University of California, San Francisco

Program Co-Director	Program Co-Director
Kara L. Lynch, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Alan H.B. Wu, PhD, DABCC, FADLM
Professor, UCSF Department of Laboratory Medicine	Professor, UCSF Department of Laboratory Medicine
kara.lynch@ucsf.edu	alan.wu@ucsf.edu
(628) 206-5477	(628) 206-3540

About the Program

The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California (UCSF) offers a two-year fellowship to provide Ph.D. scientists with analytical, clinical, research, and management experience toward specialization and board certification in clinical chemistry. The training is primarily conducted at San Francisco General Hospital with rotation opportunities at UCSF Children’s Hospital Oakland and the Stanford University Clinical Laboratories (affiliate institution).

The program is designed to provide training in the operation of a clinical laboratory, quality control and assurance, laboratory management, analytical methodologies, and method development and validation. The clinical interpretation and diagnostic relevance of tests are emphasized through clinical consults. Research projects could involve method development, test validation, and clinical and scientific investigation in any of the areas within clinical chemistry. The program’s structure is flexible to afford individualized training based on previous experience. This program currently emphasizes mass spectrometry, clinical toxicology, and evaluation of novel diagnostic technologies and methods.

Program Requirements

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

1. Doctoral or medical degree(s) in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, medicine, pathology, pathobiology or pharmacology from an accredited university.
2. Minimum of 30 semester hours (undergraduate or graduate level) of coursework in analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, and biochemistry to qualify for certification by the ABCC.
   • If a candidate’s academic credentials are obtained outside the United States, they must be deemed equivalent by an appropriate education evaluation agency.

To Apply

The application deadline is September 1 for individuals seeking a fellowship starting in July or August of the subsequent year. Formal interviews commence on September 1, with the possibility of brief informal discussions through phone calls or during ADLM meetings prior to this date. Offers will be made on or after October 1, providing candidates with a minimum of 2 weeks to consider the offer.

We do consider applications off-cycle, based on availability of funding. Please reach out directly to the program co-directors to inquire.

The application packet must include:

1. Letter of interest
2. Curriculum vitae

Submit the required materials to the program co-directors for initial consideration. Selected applicants will be required to complete a formal application including three letters of recommendation.

Training Level

Postdoctoral Training Level
Number of positions available per year: 1 per year
Duration of program: 2 years
Approximate annual salary or stipend: PGY Scale
Source of funding: Department Funding, Grants, and Contracts
Current number of trainees: 2
Number of past graduates: 19

Faculty

Zane Amenhotep, MD	Hematology, Coagulation, Transfusion Medicine, Quality Management Systems, Medical Education
Simone Arvisais-Anhalt, MD	Clinical Informatics, Digital Health Tools, Health IT Policy, General Clinical Chemistry
Deborah French, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Mass Spectrometry, Steroid Analysis, Toxicology, Pharmacogenetics, General and Pediatric Clinical Chemistry
Barbara Haller, MD, PhD	Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Laboratory Management
Ruben Luo, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Proteomics, Mass Spectrometry, Label-Free Diagnostic Technologies, General Clinical Chemistry
Kara Lynch, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Mass Spectrometry, Toxicology, General and Pediatric Clinical Chemistry, Pharmacogenetics, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Translational Research
Jeffrey Whitman, MD	Microbiology, Molecular Diagnostics, Mass Spectrometry, Metabolomics, Infectious Disease, Chagas Disease
Alan H. Wu, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Cardiac Biomarkers, Pharmacogenomics, Analytical Toxicology, Mass Spectrometry, General Clinical Chemistry, Traumatic Brain Injury Biomarkers