Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation

Learning Objectives

Students earning a PhD in Clinical Investigation must demonstrate distinctive attainment in a specific field and ability for independent investigation, through defense of a research dissertation and through coursework.

While earning the degree, the PhD student works toward the following learning objectives:

1. Determine when it is and is not appropriate to use a multidisciplinary patient-oriented research design to investigate a therapeutic problem.
2. Conceptualize and design multidisciplinary patient-oriented research protocols.
3. Execute multidisciplinary therapeutic intervention studies.
4. Interpret and report research findings using the expertise of collaborators in multiple disciplines.
5. Disseminate knowledge through teaching and mentoring students/trainees.
6. Lead programs that integrate clinical and translational science across multiple departments, schools and colleges, clinical and research institutes, and healthcare delivery organizations.
7. Translate research from the laboratory to the clinic through technological innovations, such as drug therapies, medical devices or biological materials (“bench to bedside”).

ICTR governs the PhD program jointly with representatives of its academic partners; faculty members from each academic partner serve as instructors, advisors, and leaders in the graduate program.

[Updated 9/12/2023]

Learning Objectives

Students in the Masters in Clinical Investigation program formulate a research question, investigate a problem or issue, report the results, and discuss the findings and implications of a study. Courses are complemented by research, culminating in defense of a master’s thesis.

Before applying to the program, the student meets with a potential faculty advisor to discuss research topics and project ideas that will be needed for the application. After admission, the student has further opportunities to refine the research strategy. During the final year of coursework, the student conducts the research project, and meets frequently with the major advisor, who will monitor progress and provide feedback. Near the end of the final year of coursework, the student completes the project and begins to prepare the thesis manuscript.

Through coursework and research, the MS student works toward the following learning objectives:

1. Determine when it is and is not appropriate to use a multidisciplinary patient-oriented research design to investigate a therapeutic problem.
2. Conceptualize and design multidisciplinary patient-oriented research protocols.
3. Execute multidisciplinary therapeutic intervention studies.
4. Interpret and report research findings using the expertise of collaborators in multiple disciplines.
5. Contribute to the leadership of programs that integrate clinical and translational science across multiple departments, schools and colleges, clinical and research institutes, and healthcare delivery organizations.
6. Translate research from the laboratory to the clinic through technological innovations, such as drug therapies, medical devices or biological materials (“bench to bedside”), as an active participant in a multidisciplinary clinical research team.

ICTR governs the MS program jointly with representatives of its academic partners; faculty members from each academic partner serve as instructors, advisors, and leaders in the graduate program.

[Updated 9/12/2023]

Learning Objectives

Doctoral students in Engineering, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, and other disciplines can declare a PhD minor with a focus in Clinical and Translation Science to learn about applications of research to clinical disciplines. This provides students with a general education in interdisciplinary clinical research, while emphasizing a scientific area of graduate study. The PhD Minor in Clinical Investigation is also known as the PhD^CTS.

The minor requires 9 credits.

Reference Materials:
Form to declare CTS focus (PDF)

[Updated July 2023]

• Sanjay Asthana, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Medicine (Geriatrics); Director ADRC; Director GRECC; Associate Director, WI Alzheimer’s Institute
  Research: Alzheimer’s, aging
• Bruce Barrett, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Family Medicine, Population Health & Anthropology
  Research: Primary care, especially for special populations
• Christian Capitini, MD
  Title/Dept: Associate Professor, Pediatrics
  Research: Preclinical models of allogeneic blood and marrow transplant to cure pediatric cancers
• Melisa Carrasco, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Assistant Professor, Neurology, Director Neonatal Neurology
  Research: Perinatal brain injuries, cognitive development
• Richard Chappell, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Statistics & Biostatistics and Medical Informatics
  Research: Analysis and design of clinical trials, link estimation in generalized linear models, survival analysis, models in radiobiology
• Robert Dempsey, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Neurology; Chair, Surgery
  Research: Cerebral ischemia, injured brain repair
• Doerte Doepfer, DVM
  Title/Dept: Professor, Veterinary Medicine (Food Animal Production Medicine)
  Research: Veterinary epidemiology, food safety, global health
• Marina Emborg, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Medical Physics
  Research: Neurodegenerative disorders
• Amy Fowler, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Associate Professor, Radiology
  Research: Molecular imaging biomarkers to assess early therapeutic response for breast cancer in preclinical and translational clinical studies
• Ronald Gangnon, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics
  Research: Model selection,  measurement reliability, survival analysis, interim monitoring
• James Gern, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Medicine & Pediatrics
  Research: Asthma, interaction between host and viral factors affecting respiratory illness severity
• Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT
  Title/Department: Associate Professor, Pediatrics; Director, Waisman Pediatric Neuromodulation Laboratory; Director, ICTR Research Design
  Research: Infant Stroke and Brain Bleeds, Cerebral Palsy
• Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi, PhD, RN
  Title/Dept: Associate Professor & Vice Chair for Research, Emergency Medicine; Deputy Director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research
  Research: Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, health services research, qualitative/mixed methods
• Jenny Gumperz, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Medical Microbiology and Immunology
  Research: Immunology
• Bryan Heiderscheit, PT, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
  Research: Human movement
• Hrissanthi (Chris) Ikonomidou, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Pediatric Neurology
  Research: Brain development
• Bermans Iskandar, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Neurosurgery; Director Pediatric Neurosurgery Program
  Research: Craniofacial repair, brachial plexus reconstruction, endoscopic surgery
• Daniel Jackson, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Pediatrics
  Research:  Pediatric allergy, asthma, immunology
• Nizar Jarjour, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Medicine (Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Pulmonary and Critical Care)
  Research: Pulmonary and critical care medicine
• Kyung Mann Kim, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics
  Research: Sequential methods of statistical analysis
• Randall Kimple, MD, PhD, MBA
  Title/Dept: Associate Professor, Human Oncology
  Research: Translational research focused on radiosensitization, cancer biology, and cellular therapy to treat cancer treatment side effects
• Amy Kind, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Medicine (Geriatrics)
  Research: Health disparities, geoanalytics, Alzheimer’s Disease
• Lingjun Li, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemistry
  Research: Peptide hormones, neurotransmitters
• Wan Ju Li, PhD
  Title/Dept: Associate Professor, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
  Research: Musculoskeletal tissue engineering, stem cell-based regenerative medicine, nanostructural biomaterial
• Glenn Liu, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Medicine (Hematology)
  Research: Genitourinary oncology, experimental therapeutics
• Michael Lucey, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Director, Liver Transplant Program
  Research: Digestive tract, liver, pancreatic diseases
• Sameer Mathur, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Associate Professor, Medicine (Allergy & Clinical Immunology)
  Research: Human peripheral blood eosinophils and epithelial cells
• Muhammed Murtaza, MBBS, PhD
  Title/Dept: Associate Professor, Surgery (Surgical Oncology); Associate Director, Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine
  Research: Cancer genomics, biomarker development, liquid biopsy
• David O’Connor, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine & WI Primate Research Center
  Research: HIV/AIDS pathogenesis
• Robert Pearce, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Anesthesiology
  Research: Anesthetics and other drugs’ control of memory and consciousness
• J. Carter Ralphe, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Pediatrics, Chief, Pediatric Cardiology
  Research: Pediatric cardiology, genetics
• Amish Raval, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine
  Research: Interventional image guidance for complex catheter-based procedures
• Scott Reeder, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Radiology
  Research: Liver diseases, new MRI methods
• Nasia Safdar, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Infectious Disease
  Research: Healthcare Associated Infections
• Nader Sheibani, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Ophthalmology & Pharmacology
  Research: Diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity
• Maureen Smith, MD, MPH
  Title/Dept: Professor, Population Health, Family Medicine and Community Health & Surgery
  Research: Short/long-term health outcomes in patients with diabetes
• Paul Sondel, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Pediatrics
  Research: Graft-versus-leukemia reactions, activation of anti-tumor immune destruction
• Christine Sorkness, PharmD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Pharmacy Practice
  Research: Efficacy and safety of therapeutic agents for asthma and allergic diseases
• M Suresh, DVM, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Pathobiological Sciences
  Research: T cell memory, CD8+ T cell responses in chronic viral infections
• Susan Thibeault, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Surgery (Otolaryngology), Communication Sciences and Disorders
  Research: Molecular and genetic factors as basis of normal vocal fold tissue and its vibration
• Giulio Tononi, MD, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Psychiatry
  Research: Sleep and consciousness, the synaptic homeostatis hypothesis
• Amy Trentham Dietz, PhD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Population Health Sciences
  Research: Breast cancer prevention, early detection, and outcomes
• Arnold Wald, MD
  Title/Dept: Professor, Medicine (Gastroenterology)
  Research: Constipation, incontinence
• Ryan Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH
  Title/Dept: Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
  Research: Communicable disease prevention and treatment, substance use disorders, public health

The Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation admitted its first MS and PhD students in 2009. The program was made possible by the 2007 funding for UW ICTR from a National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Award.

Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation Academic Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF)

• Apply through the Graduate School. Indicate intended Major Field of Study from drop-down menu: “Clinical Investigation, PhD” or “Clinical Investigation, MS”.
• Upload unofficial transcript(s) from EACH post-secondary institution attended (undergraduate and graduate), even if no degree was received
  • If accepted to the program, a hard copy of the official transcript will be required by the Graduate School.
  • Note: International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation.
• Upload statement by answering “How has your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison?” (no more than 2 pages, single spaced, PDF).
• Upload current CV/Resume (PDF).
• Supplementary application materials (PDF).
  • NIH Biosketch
  • A 300-word essay describing your clinical or translational research project, faculty mentor, and your relationship with your faculty mentor.
• List names and emails of THREE references who will submit electronic letters of recommendation. Using this option, references will automatically receive an email prompt to submit a letter of recommendation electronically. Be sure to check the box to send the email requests for EACH program that you apply to at UW-Madison.
• Submit $75.00 non-refundable application fee, payable by credit card (Mastercard or Visa).
  • The UW-Madison Graduate School offers a limited number of application fee grants to eligible students.
• Submit OFFICIAL TOEFL Scores, if applicable, from ETS.
  • TOEFL scores are sent electronically from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the Graduate School at UW-Madison.
  • Institution code: 1846, no department code required.
  • TOEFL scores are not accepted if more than 2 years old.
  • See the ETS website for more information to obtain additional TOEFL score reports.
  • International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL requirement if: the official language of instruction at the undergraduate institution is exclusively English; they have completed two full-time semesters of work in a U.S. institution; or if they have a degree from an accredited U.S. institution. Visit the Graduate School website for more information.

**GRE SCORES ARE NOT REQUIRED**

Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation (GPCI) students tend to be full-time health professionals who are earning their MS or PhD degree part-time. No funding for graduate study is provided to students by the GPCI. Students without faculty appointments usually earn salary and benefits including tuition through graduate assistantships (teaching assistant, research assistant, and other graduate student appointments) through the major advisor’s home department.

ICTR has an NIH-funded TL1 training grant with a few positions open each year on a highly competitive basis. Eligible students are US citizens or permanent residents earning a PhD in Clinical Investigation full-time or earning a PhD Minor in Clinical Investigation while pursuing a PhD in other UW-Madison programs.

The following information is from the Graduate School:

Finding Funding Without Guaranteed Appointment: For students who do not have an appointment and are looking for funding to support graduate studies, the Graduate School provides a list of steps to follow, at https://grad.wisc.edu/funding/.

Stipend Levels and Paychecks: Monthly stipend rates for graduate assistantships are set by the University.

Tuition Remission and Payment of Segregated Fees: Refer to: https://grad.wisc.edu/funding/.

Health Insurance Benefits: TAs, PAs, RA, and Lecturers (Student Assistants) with appointments of 33.3% or higher (approximately 13 hrs/week) for at least the length of a semester are eligible to enroll in a health insurance program. Information about health insurance options can be found at http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/benefits/new-emp/grad.aspx. Current monthly premiums can be found at http://uwservice.wisc.edu/premiums/index.php#sgh.

Maximum Appointment Levels: The Graduate School sets the maximum levels of graduate assistantship appointments. International students should be especially aware of maximum levels of employment. For more information on these policies, please visit https://kb.wisc.edu/gsadminkb/page.php?id=33322.

Enrollment Requirements for Graduate Assistants: Students with graduate assistantships must be enrolled appropriately. Detailed information about enrollment requirements can be found in the Graduate School’s academic policies at https://grad.wisc.edu/academic-policies/#enrollmentrequirements.

Fellowships: There are many different kinds of fellowships on campus. Some are awarded by a program, some are awarded by the school/college, and still others are awarded by the Graduate School. In addition, a number of students have applied for and won fellowships from federal agencies, professional organizations, and private foundations. The terms and conditions of fellowships across campus vary widely. If you have a fellowship, make sure you understand the obligations and benefits of that fellowship, including stipend, health insurance eligibility, eligibility for tuition remission, pay schedule, etc.

Graduate School Fellowships: The Graduate School administers a number of different fellowships on campus, including: the University Fellowships, Chancellor’s Fellowships, Mellon-Wisconsin Fellowships, Dickie Fellowships, and a variety of external fellowships. If you have any questions about fellowships, please contact the Office of Fellowships and Funding Resources: https://grad.wisc.edu/funding/fellowships/.

Also refer to the Grants Information Collections (GIC) on the 2^nd Floor of Memorial Library: http://grants.library.wisc.edu/.