Molecular Medicine

The Molecular Medicine Residency Pathway within the Categorical Medicine Residency is designed for individuals who are interested in pursuing a career that emphasizes bench research in combination with the practice of medicine. The overarching goal of the program is to train the next generation of transformative laboratory-based physician-scientists.

The Molecular Medicine Residency Pathway provides specialized, individualized attention to each participant’s development as a bench scientist while maintaining the same broad and intensive exposure to clinical medicine that is enjoyed by all UCSF categorical internal medicine residents. Admission to the program is accompanied by a guaranteed subspecialty fellowship position within the Department of Medicine, contingent upon satisfactory completion of residency training. Successful applicants demonstrate potential for excellence in both clinical care and laboratory research, and will have completed a successful MD/PhD program or an in-depth research experience of at least one year.

Curriculum

Molecular Medicine Residents receive personal mentoring in selecting their area of research and choosing laboratories that may be of interest to them for training. They also meet regularly as a group for career guidance seminars and for scientific discussions in a relaxed, informal setting, and attend an annual dinner designed to facilitate interaction among members of the Department’s College of Bench Scientists. Dedicated time for scholarly activity is provided during the R2 year (and R3 year, if applicable). During the R2 year, Molecular Medicine Residents travel to the annual 3-day research retreat of the Biomedical Sciences Program in Lake Tahoe, California, where they can learn more about the rich scientific opportunities at UCSF and an have opportunity to fully immerse themselves in basic/translational science. Molecular Medicine Residents also participate in conferences of the UCSF Molecular Medicine Consult Service, which is designed to promote scientific inquiry among all residents. This service endeavors to apply state-of-the-art tools toward a better understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of disease. Historically, the majority of Molecular Medicine Residents have, pending approval from the Categorical Residency Program Director, opted to short-track into the ABIM Research Pathway.

Current Molecular Medicine Residents

*Click here to learn more about current and former Molecular Medicine residents at UCSF.

Year	Name and Degree(s)	Degree Granting Institution
2021	Nia Adeniji, MD	Stanford University
2021	Erik Bao, MD	Harvard University
2021	Sherry Chao, MD, PhD	University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2021	Adolfo Cuesta, MD, PhD	University of California, San Francisco
2021	John Lazar, MD, PhD	University of Washington
2021	Ramya Parameswaran, MD, PhD	University of Chicago
2021	Gloria Tavera, MD, PhD	Case Western Reserve University
2021	Julia Wagner, MD, PhD	Washington University in St. Louis
2021	Allison Wong, MD PhD	University of California, San Francisco
2020	Erin dela Cruz, MD, PhD	University of Washington
2020	Vivek Durai, MD, PhD	Washington University, St Louis
2020	Benjamin Hoffman, MD, PhD	Columbia University
2020	Alissa Kleinhenz, MD	University of Michigan
2020	Nathan Krah, MD, PhD	University of Utah
2020	Donna Leet, MD	Harvard University
2020	Sophia Levan, MD, PhD	University of California, San Francisco
2020	Alejandro Lopez, MD, PhD	Cornell University
2020	Rangarajan Nadadur, MD, PhD	University of Chicago
2020	Coyin Oh, MD	Harvard University
2020	Kimberly Rickman, MD PhD	Cornell University
2019	Ryan Chang, MD, PhD	University of California, San Francisco
2019	Mai Dao, MD	Harvard University
2019	Quinlan Sievers, MD, PhD	Harvard University
2019	Robert Weber, MD, PhD	University of California, San Francisco
2019	Andrew Lechner, MD, PhD	University of California, San Francisco

Recent Participants

Degree Granting Institution	Name	Subspecialty
2019 Faculte de Medecine Paris Descartes	Charlotte Hurabielle-Claverie, MD, PhD	Rheumatology, UCSF
2019 Boston University	Anjali Jacob, MD, PhD	Pulmonary and Critical Care, UCSF
2019 University of Chicago	Matthew Jones, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2019 Harvard University	Vipul Kumar, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2019 Harvard University	Jeremiah Wala, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, DFCI
2018 UCSF	Christina Homer, MD, PhD	Infectious Diseases, UCSF
2018 University of Pennsylvania	Sarah Hsu, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2018 Duke University	Jerry Lee, MD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2018 UCSF	T. Richard Parenteau, MD, PhD	Geriatrics, UCSF
2018 University of Iowa	Joshua Schoenfeld, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
2018 Harvard University	Travis Zack, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2018 UCSF	John Huizar, MD	Rheumatology, UCSF
2018 Johns Hopkins University	Worawan Limpitikul, MD, PhD	Cardiology, MGH
2018 Columbia University	Natasha Spottiswoode, MD, PhD	Infectious Diseases, UCSF
2017 New York University	Adam Blaisdell, MD, PhD	Gastroenterology, UCSF
2017 Univeristy of Pittsburgh	John Demko, MD	Nephrology, UCSF
2017 University of California, Irvine	Kelly Fitzgerald, MD	Hematology and Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
2017 Yale	Brendan Huang, MD, PhD	Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, UCLA
2017 University of North Carolina	Meghan Jobson, MD, PhD	Palliative Care, UCSF
2017 Cornell	Corynn Kasap, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2017 Cornell	Maxime Kinet, MD, PhD	Rheumatology, UCSF
2017 Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai	Noa Simchoni, MD, PhD	Hospital Medicine, UCSF
2017 UCSF	Noah Younger, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2016 Yale	Nancy Allen, MD, PhD	Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, UCSF
2016 Columbia	Stewart Cao, MD, PhD	Gastroenterology, Washington University, St. Louis
2016 University of Michigan	Cailin Collins, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, Stanford University
2016 Baylor	Andrew Folick, MD, PhD	Endocrinology, UCSF
2016 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai	Arielle Klepper, MD, PhD	Gastroenterology, UCSF
2016 Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine	Michelle Matzko, MD, PhD	Infectious Diseases, MGH/BWH
2016 UCSF	Alex Mohapatra, MD, PhD	Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, UCSF
2016 Baylor	Kapil Saxena, MD	Hematology and Oncology, MDACC
2015 University of Pennsylvania	Chukwuka Didigu, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2015 Harvard	Laura Huppert, MD,	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2015 Washington University	Hailyn Nielsen, MD, PhD	Rheumatology, UCSF
2015 University of Chicago	Vaibhav Upadhyay, MD, PhD	Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, UCSF
2014 Harvard	Vincent Auyeung, MD, PhD	Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, UCSF
2014 UCSF	Alan Baik, MD	Cardiology, UCSF
2014 UCSF	Jonathan Chou, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, UCSF
2014 University of Washington	Joseph Hiatt, MD, PhD	Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington

Application Logistics

Upon receipt of the electronic Residency Application from ERAS, the Residency Admissions Committee selects applicants for interview at UCSF. Applicants invited for an interview are then asked if they wish to be considered for the Molecular Medicine Residency. A separate selection committee reviews applicants and issues invitations to remain an extra day after the Categorical Residency application day to interview specifically for the Molecular Medicine Residency.

As stated above, acceptance into the Molecular Medicine Residency includes a commitment of a fellowship position in a specialty of choice. A Molecular Medicine Residency participant, however, may also choose not to specify a particular specialty and, instead, wait to apply after exploring different opportunities during residency.

The UCSF Molecular Medicine Residency Program is fully committed to enhancing diversity at UCSF.
Applications from women and under-represented ethnic/cultural groups are strongly encouraged.

Neil P. Shah, MD PhD
Director, UCSF Molecular Medicine Residency Program

Aparna Sundaram, MD
Associate Director, UCSF Molecular Medicine Residency Program

Contact Us

Additional questions may be addressed to Virginia Schuler.

Virginia Schuler
[email protected]

Thank you for your interest in the UCSF Molecular Medicine Residency Program.