Infectious Diseases

Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program in Global HIV Prevention Research

The Division of Infectious Diseases of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is pleased to offer its Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program in Global HIV Prevention Research as a way to prepare physician as well as social, behavioral, and professional scientists for academic research careers focused on understanding and preventing HIV disease globally. The program is funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) through a T32 mechanism, and supports 2 new fellows each year--one a physician specializing in adult or pediatric infectious diseases, and one a social/behavioral scientist or a graduate with a doctoral degree from a relevant professional field (such as psychology, public health, public policy, sociology, anthropology, biological sciences, etc).

The fellowship lasts 3 years, and a successful graduate of the training program will have secured a master's degree (or completed equivalent work); completed at least one major HIV prevention research project in the U.S. developing country; participated in other research projects; made a research presentation in at least one major scientific conference; published as a first author in leading scientific journals; and received a multiyear grant related to HIV prevention to take into a first faculty position.

Original research is the heart of the fellowship, and our efforts are focused on ensuring that fellows successfully transition into independent investigators. In Year 1, fellows design a research protocol and also write the first draft of an initial grant. They will also have access to large data sets and engage in secondary data analyses and submit papers for publication.

Academic training will focus on the completion of a master's degree in public health, public policy, or clinical research from UCLA (or completion of equivalent work). The program focuses on the integration of training activities for both MD and PhD trainees, fostering training in biobehavioral approaches to solve the major problems that preclude halting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. All physician trainees receive rigorous behavioral science training and all PhD trainees are provided training in the use of biomarkers and conducting research with clinical context and relevance.

In addition, fellows will participate in ongoing seminars, peer review, and relevant conferences. Professional development will focus on grant preparation, data analysis, manuscript preparation, presentation and teaching skills, and grant writing. We offer focused training in the ethical conduct of research, with an emphasis on the difficult and evolving issues of conducting research in resource-poor settings.

Eligibility and Applications

The eligibility criteria for this fellowship are:

  • Postdoctoral scholar who is focusing on domestic or international HIV prevention research
  • U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident at the time of fellowship appointment

There are 2 new fellowship slots available each year. One slot is open only to MDs who have gone through the formal clinical infectious diseases fellowship in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UCLA. They are selected through the ID Division at UCLA through a standard matching process. Once matched and placed at UCLA, those who express an interest in global HIV prevention research may be identified for enrollment into this fellowship. As such, we do not accept applications from MDs outside of this mechanism.

The other slot is open to non-MD (eg, PhD) postdoctoral applicants, whom we recruit directly. The PhD can be in any discipline (psychology, public health, public policy, sociology, anthropology, biological sciences, etc), as long the applicant is focused on an academic career in global HIV research.

If you would like to apply or receive more information about the fellowship program, please: