T32: Innovative Approaches to Trauma Care
Program Description
The University of Minnesota Innovative Approaches to Trauma Care T32 is an NIH-NIGMS sponsored training program. This T32 provides support for medical residents and fellows to conduct meaningful research addressing major gaps and pressing issues in optimal care in trauma and critical care.
The two-year program provides dual mentorship-based training to surgery residents, critical care fellows, and emergency medicine fellows in a broad variety of topic areas that relate to trauma and critical care. Trainees will complete a master’s degree that best fits their training needs and their professional development goals.
Project topic areas will broadly include trauma care, early resuscitation, wound infection and prevention, hemorrhagic shock, and prehospital interventions after severe injury.
Program Directors
Mike Puskarich, MD, MSCR Department of Emergency Medicine/ Translational Center for Resuscitative Trauma Care
Mike Puskarich is a highly experienced clinical trialist, both as a site PI in numerous network-based (SIREN, PETAL, STRIVE, LITES) clinical trials, and as PI and IND Sponsor of large, multicenter trials. He has a wide breadth of experience within emergency care research, including trauma, sepsis, COVID-19, pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Todd Costantini, MD: Department of Surgery/Translational Center for Resuscitative Trauma Care-Director
Todd Costantini runs an active translational research program in both clinical and basic science that has resulted in over 190 peer-reviewed publications. He has an NIH-funded basic research laboratory that aims to understand the biology of human inflammation after injury, focusing on regulation of anti-inflammatory pathways mediating the immune response to injury. His clinical research focuses on optimizing venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis for injured patients. He previously served as the PI of an NIH conference grant that brought together a multidisciplinary group of leaders to address barriers to timely and appropriate VTE prophylaxis in high-risk trauma patients. Dr. Costantini also has a clinical research interest in improving care pathways for patients with severe pelvic fracture and previously led one of the largest observational multicenter trials to define outcomes for patients with pelvic fracture.
Program Contacts
PI: Michael Puskarich, MD, MSCR ([email protected])
General Questions ([email protected])
Training Faculty
Statistical Co-Mentors
Submission Information
The next round of applications are due February 28, 2027.
Application Information
Residents, post-residency fellows and applicants that need to be connected with a prospective mentor should contact Dr. Michael Puskarich ([email protected]). The faculty members will describe their research activities, introduce relevant papers, and foster scientific discussion and analyses.
Applicants will identify potential mentors to initiate further discussions for project development. Preliminary applications will be due on February 28, 2027. Documents include:
- Letter of intent, including experiences and interest in trauma care (1-2 pages)
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CV
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Statement of specific research interest(s) (1 page)
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Two letters of recommendation from faculty members
Application materials will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and selected trainees will be interviewed by at least one of the PIs and appropriate potential mentors. Following interviews, candidates will be ranked based on the following criteria:
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Intent and aptitude for a career in academic medicine
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Demonstrated interest and commitment to a research career focused on one of the key areas in trauma care
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Quality of research outline
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Interview
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Faculty letters of recommendations
Candidates will be notified of their acceptance into the program by April 15, 2027. Candidates will receive a formal offer letter including salary, benefits, and expectations for performance.
Please note that this fellowship requires the appointee to be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United State or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of a trainee award.