Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Program Director
Edward Ki Yun Leung, PhD, DABCC, FACB/FADLM
Director, Core Laboratory | Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology
ldiaz@chla.usc.edu
(877) 543-9522

About the Program

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, in affiliation with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, offers a two-year ComACC accredited Clinical Chemistry Fellowship. The program provides training in all areas of the field, ensuring the acquisition of skills, knowledge and experience required to successfully lead and direct a clinical chemistry laboratory. The fellowship offers comprehensive training in all fundamental laboratory aspects of diagnostic medicine, clinical consultation related to clinical chemistry, translational research, quality management, and laboratory management and administration.

Bench rotations, clinical rounds, didactic lectures, grand rounds, and conferences enhance the fellow’s training. Research opportunities specific to clinical and translational studies in all specialty areas are also available. Collaborative laboratory and clinical chemistry training is held at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California, The University of Southern California USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Los Angeles General Medical Center giving fellows extensive and diverse experiences in both pediatric and adult patient populations.

The first year is heavily devoted to the fundamental laboratory aspects of clinical chemistry. Fellows are trained at the bench by clinical laboratory scientists, supervisors, section managers, and section directors in such a manner that they become proficient in each laboratory section. The first year is mostly spent on didactics and training in each laboratory section, with some time spent preparing presentations for laboratory rounds, case follow-ups, and consultations with clinicians. The remainder of the training entails research projects, laboratory medicine section rotations, and formal course and seminar attendance. The second year is more focused on research, clinical rotations, and on-call service.

The State of California requires individuals holding doctoral degrees to be licensed before they can be employed in a laboratory to perform diagnostic tests, i.e. assume a position directing a laboratory. This training schedule allows fellows to complete a year-long accredited program and become eligible for the State of California limited license in Clinical Chemistry.

Program Requirements

To be considered for the program, prospective fellows must have:

1. Must have a PhD in biochemistry, analytical chemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology or a related biomedical science, or an MD/DO with preferably 1-3 years of postdoctoral experience in a research laboratory, all ideally within five years of enrollment in the program.
2. Minimum of 30 semester hours (undergraduate or graduate level) of coursework in chemistry or biochemistry courses prior to admission into the fellowship program to meet certification eligibility requirements by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry.
   • The State of California requires that all foreign-educated, doctoral-level scientists (MDs and PhDs) have all transcripts authenticated by current members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) before a training license will be issued. For a list of current members, please visit the NACES website. We recommend authentication through:
     • International Education Research Foundation
     • Educational Credential Evaluators
     • Josef Silny & Associates Inc. International Education Consultants
   • All of which are NACES members recognized by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry.
3. Must be a U.S. citizen or hold a valid immigration visa that permits employment for a minimum of two years.

To Apply

Starting in 2019, applications are accepted every other year from July 1 to September 1”. Applicants will be notified by October 15 whether they have been selected to interview for a fellowship position in the following year. CHLA does not offer reimbursements for travel to Los Angeles for the interview.

The application packet must include:

1. Online application form
2. Curriculum vitae: Please include your complete address, including email for future correspondence. Citizenship status should also be indicated. If not a U.S. citizen, please specify visa status.
3. Personal Statement
4. Transcript: The State of California requires that all non-U.S. credentials are authenticated prior to being issued a training license. We recommend authentication through NACES members recognized by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry (see recommendations above).
5. Three letters of recommendation

All required documents other than letters of recommendations must be compiled into one single PDF document prior to upload. Please email three letters of recommendation to ldiaz@chla.usc.edu. All documents must be submitted by the application deadline.

Training Level

Postdoctoral Training Level
Number of positions available per year: 1 per year
Duration of program: 2 years
Approximate annual salary or stipend: Competitive annual stipend
Source of funding:
Current number of trainees: 1
Number of past graduates: 1

Faculty

Maurice O’Gorman, PhD, MSc, D(ABMLI), MBA	Flow Cytometry, Immunology, Laboratory Management
Yi Xiao, PhD, DABCC, CLS	General Clinical Chemistry, Biochemical Genetics, Mass Spectrometry
Jane F. Emerson, MD, PhD	General Clinical Chemistry, Laboratory Management
Briana Fitch, PhD	General Clinical Chemistry, Cancer, Tumor Markers
Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD, D(ABMM), F(CCM)	Microbiology, Urinalysis Virology
Alexandra Kovach, MD	Hematology
Edward Ki Yun Leung, PhD, DABCC, FACB/FADLM	General Clinical Chemistry, Laboratory Management, Mass Spectrometry, Point-of-Care Testing
Gordana Raca, MD, PhD, FACMG	Clinical Cytogenetics, Molecular Diagnostics, Cancer and Blood Disease, Genetics and Genomics
Srikar Chamala, PhD	Informatics and Data Science