Faculty: Professors Asthana (Faculty Governance Committee Chair), Barrett, Carnes, Chappell, Chen, DeMets, Dempsey, Drezner, Gern, Iskandar, Jarjour, Kao, P. Keely, Kent, Kim, Mitchell, D. Page, Pearce, Sondel, Suresh; Associate Professors A. Adams, N. Connor, Heiderscheit, Kahl, Li, D. O'Connor, Reeder, Thibeault; Assistant Professors Coen, Dopfer, D. Jackson, G. Kennedy, Mathur, Raval, H. Young
The Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation (GPCI) is housed in the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR). The program, which offers the M.S., Ph.D. and Ph.D. minor, was developed in direct response to the broadly recognized need, most notably by the National Institutes of Health, to stimulate clinical research and develop and promote clinical research training programs. Funding of the ICTR through the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) facilitated UW–Madison's ability to offer a spectrum of graduate programs in clinical research.
The program complements the areas of clinical research training emphasized by the graduate program in population health. The focus is to provide physicians, clinical scientists, and other health care professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct and translate basic science discoveries into clinical applications through patient (human or animal)-oriented research, or what is commonly known as "from bench to bedside." Patient-oriented research includes the study of disease, therapeutic interventions, development of new technologies, and clinical trials. The graduate program in population health focuses on epidemiological or health services research which moves research from clinical trials to clinical practice and community settings.
The ICTR, the administrative home for the degree program, has joined academic partners to develop and offer the GPCI. Representatives from the schools of Medicine and Public Health, Nursing, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Engineering came together as a task force in 2006 to design the program. Partner schools are represented in the curriculum and are joined by the Marshfield Clinic on the faculty governance committee overseeing the program.
The curriculum draws from existing courses in the partner schools, and includes new courses developed exclusively for the GPCI. Course work provides a solid foundation in research methods and analysis, including biostatistics, study design, and ethical conduct. Through electives and a research requirement, students pursue their own areas of specialization in patient-oriented clinical research.
The program prepares students for careers in academia, industry, and research institutes, or with health or regulatory agencies. Applicants ideally will have a health professional degree (e.g., M.D., DVM, PharmD, PhD., BSN, MPT, DPT). Because active clinicians are enrolled as students in the program, both full- and part-time enrollment will be available with the goal of offering most core courses at times to accommodate the schedules of working professionals.
The program accepts applications for the M.S. and Ph.D for fall only, with a February 1 deadline for completed applications. Rare exceptions are made for spring admissions.
The faculty governance committee for the program will consider all aspects of each application. The applicant must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School plus those of the program, listed here:
Acceptance into the program will depend in part on identification of a research program that aligns with a student's research interests and career goals, a student's fit with the program and likelihood of successfully completing a graduate degree, but does not assure funding. Identification of a faculty advisor and research program is a key consideration in the admissions process but does not guarantee admission.
For more information: Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Attn: Debora Treu, 2112G Health Sciences Learning Center, 750 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705; 608-262-3768; dltreu@wisc.edu; https://ictr.wisc.edu/GraduateProgram.
