UC San Francisco is working across disciplines to develop collaborative and creative leaders, and one example its K Scholars program, which brings together junior faculty from all UCSF schools who are committed to building careers in clinical and translational research. View current K Scholars and program faculty.
Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, MD, PhD, MAS, an associate professor at the UCSF School of Medicine and director of the K Scholars program managed by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), further explains the program and highlights what sets it apart.
Q: What excites you about the CTSI K Scholars program and what differentiates it from others around the country?
A: Each year the K Scholars program attracts 50-60 outstanding junior faculty engaged in clinical and translational research. What I’m most excited about is the transformation that occurs when you bring together these top-notch junior investigators whose research spans the entire range of the translational spectrum. The program offers amazing potential for creative clinical and translational research that makes a real impact on health.
What distinguishes this program is that these K scholars meet weekly for works-in-progress sessions and other didactic and one-on-one methodological and career development activities. Many researchers don’t have the opportunity to regularly interact and share ideas with peers from different disciplines, so bringing together so many outstanding investigators in one place on a regular basis is truly remarkable.
Through these meetings, a strong support network emerges allowing scholars to share scientific ideas, learn from one another about building a career in clinical and translational research, and foster new collaborations and that help to develop innovative ideas. K Scholars represent the next generation of top clinical and translational scientists at UCSF, and this model for nurturing multi-disciplinary interactions is transformative. It’s not uncommon for me to come across a new study or abstract and note that not one, but several K Scholar graduates are continuing to collaborate even after leaving the program.
Q: What are some things people may not know about the K Scholars program?
A: Many people are surprised by the range of research conducted by K Scholars. This includes research that spans early translational inquiry exploring disease mechanisms, studies that combine quantitative and qualitative approaches to addressing a research question, and studies of policy-level population interventions.
Read more at UCSF.edu
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