Research
Among the 126 Departments of Medicine nationwide the University of Tennessee ranks in the top 20% in NIH funding per faculty member ($104,000 per faculty member). This year alone, we have received over $10 million in NIH funding. The Department of Medicine has received $10 million for centers of excellence funding to be split between vascular biology and connective tissue diseases. Our division of Rheumatology is the only division in the nation to receive 2 SCOR (Specialized Center of Research) Grants. These grants are for research in scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis. The Veterans Administration Hospital here is among the top 10 VAs nationally in research funding.
Research interests in the department include collagen vascular disease, molecular pathogenesis of streptococcal infection, pathogenesis and molecular biology of heart failure, pathogenesis and treatment of diabetes mellitus, and pathogenesis and treatment of hepatitis.
Every resident is required to complete a scholarly activity before graduation. This can include case reports, noon conferences with accompanying monograph, clinical research projects, and bench research projects. Up to two months of the 36 month residency can be devoted to research. This year residents will complete over 25 research months in a variety of areas, including basic and/or clinical research in cardiology, nephrology, lipid metabolism, endocrinology, pulmonary, rheumatology, and allergy. The faculty are eager to involve residents in research and a listing of current faculty research projects is available in the program office. Some of these projects are listed on the internet as well (see the bottom of this page for hyperlinks).
Residents are encouraged to participate in clinical or basic research activities and to submit their research for national or regional presentation. Many of our residents have participated in clinical research that has led to presentation or publication. These include publications in New England Journal of Medicine, Archives of Internal Medicine, and Diabetes Care, as well as several other journals and national and statewide conferences. Financial support for these activities is arranged through the preceptor and the Department of Medicine.
Ongoing research in our various departments: