Our T32 Training Program in Cardiometabolic Diseases combines rigorous didactics with an intensive research experience and personalized mentoring for highly motivated scientists and physician–scientists interested in pursuing careers as independent cardiovascular investigators.

First funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in 2010 under the leadership of Glenn I. Fishman, MD, the program focused on myocardial biology, electrophysiology, vascular biology, and clinical investigation. In 2020, the program expanded its efforts to address cardiometabolic disorders, and Ira J. Goldberg, MD, director of the Holman Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, was named program co-director.

The Training Program currently supports six trainees per year, with candidates drawn from the Divisions of Cardiology and Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, and a pool of exceptionally qualified PhD postdoctoral candidates.

Program Organization

To prepare program graduates for careers as independent, productive cardiovascular investigators, we have established a curriculum that includes rigorous didactics, an intensive research experience, and a personalized individual development plan (IDP).

A broad educational curriculum first provides all trainees with a fundamental knowledge base that stresses research tools, rigor and reproducibility, sex as a biological variable, and the interface between biomedical research and important manifestations of cardiovascular disease.

Trainees then pursue more specialized coursework and embark upon a substantial laboratory-based or clinical research project under the guidance of a primary mentor in one of the four thematic research clusters. Primary mentors are all NIH-funded investigators who share a deep commitment to academic excellence and scholarship. Each research cluster is led by a nationally prominent cardiovascular physician–scientist.

Myocardial and Ion Channel Biology and Disease Cluster
Leader: Glenn I. Fishman, MD
Primary mentors: Aravinda Chakravarti, PhD; Mario Delmar, MD, PhD; Gregory F. Morley, PhD; and David S. Park, MD

Vascular Biology and Disease Cluster
Leader: Edward A. Fisher, MD, PhD, MPH
Primary mentors: Bruce N. Cronstein, MD; Kathryn J. Moore, PhD; and Daniel B. Rifkin, PhD

Cardiometabolic Causes of Cardiovascular Disease Cluster
Leader: Ira J. Goldberg, MD
Primary Mentors: Elisabetta Mueller, PhD; Ravichandran Ramasamy, PhD; and Ann Marie Schmidt, MD

Clinical Research Cluster
Leader: Judith S. Hochman, MD
Primary Mentors: Sripal Bangalore, MD; Jeffrey S. Berger, MD; Melanie R. Jay, MD; Edward S. Katz, MD; and Harmony R. Reynolds, MD

Trainees also learn how to establish and manage research teams, craft compelling research proposals, and hone their communication skills. Each trainee benefits from an IDP that includes an individualized mentoring team, which may include other primary faculty and additional associated faculty with specialized expertise. Depending on prior experience, trainees pursuing careers as clinical investigators are expected to participate in our MS in Clinical Investigation program, under the auspices of NYU Langone’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).

Academic and Career Enrichment Program

Trainees also participate in selected seminars, workshops, and symposia sponsored by various academic units within the NYU Grossman School of Medicine community, including the following:

• Cardiometabolic Seminar Series
• Cardiology Grand Rounds and Endocrinology Grand Rounds
• Cardiology Journal Club
• Cardiology Clinical Research Conference
• Arthur Fox Visiting Professorship Lecture
• Preventive Cardiology Conference
• Translational Research Seminar Series
• Department of Medicine Research Day
• Honors Program Lecture Series
• departmental and program-specific seminar series
• New York City Area-Wide Cardiovascular Research Seminars and Retreat
• Annual Training Program Retreat

Program Leadership

Glenn I. Fishman, MD, program director, has several academic appointments, including Division of Cardiology director and Department of Medicine vice chair for research. He is an established cardiovascular investigator whose major research interests include cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis. He has served as chair of the NIH Electrical Signaling, Ion Transport, and Arrhythmias (ESTA) Study Section, as a member of the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions Program Committee, as chair of the Basic Science Committee of the Heart Rhythm Society, and in numerous other leadership positions.

Ira J. Goldberg, MD, program co-director, is an established investigator whose major research interests are abnormalities of lipoprotein metabolism, macrovascular disease in diabetes, and the role of triglycerides in atherosclerosis.

Program Steering Committee

In addition to Dr. Fishman and Dr. Goldberg, the Training Program Steering Committee includes the following division faculty.

Bruce N. Cronstein, MD, is an internationally known translational investigator and founding director of the CTSI. He is also director of the Division of Translational Medicine.

Edward A. Fisher, MD, PhD, MPH, is founding director of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. He is an internationally known investigator in lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis.

Judith S. Hochman, MD, is co-director of the CTSI. She is a highly experienced clinical investigator, mentor, and leader of academic programs.

Ann Marie Schmidt, MD, is director of the Diabetes Research Program. She is a highly cited scientist studying cardiovascular complications of diabetes. She is also director of the American Heart Association Obesity Network grant at NYU Langone.

Internal Advisory Committee

The Internal Advisory Committee includes faculty who have exceptional records as investigators, mentors, and leaders of training programs.

Jef D. Boeke, PhD, is inaugural director of the Institute for Systems Genetics.

Ruth Lehmann, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and chair of the Department of Cell Biology.

Mark R. Philips, MD, is professor of medicine and cell biology.

Jeffrey N. Weiser, MD, is a distinguished physician–scientist and chair of the Department of Microbiology.

External Advisory Committee

The External Advisory Committee consists of the following outside senior physician–scientists, who are all current or recent principal investigators of NIH-funded T32 training grants.

Richard N. Kitsis, MD
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Elizabeth McNally, MD, PhD
Northwestern Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine

Robert H. Eckel, MD
University of Colorado School of Medicine

These nationally recognized cardiovascular investigators attend our annual Training Program Retreat, where they critique presentations of ongoing research and meet separately with the fellows, program directors, and the Internal Advisory Committee.