel discussions.. P³ Scholars are introduced to these topics through asynchronous and synchronous learning environments. The content of the course includes seminars, case studies, scholar presentations, journal article-reviews, panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and scientific meetings.

Upon completion of the program, scholars will be able to:

• Assess the fundamentals of clinical and translational research, including the design and execution of standard operating procedures, experimental plans, and analysis
• Interpret ethical principles and the regulatory framework to the planning and execution of research as they relate to protocol privacy and confidentiality
• Apply resources, concepts, skills, and behaviors from professional development workshops to personal and professional goals
• Recognize the breadth of career opportunities in clinical and translational research to inform career goals
• Develop and present scientific research in progress to the academic community and beyond

• Currently a research coordinator, genetic counseling assistant, or research technician involved in Global Leukodystrophy Initiative Clinical Trials Network (GLIA-CTN) activities at your site. Exceptions may be made for other entry-level research staff who plan to pursue graduate or medical school education in the future.
• Interested in growing a career in research and seeking professional development opportunities. The curriculum is targeting future leaders in translational research.
• Able to attend and participate in the program on Fridays from 11am to 1pm EST beginning October 2024 through May 2025 (Note that timing might shift for some in person events.)
• Site Investigator support and approval of conditions of enrollment.

Application Process

Applicants are encouraged to speak with their Principal Investigator(s) about this opportunity to ensure protected time. Investigators may nominate 1-2 participants by submitting a Scholar Nomination Form and Conditions of Enrollment. Nominations for 2024-2025 close July 1. After the investigator's nomination is submitted, nominees must submit their application by July 15. 

Principal Investigator's should contact Dr. Laura Adang or Jessica German for the Scholar Nomination Form and Conditions of Enrollment.

Acceptance into the Program

Applications will be evaluated by P³ Leadership in consultation with the relevant consortium sites. Applicants will be notified by mid- August regarding the selection committee’s decision. We anticipate accepting 1-2 scholars per site.

Application

The Online Application requires the following items:

• CV/Resume
• 1 paragraph personal statement describing your professional goals, how your participation in the P3 curriculum will help you meet your goals, and lastly, we encourage you to share your personal journey and experiences that will help shape the ITMAT community.

Applicants, please add headers with your name to the applicable documents. 

To submit an online application, you will need to create a CollegeNet account and follow the steps below

• Create a CollegeNet account. After logging into CollegeNet, select “Online Application”.
• Enter your Personal Information.  Save and continue to Program Information. 
• Choose “Perelman School of Medicine - Masters and Certificate Programs”
  • Select: “ITMAT Pre-doc Preparatory Program in Translational Research, non-deg”
  • Select "Fall 2024" term.
• You can enter information in stages, at your own pace, and access the application any number of times until submission.
• Once the application has been fully submitted, check the status of the submission.

Emma Kotes, 2022-2023 P3 Scholar

About Me: I am the lead coordinator for the GLIA-CTN Myelin Disorders Biorepository Project at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. I oversee enrollment of children with Leukodystrophies across multiple sites helping to facilitate record collection and outcomes assessments for natural history. Within CHOP, I am also the lead on our electronic health record extraction project for children with leukodystrophies as we track milestones such as g-tube placement, hip surgery, and loss of ambulation. I also support our specialized BPAN clinic once a month for children with a neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation disorder and am facilitating natural history and quality of life surveys for this cohort. I eventually want to go to medical school and became a pediatrician in some capacity.

Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: Because I knew I wanted research to fit into my medical career but was still unsure how. P3 offered the mentorship, guidance, and skillset I needed to better understand clinical research and how it might influence my career as a physician scientist. I am grateful for the experience P3 has provided me on my professional journey!

Nico Modesti, 2022-2023 P3 Scholar

About Me: I am a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Leukodystrophy Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia specifically supporting research projects in Aicardi Goutières Syndrome. My main work involves a large natural history study that retrospectively extracts the neurologic and systemic manifestations of the disorder. I also work on CHOP's baricitinib clinical trial, which paved the way for the medication to become available commercially.

Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: I hope to also contribute as a physician-scientist interested in rare diseases in the future. P3 was an amazing opportunity to not only learn about how special the rare disease community is, but also to understand the path required to reach my career goals. The advice, professional development, and mentorship provided along the way are what makes the program go above and beyond. It was an honor to be a part of the most recent cohort, and I look forward to reuniting with my cohort again throughout our careers!

Lana Prieur, 2022-2023 P3 Scholar

About Me: I am a clinical research coordinator at Penn Medicine's Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Center. There I am the lead coordinator for the AMS05 and iMSMS studies and the VGL and IGNITE studies, recruiting patients with multiple sclerosis and ALSP. Additionally, I am a phlebotomist for our general neurology clinic where I have so far drawn more than 300 patients' blood over the span of 4 months. I also facilitate our division's New Patient Review meeting to set care plans for new patients at our multiple sclerosis clinic. As an undergraduate at Penn, I fenced for the Quakers and was a researcher at Platt Labs where I validated new research tools for online study during COVID lockdowns and my research article on leadership and group dynamics in an online setting has been published in Frontiers in Psychology. I plan to become a doctor specializing in either Neurology or Emergency Medicine and to research how to improve online telehealth interactions. 

Describe why you applied to the program and your experience in the program: Before I became a P3 scholar, I applied to fellowships to research improving telemedicine. I ended as a Rhodes nominee, Fulbright semifinalist, and Thouron finalist, but I still wanted to do the research. I realized that my proposal was translational, yet I did not know much about the field. The P3 program provided me with an excellent grounding on what was needed to make research and change happen –including the need for institutional, political, financial, and even emotional support. I hadn’t considered these before and can now approach my goals and apply my learning with greater maturity and understanding. I am grateful I had the opportunity to learn from such knowledgeable, talented faculty and with such an enthusiastic group of peers.

For questions about the program, please contact:

Program Director: Laura Adang, MD, PhD, MSTR

Program Staff: Jessica German, MSEd

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