Pulmonary Vascular Disease Fellowship

The UCLA Pulmonary Vascular Disease Program would like to welcome applications for an advanced fellowship in Pulmonary Vascular Disease. This 1-year non-ACGME fellowship, at one of the largest programs in the country, provides comprehensive training in the diagnosis and management of all forms of pulmonary vascular disease, including pulmonary arterial hypertension and acute and chronic thromboembolic disease.  

The fellowship is currently accepting applications for July 2025 – June 2026. All board-eligible or board-certified cardiologists and pulmonologists are eligible to apply. 

Overall fellowship details are included below, but the UCLA PVD fellowship emphasizes an individualized and flexible program (in addition to core training) which will be tailored to suit the clinical and research interests of the trainee.

At UCLA, the advanced PVD fellow will benefit from exposure to:

• Nationally and internationally renowned experts in PH, PE, CTEPH, interventional radiology, pulmonology, physiology, and cardiology 
• A very large population of patients with all forms of PH and PAH with very busy research program  (17 open clinical trials for PVD or PE) 
• A busy inpatient service (averaging 15-20 patients) of patients with PVD
• Active, mature CTEPH program with multidisciplinary conferences for patient selection for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy or balloon pulmonary angioplasty 
• Robust pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) directed by the PVD group, including AI-driven imaging and comprehensive follow up through a formal post-PE clinic 
• Invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) 
• High-volume transplant center with >600 liver transplants, >300 lung transplants, and >250 heart transplants since 2020 
• Advanced mechanical support strategies for patients with end-stage PH peri-transplant 
• Large population of patients with rare and advanced lung diseases including LAM, PVOD, PCH, and PAP 
• Very large population of patients with silicosis 
• Growing population of patients with sickle cell disease with the recent opening of UCLA’s SCD clinic 
• Transitions of care for adolescents with PVD 
• Congenital heart disease patients (often co-managed with our adult congenital heart disease experts) 

At the end of the 1-year fellowship, fellows are expected to: 

• Participate in PVD and post-PE clinic at our primary site (requirements flexible) 
• Serve on the inpatient PVD service at our primary and secondary site (UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital), acting as PVD attending in the latter part of the year (requirements flexible) 
• Become independent managing complex PH patients including initiation and titration of parenteral therapies and referral for transplant evaluation 
• Attain complete independence performing and interpreting right heart catheterizations for the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (Minimum 100 RHCs required for graduation, current fellow is on track for >200) 
• Gain experience in performing and interpreting pulmonary angiography
• Obtain exposure to catheter-directed interventions for pulmonary embolism  
• Attain necessary expertise to interpret imaging in PVD, including V/Q, CT and echocardiographic imaging in patients with PH and PE 
• Participate in monthly CPET conferences to discuss interesting or complex invasive CPET results 
• Participate in regional and national conferences.
• Complete at least one research project and present results at a national meeting

This fellowship is funded at the PGY-7/8 level with additional funds available for conference travel and book/educational monies. Fellows will be hired as Clinical Instructors in the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.   Although not required, opportunity exists for salary augmentation by covering ICU shifts.

Applications are due on December 28, 2024 and should include:      

• A copy of the applicant’s CV 
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from fellowship program director 
• A personal statement indicating why the applicant is interested in a career in pulmonary vascular disease  

Please email application packets (CV and personal statement) to: LLLiang@mednet.ucla.edu

Please have letter writers email their letter of recommendations directly to: LLLiang@mednet.ucla.edu

Interviews will be held virtually in January 2025.