Vascular Surgery Scientist Training Program
The Vascular Surgery Scientist Training Program at Northwestern University, which is funded by a T32 grant from the NIH, is a two-year mentored research training experience for general and vascular surgery residents (MD/DO) interested in research-oriented academic careers.
The T32 funding mechanism provides a stipend, tuition, fees for coursework, travel funds and health insurance.
Our goal is to provide trainees with the scientific environment, didactic training, career development mentorship, and opportunities for collaboration required to jump start careers as surgeon-scientists.
Individualized training plans are developed by the mentor and trainee. Trainees can choose mentors and secondary mentors from many different clinical specialties and research fields and select one of several tracks of study or a combination of tracks:
- Vascular biology with a basic science emphasis
- Clinical research including outcomes studies
- Biomedical research in partnership with the Department of Biomedical Engineering
- An integrated program designed by the trainee and his/her mentors
Our Team
Program Leadership
- Program Director: Mark K. Eskandari, MD
- Associate Program Directors: Guillermo A. Ameer, ScD, and William A. Muller, MD, PhD
- Institutional Adviser: William H. Pearce, MD
Mentors
Vascular Biology
- Hasan B. Alam, MD, is the Loyal and Edith Davis Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Surgeon-in-Chief at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
- Hossein Ardehali, MD, PhD, Director of the Feinberg Cardio Vascular & Renal Research Institute's Center for Molecular Cardiology and professor of Pharmacology and Cardiology in the Department of Medicine.
- Karen J. Ho, MD, Assistant Professor and John Marquardt Clinical Research Professor of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery.
- Tsutomu Kume, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Harmacology and Cardiology in the Department of Medicine.
- Luisa Iruela-Arispe, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Northwestern University.
- Elizabeth M. McNally, MD, PhD, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine. Dr. McNally is Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics as well as the Elizabeth J. Ward Professor of Genetic Medicine and director of the Center for Genetic Medicine.
- William A. Muller, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology. Dr. Muller is the Janardan K. Reddy, MD Professor of Pathology at NU and immediate past Chair of the Department of Pathology.
- Satish N. Nadig, MD, PhD, Edward G. Elcock Professor of Surgery, Chief of the Division of Transplantation, and Director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. He is an adult and pediatric multiorgan transplant surgeon and Professor in the Departments of Surgery, Microbiology/Immunology, and Pediatrics.
- Amy S. Paller, MD, Walter J. Hamlin Professor and Chair of Dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
- Edward B. Thorp, PhD, is a tenured Associate Professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics. He is the Director of Basic & Molecular Science at the Heart Center in the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital.
- Susan E. Quaggin, MD, director of the Feinberg Cardiovascular & Renal Research Institute, chief of Nephrology & Hypertension in the Department of Medicine, Charles H. Mayo, MD, Professor and professor of Nephrology & Hypertension in the Department of Medicine
- Lisa D. Wilsbacher, MD, PhD, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine and Department of Pharmacology and Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Pharmacology.
Clinical Research/Outcomes
- Karl Y. Bilimoria, MD, MS, is a surgical oncologist and a health services, quality improvement, and health policy researcher at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Vice President for Quality and Information Services for the Northwestern Medicine system leading the Quality Innovation Center, and Vice Chair for Quality in the Department of Surgery and the John B. Murphy Professor of Surgery.
- Mark K. Eskandari, MD, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery. Dr. Eskandari is The James S.T. Yao, M.D., Ph.D. Distinguished Professor of Vascular Surgery and Professor of Surgery, Medical Education, and Radiology.
- Joseph M. Feinglass, PhD, Research Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics.
- Andrew W. Hoel, MD, Associate Professor of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery.
- Yue-Yung Hu, MD, MPH, is a pediatric surgeon and a health services researcher at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery and the Associate Program Director of the General Surgery Residency Program. She studies surgical education, focusing particularly on surgeon wellness and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is co-principal investigator of the Surgical Education Culture Optimization through targeted interventions based on National comparative Data (SECOND) Trial, a national cluster-randomized controlled trial of 215 general surgery residency programs that aims to improve the learning environment and resident well-being. The SECOND Trial launched an extension for vascular surgery programs in 2020.
- Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, ScM, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical & Translational Research, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine, director of the Northwestern University Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute, Eileen M. Foell Professor and professor of Pediatrics, Epidemiology in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Cardiology in the Department of Medicine
- Mary M. McDermott, MD, The Jeremiah Stamler Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and Preventive Medicine.
- Douglas E. Vaughan, MD, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine. Dr. Vaughan is currently the Irving S. Cutter Professor of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Physician in Chief of Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
- Ashley K. Vavra, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery.
Biomedical Research
- Guillermo A. Ameer, ScD, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery. The Daniel Hale Williams Professor and Director of Postdoctoral Training in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University with a joint appointment in the Division of Vascular Surgery.
- James C. Carr, MD, Chairman of Radiology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the director of Cardiovascular Imaging.
- Luisa Iruela-Arispe, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Northwestern University.
- Bin Jiang, PhD, Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering.
- Michael Markl, PhD, Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Radiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
- Samuel I. Stupp, PhD, Board of Trustees Professor of Material Science & Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine & Biomedical Engineering; director of the Simpson Querrey Institute; and professor of McCormick School of Engineering, Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences and Endocrinology in the Department of Medicine.
- C. Shad Thaxton, MD, PhD, Department of Urology, Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, and the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute at Northwestern.
Curriculum
In addition to their chosen track, all trainees also complete a core curriculum consisting of courses in responsible conduct for research, ethical issues in clinical research and scientific writing. Trainees are also able to take additional courses in their area of focus. If interested, trainees may also complete the requirements for the Master of Science or certificate in Health Services and Outcomes Research.
Eligibility & Requirements
Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or a noncitizen national of the U.S., or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of the appointment. Candidates must possess an M.D. degree or D.O. degree and are required to have completed at least 2 years of surgical residency training prior to acceptance into the program. Women and underrepresented minorities in medicine are encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
If you have questions, please contact the T32 Coordinator:
Marsha Blunt, VSSTP Program Coordinator
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
Division of Vascular Surgery
676 N. St. Clair St., Ste. 650
Chicago, IL 60611
marsha.blunt@nm.org
Current Trainees
Current Trainees
- Calvin Chao, MD: 7/1/22-Present
Mentor: Bin Jiang, PhD
Track: Clinical Outcomes
Research Interests: Development of translational therapies and models to improve the long-term patency of vascular interventions, both open surgical grafts and endovascular devices.
- Eric Pillado, MD: 7/1/21-Present
Mentor: Andrew W. Hoel, MD
Track: Clinical Outcomes
Research Interests: Decision-making in the medical and surgical management of peripheral arterial disease, cost-effectiveness analysis