Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Program Co-Director	Program Co-Director	Program Admin
James H Nichols, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Joe Wiencek, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Tapherine DeVany
Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and Medical Director, Clinical Chemistry and POCT	Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and Medical Director of Special Testing	Program Coordinator
james.h.nichols@vumc.orgh	joe.wiencek@vumc.org	path.fellow@vumc.org
(615) 343-5708	(615) 322-3532	(615) 343-4882

About the Program

Vanderbilt’s two-year Clinical Chemistry fellowship provides comprehensive training and experience in analytical, clinical and managerial aspects of the clinical laboratory in a large academic medical center setting. Our fellows receive the unique experience of training in a large academic medical center laboratory with affiliated satellite laboratories across Nashville, and exposure to our reference laboratory service. During the fellowship, the trainee learns principles of chemical pathology, both basic and applied. With Vanderbilt’s mission in mind, our program combines a strong emphasis on patient care with innovative practices in personalized medicine. Our fellows join a diverse diagnostic management team of physicians and scientists to provide state of the art interpretive reports for select chemistry, endocrine, and toxicology tests. Participation in clinical/translational research projects introduces fellows to recent developments in diagnostic sciences. Successful completion of the program prepares highly qualified physicians/scientists for ABCC board certification and a career as a practicing clinical chemist in academia, community hospital, or industry. Our program received ComACC certification in 2002 and currently has 1 two-year fellowship position at a time.

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

Application deadline is September 1, 2025 for a July 1, 2026 fellowship position. July, fellowship committee reviews applicants, September interview invitations, October acceptance letters sent, July start fellowship.

The application packet must include:

1. Application Form
2. Cover letter
3. Curriculum vitae
4. Personal Statement
5. Passport size photo
6. ECFMG certificate (if applicable)
7. Official Transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)
8. Three letters of recommendation

Interested applicants should submit application packet to program coordinator (Tapherine DeVany) and program co-director, (James H Nichols).

Training Level

Postdoctoral Training Level
Number of positions available per year: 1 every other year
Duration of program: 2 years
Approximate annual salary or stipend: PGY Scale
Source of funding: Department Funded
Current number of trainees: 1
Number of past graduates: 10

Faculty

Jennifer Andrews, MD, MSc	Transfusion Medicine, Apheresis, Blood Utilization
Garrett S Booth MD, MS	Transfusion Medicine, Apheresis, Blood Utilization
Kendall Bryant, PhD, D(ABMM)	Clinical Microbiology, Serology, Mycology, Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Antibiotic Stewardship
Margaret Compton, MD	Veteran’s Administration
Dave Gailani, MD	Coagulation, Hemostasis, Clotting Factors
David Gaston, MD, PhD	Clinical Microbiology, Serology, Mycology, Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Antibiotic Stewardship
Romney M Humphries, PhD, D(ABMM)	Clinical Microbiology, Serology, Mycology, Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Antibiotic Stewardship
Laura Lee, MD, PhD (AP-ABP)	Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics
Kara Levinson, PhD, MPH, D(ABMM)	Public Health, Newborn Screening
Claudio Mosse, MD	Hematology, Urinalysis
James H. Nichols, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Point-of-Care Testing, Informatics, TDM, Toxicology, Evidence-Based Medicine, Quality Control
Aaron Shaver, MD, PhD	Immunopathology, Electrophoresis, Flow Cytometry
Lili Tao, MD, PhD	Clinical Microbiology, Serology, Mycology, Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Antibiotic Stewardship
Lijun Wang, MD, PhD	Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics
Joe Wiencek, PhD, DABCC, FADLM	Clinical Chemistry, Automation, Education
Ashwini K Yenamandra, PhD, FACMG	Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics