Pulmonary Vascular Disease Research Fellowship

NIH T32 in Pulmonary Vascular Disease- AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY.

Vanderbilt’s Laboratory for Organ Regeneration, Recovery, and Replacement (LOR3) is seeking a motivated general surgery resident to join our productive research group. The LOR3, directed by Matthew Bacchetta, MD, MBA, is focused on creating organ support systems that provide extended physiologic support for injured organs, bioengineering platforms for organ recovery and regeneration, and developing artificial cardiopulmonary assist systems. Our work has been published in leading academic medical, scientific, and engineering journals, and also featured in major news outlets including The New York Times.

Specific to this T32, we have established a high-fidelity, tunable model of pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure in sheep. This large animal model is able to recapitulate the pathophysiology of end-stage right heart failure, characterized by right ventricular hypertrophy and dilation, venous congestion, liver fibrosis and ascites, and pleural edema.

Our major focus with this model is to establish a durable form of right ventricular mechanical support, but we are scientifically interested in further characterizing and developing this model for other applications and projects that include but are not limited to:

1. Exercise physiology of pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure in a sheep treadmill model
2. Using the tunable model of pulmonary hypertension to study reverse remodeling of the right heart and the hepatic reserve (reversing liver fibrosis)
3. Developing and establishing biomarker for decompensated RV failure
4. Developing and testing a novel Pulmonary Assist Device (artificial lung)

The LOR3 is an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, scientists, engineers, nurses, surgeons and laboratory personnel with a common goal of advancing the field of lung failure and transplantation. Given the wide range of research projects, this position is well-suited for residents interested in various specialties, particularly abdominal transplant, cardiac, and thoracic surgery. Residents remain active in technical aspects such as sewing and open dissection, so skills maintain (if not improve).

Our current and past research residents have authored countless journal articles, book chapters, and have been on many national and international podiums presenting their work.

How To Apply:

Please submit all documents in one single email to: [email protected]

• CV
• Letter of interest
• Letter of Support from the candidate’s current Program Director, for which summative rotation evaluations and feedback regarding clinical performance are encouraged.