DOIM Education Training & Research Program
The Division of Internal Medicine Education Training and Research Program supports students and trainees from partner institutions who are seeking a research experience. View current openings.
Successful trainees appointed through the program will:
- be directly supervised or co-mentored by a Division of Internal Medicine (DoIM) faculty member
- develop skills related to various aspects of research conduct and project implementation
- gain hands-on research experience that will allow them to apply learned principles from their graduate studies as it relates to a specific project
- acquire knowledge and insight on the fundamentals of research, quality improvement and/or program implementation
- receive guidance and mentorship from experienced MD Anderson DoIM faculty and/or research personnel, on respective projects they are involved in
Student eligibility
- Students and trainees must be enrolled in UTHealth School of Public Health
- Students can apply to as many projects that overlap with their research interests but will be "matched" in only one project
- Students may be eligible for a stipend or school credit
How to apply
- Identify a project of your interest under the program website
- Projects will be available as they are identified within the DoIM
- The application process has a rolling deadline
- Each applicant will be asked to submit the following:
- Personal statement of why project research is of interest to you
- A statement of commitment by the candidate and university mentor that indicates the applicant's intent to participate
Current Projects
About the Projects
The following projects will offer hands-on research experience and educational opportunities that are matched to a trainee's specific area of study or research interest. See below for project descriptions and links to apply.
Mentor: Jun-ichi Abe, Ph.D.
Department: Cardiology
Project Title: Determine the role of PARP1-TOP2β and glutaminolysis in ionizing radiation-induced atherosclerosis and atrial fibrillation (AF)
Project Synopsis: We established a novel mouse coronary atherosclerosis model combining transverse aortic coarctation (TAC) and hypercholesteremia mice.
To minimize the direct effect of pressure overload on cardiac function, we evaluated coronary atherosclerosis at 4 weeks after TAC instead of 8 to 25 weeks after TAC.
We observed not only coronary atherosclerosis but also an increase of vessel wall thickness with perivascular fibrosis and infiltration of myeloid cells (MCs) into perivascular lesions, suggesting that the pathology of human coronary lesions after RT is well represented by our new TAC model.
Importantly, we observed that a history of hyperlipidemia was the only independent predictor of major coronary events after RT amongst several cardiac risk factors and pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and in our ongoing cohort study.
In this aim, we hypothesize that the depletion of PARP1, the inhibition of glutamine transporter will suppress IR-induced atherosclerosis. Conversely, depleted TOP2β will accelerate the development of atherosclerosis.
Mentor: Efstratios Koutroumpakis, M.D.
Department: Cardiology
Project Title: Assessment of Cardiometabolic Health of Patients
with Prostate Cancer
Project Synopsis: To assess the role of lipid-lowering, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and weight-loss therapies in preventing adverse cardiovascular and prostate cancer-specific events.
We will also examine associations of baseline cardiometabolic disorders, including obesity/adiposity, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose metabolism, and hypertension with development of adverse cardiovascular and prostate cancer-specific events.
Mentor: Noha Hassan Abdelwahab, M.D., Ph.D.
Department: General Internal Medicine
Project Title: Unveiling, Mitigating, and Decoupling Immune-related Adverse Events in Cancer Immunotherapy
Project Synopsis: To determine the incidence, clinical phenotypes, timing, and severity of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in melanoma patients from the initiation of adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy through two years of follow-up.
In addition, to longitudinally assess patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of fatigue, depression, sleep disturbance, and QOL from the initiation of adjuvant ICI therapy through two years of follow-up.
Finally, to longitudinally characterize patient immune signatures from the initiation of adjuvant ICI therapy through 2 years of follow-up and evaluate their association with irAEs, symptom burden, and QOL.
Mentor: Sai-ching Yeung, M.D., Ph.D.
Department: Emergency Medicine
Project Title: The usefulness of different prognostic biomarkers in cancer patients presenting to the emergency department with pulmonary embolism
Project Synopsis: To assess the significance and utility of various
prognostic biomarkers in predicting outcomes in cancer patients with pulmonary embolisms.
Department: Emergency Medicine
Project Title: Examining autoimmune diseases in patients with cancer treated with immunotherapy presenting as emergent, urgent, or non-urgent conditions
Project Synopsis:
To investigate the occurrence, mechanisms, and clinical implications of autoimmune diseases in patients undergoing immunotherapy for cancer presenting as emergent, urgent, or non-urgent conditions.
We will assess the incidence of autoimmune diseases
among patients with cancer treatment with immunotherapy, compare the emergent, urgent or non-urgent presentations of these conditions and investigate the long-term consequences of autoimmune diseases in the context of cancer
immunotherapy, including their influence on the treatment response, survival rates, and quality of life.
Mentor: Cielito Reyes-Gibby, Dr.P.H.
Department: Emergency Medicine
Project Title: Improving emergency care and outcomes of
immune-related adverse events: The immune related emergency index (irEDI)
Project Synopsis: The aim is to describe the prevalence of neuropathic pain (NP) in cancer survivors. In addition to assess the extent to which disease-related variables (e.g., stage of disease, location of tumor), treatment variables (chemotherapy, dose, duration; surgery; radiotherapy), clinical health status (e.g., comorbid conditions), and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race) are associated with the epidemiology of NP.
Project Title: Neuropathic Pain in Survivors of Head and Neck
Project Synopsis: The aim is to describe the prevalence of neuropathic pain (NP) in cancer survivors. Also, to assess the extent to which disease-related variables (e.g., stage of disease, location of tumor), treatment variables (chemotherapy, dose, duration; surgery; radiotherapy), clinical health status (e.g., comorbid conditions), and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race) are associated with the epidemiology of NP.
Project Title: Molecular Epidemiology of Neuropathic Pain in Head and Neck Cancer
Project Synopsis: The aim is to determine the independent influence of cancer treatment, behavioral, epidemiological, biological, and clinical factors in predicting the development of chronic pain (neuropathic/nociceptive) in these patients.
Project Title: Temporal Changes in Oral Microbial Composition in Head and Neck Cancer Patients at High Risk for Oral Mucositis
Project Synopsis: The aim is to determine whether pretreatment oral microbial diversity or cancer treatment-induced change in the oral microbiome (eg, a shift to pathogenic species or reduction in oral microbial diversity) could be an early objective biomarker for the development and severity of oral mucositis (OM) has not been explored in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
Apply now
Mentor: Joanna-Grace Manzano, M.D.
Department: Hospital Medicine
Project Title: Clinical outcomes and readmission patterns after biliary procedures in patients with malignant biliary obstruction/advanced solid tumor malignancy
Project Synopsis: The aim is to determine the readmission outcomes of patienta undergoing biliary procedures and identify common complications experienced by patients undergoing biliary procedures. To identify opportunities for practice improvement using QI tools, to improve readmission outcomes and decrease complication rate among patients with advanced solid tumor malignancy
undergoing biliary procedures.
We will determine cancer-related outcomes of patients with
advanced solid tumor malignancy undergoing biliary procedures and hope to improve the clinical outcome of patients undergoing biliary procedures through practice-related interventions.
Project Title: Predictors and outcomes of multisystem
immunotherapy-related adverse events among patients with Breast Cancer
Project Synopsis: The aim is to identify the incidence of multisystem
irAEs, risk factors and outcomes of treatment in patients with Breast Cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Apply now
Mentor: Sonali Thosani, M.D.
Department: Endocrine Neoplasia & HD- Research
Project Title: Causes of DKA at cancer center
Project Synopsis: The aim is to look at the causes of diabetic ketoacidosis in patients with cancer. This is a retrospective chart review where students will look for several variables within each chart. Upon completion of the chart review, they would work with our statistician to analyze the data. ketoacidosis
Past Projects
| Project Title | Principle Investigator | MD Anderson Department | Number of Research Trainees Matched | Affiliate Institution |
| Onconephrology: Kidney Care | Ala Abudayyeh, M.D. | Nephrology | 1 | UTHSPH |
| Onconephrology: Efficacy of Infliximab | Ala Abudayyeh, M.D. | Nephrology | 2 | UTHSPH |
| Reduce 30-day Unplanned Readmissions at MDA | Joanna-Grace Mayo Manzano, M.D. | Hospital Medicine | 1 | UTHSPH |
Contact Information
Lauren Sutton, B.S.
Program Coordinator, Education
Division of Internal Medicine
lmsutton1@mdanderson.org