Gastrointestinal Surgical Outcomes Research Postdoctoral Fellowship

The NIDDK-funded Gastrointestinal Surgical Outcomes Research fellowship involves didactic training and practical experience in advanced research methodology focused on interventions related to the gastrointestinal system, obesity, and obesity-associated conditions. The training is focused in six areas:

1. Research using observational data;
2. Patient-centered outcome and preference assessment;
3. Health economics and behavioral economics;
4. Implementation and health systems science;
5. Clinical / translational research; and
6. Research operations management.

The didactic component of this fellowship includes coursework that results in a Masters of Public Health (MPH) or Masters in Science (MS) degree through the University of Washington School of Public Health. The T32 Fellows will also participate in unique community, regional, and national research initiatives including Washington State’s Comparative Effectiveness Research Translation Network (CERTAIN).

Salary and Benefits

Candidates who are current residents in a University of Washington will maintain current salary and benefits levels. For more information, visit the UW GME website.

Salary and benefits for candidates who are external to the University of Washington will be determined on a case-by-case basis, but will be no less than NIH NRSA stipend levels.

Where Do Fellows Live?

Seattle offers its trainees unrivaled access to both a vibrant, culturally diverse urban center and the storied outdoor recreation of the Pacific Northwest. When asked about the reasons that they love to live here, our faculty and trainees often cite this proximity of culture and recreation in Seattle – for instance, the opportunity to hike on the Olympic Peninsula on Saturday morning and eat at a James Beard award-winning restaurant that night.

Living in Seattle offers access to an enviable array of amenities including:

• Three ski resorts within two hours of the city
• Local MLB, NFL, MLS, NWSL, NHL, and WNBA teams
• 60+ breweries operating within city limits
• Thriving museum culture (including art, history, cultural, and children’s museums)
• Robust theater and music scene (ranging from Seattle Symphony to Broadway shows to live concerts)
• Seattle International Film Festival

Many neighborhoods throughout the city are easily accessible to our six primary sites of practice. In a recent survey, trainees in the Department of Surgery identified where they live.

Most trainees at the UW rent while in training and 97% pay $2500 or less per month.

• 61% live with a partner
• 26% have a platonic roommate
• 11% have children
• 42% have pets
• 65% have house plants

Will I Need a Car?

While many trainees in the Department of Surgery live in neighborhoods that are easily walkable to our sites of practice and Seattle is regularly ranked as one of the most bike and public transit friendly cities in the country, most of our residents own cars and drive to work each day.

This decision is often based on convenience due to the dynamic work schedule, but also affords residents the opportunity to easily explore the Pacific Northwest on their days off.

Some great examples of day trips include:

• Mount Rainier
• San Juan Islands
• Washington Wine Country
• Olympic National Forest
• Portland, OR

Elina Serrano, MD, MPH

Frank Yang, MD, MPH

Joshua Rosen, MD, MHS

Irene Zhang, MD, MPH

Kathryn Stadeli, MD, MPH

John Monu, MD, MPH

Sung (Steve) Kwon, MD, MPH

Timo Hakkarainen, MD, MS

F. Thurston Drake, MD, MPH

Meera Kotagal, MD, MPH

Vlad Simianu, MD, MPH

Ann Ehlers, MD, MPH

Lucas Thornblade, MD, MPH

Matthew Bartek, MD, MPH

Francys Verdial, MD, MPH

Erin Fennern, MD, MPH

Kavita Pandit, MD, MPH

David Droullard, MD, MS

Alex Lois, MD, MS

Two fellowship positions are available each year. Fellowship positions begin annually on July 1st.

We are currently accepting applications for July 2025 positions. Applications are reviewed and admission decisions made on a rolling basis.

Candidate Eligibility:

• Must hold an MD degree
• Currently enrolled in good standing in a postdoctoral clinical training program in surgery or a related field
• Demonstrate a strong interest in an academic surgery career, particularly within digestive diseases and/or obesity and nutrition
• Be able to commit to a post-doctoral training program for 2 years
• Be a US citizen, non-citizen national or permanent resident at the time of appointment

We highly recommend that you reach out to us at sorce@uw.edu prior to submitting an application to our program. To apply, please complete the online application. You will be asked to upload the following documents to your application form:

1. A current curriculum vitae.
2. A 2-3 page letter of interest, outlining your research interests as they relate to the program, your career goals, current positions and progress towards your goals, and how this position would contribute to your goals.
3. (Optional) A brief personal statement:  SORCE welcomes fellows who have varied cultural experiences and values the contributions that fellows from differing backgrounds contribute to the intellectual and social environment of the fellowship program. A personal statement should tell reviewers about your experiences, background, and perspectives that you would bring to the SORCE fellowship. You may also wish to include information about your special interests or skills that are not covered elsewhere in your application.
4. (If applicable) Letters of reference: you are asked to submit 2-3 letters of reference, which can either be uploaded along with your other application materials or submitted under separate cover to sorceuw.edu.

Interested candidates may contact Fellowship Director, Dr. David Flum, at sorce@uw.edu to discuss research opportunities.

This fellowship is supported by the National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32DK070555. The research content is solely the responsibility of the Investigators and Fellows and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.