Research Fellowships
Advanced Research Fellowship Opportunities
For fellows interested in pursuing a research career, there are multiple research training opportunities including a 2-year advanced fellowship through the program, a 2-year advanced fellowship through a NIH-funded that can lead to a Master's degree, or a 3-4 year advanced fellowship through the leading to a PhD.
These research fellowships provide the opportunity to spend protected time learning proper research methods by taking full advantage of the expertise and resources of the Graduate Schools at UCLA as well as our renowned UCLA Geriatric Medicine research faculty. These research fellowships begin after completion of the one-year clinical fellowship.
VA Advanced Fellowship in Geriatrics
The VA Advanced Fellowship in Geriatrics provides 2 -3 years of support for fellows to pursue interests in research. The fellowship accepts 1 new fellow each year and requires that the fellow have a research mentor and research plan but gives fellows and their mentors broad flexibility in the design of the plans. Recent fellows have engaged in research in the following areas: Geriatric Oncology, Disparities in Health in Minority Populations, and Utility of Medicare Quality Improvement Measures in Improving Health Care Outcomes. Fellows also serve as attendings on our VA inpatient Acute Geriatrics Team for 4 weeks a year to sharpen their skills in leading an interdisciplinary Geriatrics team.
Applicants interested in the Fellowship should feel free to contact Dr. Nancy Weintraub at to explore this opportunity. Applications will be considered beginning in the fall of the year preceding the Fellowship.
National Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP)
The National Clinician Scholars Program offers unique clinical and community-based research training through intensive mentorship for clinicians as change agents driving policy-relevant research and partnerships to improve health and healthcare. Join us in cultivating health equity, eliminating health disparities, inventing new models of care, and achieving higher quality health care at lower cost by training nurse and physician researchers who will work as leaders and collaborators embedded in communities, health care systems, government, foundations, and think tanks in the U.S. and around the world.
Deborah Oyeyemi, MD
Dr. Oyeyemi is a National Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP) fellow at UCLA. She is investigating how contextual factors like race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status intersect with dementia outcomes. Her research also focuses on strategies for increasing representation of ethnoracially diverse older adults and caregivers in clinical research. She will receive her Master's of Science in Health Policy and Management from the School of Public Health.
VA Advanced Fellowship in Health Services Research
This fellowship, funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Academic Affiliations, began at the VA Greater Los Angeles (GLA) in 1990. The program aims to develop the competencies needed to apply health services and implementation science to support learning health systems. The Advanced Fellowship has grown since its inception and is now open to post-residency physicians, post-doctoral nurses, psychologists and other post-doctoral health professionals and social scientists. Applicants must be US citizens.
Women’s Health Fellowship
This fellowship, funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Academic Affiliations, is open to primary care physicians, obstetricians and gynecologists, psychologists and other clinicians who are interested in research in women’s health. Fellows in this program also develop competencies in clinical care for women, including performance of minor gynecologic procedures, through the VA Women’s Health Center program.
Meet Our Advanced Fellows
David Lee, MD
Dr. Lee is a NRSA and STAR Fellow at UCLA. His research focuses on complexities of care among vulnerable populations including frail older adults and persons living with dementia. He will receive a PhD from the School of Public Health with a focus on Organizational Behavior and Implementation Science.
Anahid A. Hamparsumian, MD
Dr. Hamparsumian is an advanced fellow in the VA Advanced Fellowship in Geriatrics program. Her research, in collaboration with the UCLA Center for SMART Health, focuses on geriatric oncology and participation of older adults in clinical research studies using digital health technology for remote patient monitoring. Additionally, she is currently enrolled in the Masters of Science in Clinical Research program at UCLA
Justin Cheng, MD
Dr. Cheng is an advanced fellow in the VA Advanced Fellowship in Geriatrics program. His research, in collaboration with the UCLA Center for SMART Health and Division of Hematology/Oncology, focuses on geriatric oncology and using digital technology to monitor gait patterns and fall risks in older cancer patients. He is also planning to enroll in the Master of Science in Clinical Research program at UCLA.
Minori Ohashi, MD
Dr. Ohashi is a STAR fellow at UCLA. Her biomedical research focuses on aging, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. As a physician scientist, she will receive post-doctoral research training and pursue a career in academic medicine and stem cell research.