University of Maryland | School of Medicine

Program Director	Associate Director	Program Admin
Robert H. Christenson, Ph.D., DABCC	Sheng Feng, Ph.D., DABCC	Lisa Rodgers
Professor of Pathology	Assistant Professor of Pathology	Program Coordinator
rchristenson@umm.edu	sheng.feng@umm.edu	LiRodgers@som.umaryland.edu
(410) 328-8672	(410) 328-4478	(410) 706-7070

About the Program

The University of Maryland School of Medicine’s postdoctoral training program in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine at the is intended to prepare trainees for medical director and other leadership responsibilities in clinical chemistry, toxicology, coagulation, hematology, urinalysis, molecular diagnostics and related laboratories sections. The mission of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) postdoctoral fellowship program in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine is to create a rich learning environment for bringing talented, promising, motivated individuals into the field for training and mentoring, as a launch to a productive career. The program has the flexibility to develop and accommodate the individual interests and attain career goals of the individual fellow and does not specifically target an academic, industry, regulatory, or other path for trainee recruitment. The program is designed as either a two- or three-year duration, depending on the goals, background and needs of the individual fellow. Productive interaction with Pathology Residents, Pathologists, Medical Laboratory Scientists, Administrative Staff and Clinical Staff including Physicians from a variety of specialties, Nursing staff, Reparatory Therapists, Pharm D’s etc. is an essential part of the program. Successful completion of the program is certification appropriate for directing a high complexity laboratory. Fulfilling criteria for certification by, holding Diplomate status with the American Board of Clinical Chemistry is encouraged and preferable.

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

Interested candidates should contact the program director, Dr. Robert H. Christenson. Application timeline is variable depending on the individual candidate’s status and the position availability. The usual time from first expression of interest to interview is approximately 4 weeks if all course requirements for NRCC and ABCC are met. Then the time to decision and an offer is another 2 to 6 weeks. The candidate is then asked for a decision on the offer within three weeks thereafter. There is, however, some flexibility depending on the individual’s circumstances.

The application packet must include:

1. Letter of interest
2. Curriculum vitae

Training Level

Postdoctoral Training Level
Number of positions available per year: 1 to 2 per year
Duration of program: 2-3 years
Approximate annual salary or stipend: $65,000 (Consistent with Pathology Residents at same level of training)
Source of funding: Grants, Contracts, Medical Center Funding
Current number of trainees: 1
Number of past graduates: 5

Faculty

Christopher R. DeFilippi, MD, FACC	Cardiology, Nephrology, Biomarkers, Biostatistics, Study Design
Magali Fontaine, MD	Strategies for Efficient Management of Blood Products, Blood Bank, Clinical Pathology, Cell Therapies
Bryon Patrick Jackson, MD, MHA	Blood Bank, Coagulation, Administration, General Clinical Pathology
Jennifer K. (Kristie) Johnson, Ph.D., D (ABMM)	Molecular Diagnostics, Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Infectious Disease, Clinical and Epidemiological Research
Madhurima Koka, MD, PhD	Hematology, Hematopathology, Coagulation, Study Design
Parvez M. Lokhandwala, MBBS, PhD	Blood Banking, Coagulation, SPEs, General Clinical Pathology
Paul Luthey, PhD, D (ABMM)	Molecular Diagnostics, Next Generation Sequencing, Clinical Microbiology
Nicole Putnam, Ph.D., D (ABMM)	Molecular Diagnostics, Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Infectious Disease, Clinical and Epidemiological Research
Lori Sokoll, Ph.D., DABCC	Oncology, Biomarker Research, General Clinical Chemistry, Toxicology, Evidence-based Medicine