Internal Medicine Residency : UNM HSC School of Medicine

Current mentors and example projects

Cardiology

Mark Ricciardi

Projects related to interventional cardiology are very much open to resident involvement. I am happy to discuss specific topics, tailored to the particular residents’ interest/strengths, and look forward to working with motivated residents in this regard.

Endocrinology

David Schade

GCRC protocols could involve residents for clinical research experience

Kathleen Colleran

Measuring and improving adherence to CVD prevention guidelines
Ethnic differences in CVD risk factors and treatment
Innovative mechanisms for weight reduction
Innovative mechanism to remove health care disparities in diabetes

Epidemiology

Marianne Berwick

Melanoma datasets that residents can help review. Several pilot studies that could use some assistance. Some are lab based and some are more population based.

Case-Control Study of Melanoma in Connecticut.

In this population-based study of 650 individuals newly diagnosed with melanoma and 549 control subjects recruited from the general population, we will be making many comparisons. One important comparison is for the risk factors for “aggressive” melanoma. We will have 20 year follow up and so this should be a publishable paper.

Sports Medicine

Ann Gateley

Sports specific max MVO2 standards and nutrition projects

General Medicine

Amandeep Chadha

Main interest is in Heme-Onc but is eager to help residents with projects in all aspects of internal medicine.

George Comerci

Case series of bronchospasm relief with baclofen use.

Richard Hoffman

Prostate and colorectal cancer screening, but most of my collaborations have been methodological I can help with meta analyses and database studies that can look at outcomes and diagnostic test performance.

Julie Broyles

All diabetics are in an Access database at academy clinic n = ~ 400

Data available such as BP, lipids, A1C, weight/BMI; ACE/ARB therapy, lab Resident could decide on an intervention query database carry out intervention compare pre post; even planning a group visit and doing a pre/post questionnaire. Resident could work with faculty to plan combined provider/Pharmacist/Educator group education visit , Or work with providers to intervene in BPs. -print list of diabetics with elevated BP - review their meds intervene... Target pts with A1C over 9, etc.

Resident would gain knowledge of the Chronic Care Model.

David Bennahaum

Projects involving Biomedical Ethics, Social Medicine or the History of Medicine.

Kendall Rogers

Quality improvement is an emerging realm of research and there is ample healthcare processes in need of change. All physicians should have experience in the science of process improvement which they will use throughout their careers. The hospitalist group is involved in numerous direct patient care PDSA (Plan/Do/Study/Act) projects all appropriate for resident/student involvement with definable goals and realistic time-lines. Many projects available including doing analysis of existing hospital data on already implemented projects (inpatient glycemic control, VTE prophylaxis, care transitions, patient satisfaction, ect.) There are also many projects in development around hand-offs, nurse/MD communication, resident/staff schedules, EMR implementation. Also willing to mentor (or find mentors) for students on any projects related to inpatient medicine, will guide you through PDSA cycles. Will help you define a problem and analyze the current system (PLAN), develop an intervention and implement it on a small scale (DO), measure the results of the intervention (STUDY), and then act on this information to revise the intervention and re-implement on a larger scale and start the cycle over again.

Geriatrics

Sandra Qaseem

Projects related to homecare in geriatrics. Based on quality improvement through chart review and also quality of communication and accessibility of care.

GI

Thomas Ma

Basic science: Intestinal epithelial permeability studies

Henry Lin

The role of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth on different disease states such as fibromyalgia.

ID

Marcos Burgos

Medical director of the tuberculosis control program in NM and research in tuberculosis in general.

There are 3 areas of research:

Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis
Clinical management of tuberculosis
International rotation for the management of tuberculosis/HIV co-infection in Peru

Susan Kellie

Molecular epidemiology techniques in lab

Help them with an ID poster/case report for the ACP

Ravi Druvasala

Many projects involving paratransgenesis and treatments for Chaga’s disease.

Pulmonary/Critical Care

Michel Boivin

Cytokines and increased intestinal permeability in ICU patients (clinical research project with T Ma)
Increased intestinal Permeability in ESRD patients (clinical research project with T Ma)
Cytokine regulation of intestinal epithelial monolayers (basic science project with T. Ma).

The clinical projects include the recruitment and evaluation of study patients, both healthy volunteers and patients. No research experience required. The basic projects involve lab work with cell culture models, some prior experience working in a lab would be necessary given the short time frame. Previous residents working with our group have all published posters and or papers.

Use of ultrasound in Critical Illness

Akshay Sood

Project Name: Adiposity, Activity and Asthma - A Clinical Translational Study. Objective: This study evaluates the effect of various obesity phenotypes and physical activity status on inflammatory and oxidant stress markers of asthma

Sleep Medicine

Amanda Beck

Projects looking at the difference in severity of apnea/hypopnea index depending on position & stage and how that could impact such areas as ENT operative success. Outcomes research on a managed care model of CPAP that we have for the UNM Cares.

Heme-Onc

Melanie E Royce, MD, PhD

Breast cancer, focused primarily on clinical aspects including drug development and clinical trial, also working closely with basic scientist and epidemiologist so those interested in such projects can have the opportunity of pursuing them as well in collaboration with these folks.