eklEducation Programs in Sleep Medicine
Clinical Fellowship | Research
Fellowship | Fellowship Application | Behavioral Sleep Medicine
Post-doctoral Education |
Career Development
The Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology (CSRN) offers opportunities in pre- and post-doctoral biomedical education in exciting areas of research based on our multidisciplinary approach. The Division of Sleep Medicine, based in the Department of Medicine, offers a Clinical Fellowship Program.
The University of Pennsylvania offers ACGME-accredited
sleep fellowship training in all aspects of Sleep Medicine in a multidisciplinary format. Qualified
applicants are expected to complete a one year clinical sleep medicine
fellowship followed by two to three years, if desired, of a postdoctoral
research fellowship. The program is committed to preparing trainees
for an academic career in sleep medicine. The training program is
accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education,
and fellows are eligible for board certification by the end of their
initial (clinical) year. It is a joint adult/pediatric program with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Thus training is provided in both adult and pediatric sleep disorders.
The priorities of the sleep fellowship training program are:
• To prepare physicians with the clinical training that will
allow them to become outstanding
board-certified specialists in sleep disorders medicine.
• To provide physicians with the sleep-related research training
needed to pursue careers in academic medicine as independent investigators.
Applicant requirements
Applicants to the sleep fellowship-training program are required
to have completed a residency in internal medicine, neurology, otolaryngology,
pediatrics, psychiatry, or family medicine. Individuals with subspecialty
training such as pulmonary medicine are encouraged to apply.
The Sleep Division is located within the Department of Medicine
and has fourteen full-time faculty members.
Despite its location within the Department of Medicine, the Sleep Division boasts a multidisciplinary faculty with neurologists, internists and pulmonologists in its midst.
The clinical and research
sleep laboratories and affiliated clinical programs at three adjacent
hospitals - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia VAMC - evaluate patients
with a full range of sleep disorders. Given the multidisciplinary
structure of the program, the fellowship curriculum is tailored
to allow each trainee to concentrate on a particular area of specialization,
e.g. pediatric or adult sleep medicine, through established tracks.
Under ACGME guidelines, each fellow is required to complete a Core Curriculum that meets the minimum requirements for clinical training in both adult and pediatric sleep medicine while allowing flexibility to concentrate further in a particular area of interest.
For pediatric track trainees, this will require:
- Outpatient adult sleep medicine experiences spread over the UPHS and Philadelphia VAMC sites
- Outpatient pediatric sleep medicine experiences at CHOP
- Continuity Practice experiences in both adult and pediatric sleep medicine
- Review of polysomnography and other sleep-related diagnostic studies
- Additional electives to allow for a concentrated experience in sleep disorders in children
For adult track trainees, this will require:
- Outpatient adult sleep medicine experiences spread over the UPHS and Philadelphia VAMC sites
- Outpatient pediatric sleep medicine experiences at CHOP
- Continuity Practice experience in adult sleep medicine*
- Review of polysomnography and other sleep-related diagnostic studies
- Elective time to allow for a concentrated experience in sleep disorders in adult
*Adult track trainees can also request an optional second continuity practice experience in pediatric sleep medicine
Applicant requirements
- Each applicant should have completed a residency and/or subspecialty training in internal medicine, neurology, otolaryngology, pediatrics, psychiatry, or family medicine.
- Each applicant should complete the downloaded application form.
- Each applicant must submit an up-to-date version of their Curriculum Vitae.
- Personal Statement
- 3 personal references are required, including one from the applicant's Program Director from the most recent training program.
Download application
For more information, please reference the Sleep
Fellowship Training Program Guide.
The Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology serves as the research arm of the training program. Its 43 faculty members are drawn from clinical departments as well basic science departments, including Genetics and Neuroscience. Each fellow who elects to pursue formal research training forms a mentorship committee that provides advice and guidance during the training process.
The research fellowship program has four distinct research tracks:
1. Basic Science
2. Patient-Oriented Research
3. Clinical Epidemiology, including clinical trials/outcomes research (includes a track in genetic epidemiology)
4 .Translational Research
Basic Science Track
In this track, fellows work primarily with one or two co-mentors
on a specific research project in one of the following areas:
a) Molecular Basis of the Circadian Clock
b) Basis of Sleepiness/Performance Deficits in Humans
c) Neurobiology of Sleep Apnea
d) Molecular Mechanisms of Sleepiness, Sleep Promotion and Effects
of Sleep
e) Systems Neurobiology of Sleep
f) Changes in Sleep Promoting Mechanisms with Age
g) Functional Genomics of Sleep
h) Genetics of Sleep
Patient-Oriented Research
We have a large program of patient-oriented research. This involves
a number of different investigators. Opportunities for patient-oriented
research are available in the following areas:
a) outcomes research
b) health care delivery research
c) behavioral sleep medicine
d) upper airway and neuroimaging
e) genetics of sleep and its disorders
f) pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia
g) clinical trials
h) post-traumatic stress disorder
Specific disorders being studied include obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, insufficient sleep syndrome, and shift-work sleep disorders.
Clinical Epidemiology Track
Fellows with an interest in clinical research have the opportunity
to obtain a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology as a part of their
sleep research fellowship training. This initially involves intensive
course work followed by the development of a research project leading
to a NIH K23 grant application. During this time, the trainees also
acquire their clinical training in sleep medicine. Areas of focus
are the following:
a) outcomes research
b) health care delivery research
c) clinical trials
d) genetic epidemiology
Translational Research Track
Fellows with an interest in translational research can now pursue a Master’s in Translational Research. This involves some didactic course work and laboratory rotations in, for example, bioinformatics, expression profiling, proteomics, and high throughput genotyping. The individual can apply this translational approach to one of the areas outlined above under Patient-Oriented Research.
Information about Philadelphia
BEHAVIORAL SLEEP MEDICINE TRAINING PROGRAM
The Penn Sleep Center has a strong belief in the importance of integrating psychological and behavioral approaches into the prevention and management of sleep disorders. In order to increase training opportunities in the burgeoning field of behavioral sleep medicine (BSM), we have put together a training program that emphasizes these aspects of sleep medicine. The program is one of only five BSM training programs currently accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). It is primarily designed for psychologists-in-training, although we are open to individuals from other fields, such as medicine and nursing, who would like to complete this training. Individuals can participate in the training program at various levels of training/practice:
- Doctoral students can obtain BSM training as either a clinical
practicum or as part of the predoctoral internship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. - A two-year postdoctoral fellowship is available that combines
clinical and research training in BSM.
The fellowship program includes training in both pediatric and adult BSM with a primary emphasis on cognitive behavioral treatment of insomnia.
Rotations are available at CHOP, Penn and the Philadelphia VA hospital.
Fellows develop an independent research project in consultation with a faculty mentor and can also work on faculty research projects in areas such as: behavioral treatment of pediatric sleep disorders, developmental psychopathology of insomnia, mechanisms of insomnia, CPAP adherence, and cognitive behavioral treatment of nightmares.
We are in the process of developing a training program for individuals who are already in practice who would like to obtain additional expertise in BSM and/or who want to become certified in BSM by the AASM.
Our program is fairly unique in that it combines training in both pediatric (at CHOP) and adult (at Penn) BSM. We currently have 3 primary training faculty who are certified in BSM and several additional faculty with relevant expertise. For more information, contact Philip Gehrman, PhD, CBSM.
POST-DOCTORAL EDUCATION
Sleep Medicine
A graduate program for training in sleep research is administered
by the Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology (CSRN). Faculty
involved in this program are from different departments in the School
of Medicine including Anesthesia, Medicine, Neurology, Neuroscience,
and Psychiatry; in the Schools of Arts and Sciences (Department
of Biology) and in the School of Veterinary Medicine. See Research Laboratories .
At the University of Pennsylvania, graduate training is conducted
through graduate groups. CSRN faculty belong to several graduate groups—Biology,
Cell and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience and Psychology. Each of
these groups has didactic courses and administers a PhD thesis program.
The program thus offers training in systems neurobiological approaches,
molecular/genetic approaches, use of model systems (Drosophila, C. elegans), and in behavioral/genetic/neuroimaging studies
in humans.
Individuals doing graduate training can be PhD students, MD/PhD
students or VMD/PhD students. We have a specific MD/PhD program
for sleep research.
Nursing
The aim of this program is to advance the training of nurse scientists in the area of sleep research. In addition to receiving training in sleep medicine and circadian rhythms, trainees will also select from one of three areas of concentration: outcomes research in sleep disorders, sleep and aging, and sleep in medical and psychiatric Illness. The curriculum is designed to broaden the trainees knowledge of sleep and to enable them to apply this knowledge in one of the three areas of concentration. Moreover, the course work was also selected to enhance the skills of the trainees in statistics. Depending on their research focus, trainees can also take additional courses to meet individual needs. Trainees will participate in scientific discussions, seminars, journal clubs and oral presentations of scientific work.
CSRN seeks candidates for an exciting new career development opportunity in the area of genomic/genetic study of respiratory diseases and sleep disorders. Applicants must have an MD, MD/PhD or PhD degree and have demonstrated aptitude for research and a commitment to pursuing a research academic career.
Drs. Allan Pack, Director of the Center for Sleep; Hakon Hakonarson, Director of the Center for Applied Genomics; Steven Albelda, Vice Chief of the Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division; and Jason Christie, Director of Clinical Research for the Pulmonary Division, will co-direct the program.
The program offers didactic training in genomic/genetic strategies,
relevant laboratory experience and conduct of research under an
experienced mentor.
Individuals pursuing this can obtain a Master’s in Translational Research. Opportunities for research are available in
the following areas:
a) obstructive sleep apnea and sleep disorders;
b) lung cancer; c) asthma; d) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
e) interstitial lung disease; f) pulmonary hypertension; g) sarcoidosis;
and h) lung transplant and regeneration.
Applicants with MD’s should have completed at least two years of their research training with intent to apply for a K award. PhD’s need to have completed a post-doctoral fellowship. The long-term programmatic goal for the program is for candidates to develop the skills necessary to become leaders in applying genomic/genetic strategies to study of sleep and respiratory disorders and compete independently for research support. This opportunity is available to US citizens and resident legal aliens.
Please complete an application and send it along with at least two letters of reference and a personal statement of goals to Margaret Stone Higgins, CSRN, 2122 TRL, 125 S. 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, Fax (215) 746-4814.