November 13, 2023
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF) has collaborated with the Air Force’s 59th Medical Wing Office of the Chief Scientist, Science & Technology (59MDW/ST), to fund two Clinician Scientist Investigator Opportunity Network (CSION) Fellow proposals with $50,000.
The program shepherds promising active-duty clinicians whose work has practical applications on the path of becoming clinician-scientists. As HJF supports research and education throughout the military medical community and the 59 MDW/ST focuses on assisting clinical investigators and growing their research experiences, this endeavor will assist these awardees in their projects.
The first awardee is CSION Fellow Army Lieutenant Colonel Emilio Fentanes, M.D., funded for “Magnetic Resonance and Echocardiogram Age and Gender Specific Parameters in the Tactical Athlete (MRAP-Tactical); A Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Transthoracic Echocardiogram Study,” which aims to establish reference ranges for cardiac structure and function by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) and 3D transthoracic echocardiography (3D TTE) in tactical athletes.
The second awardee is CSION Fellow Army Major Nicholas Villalobos, M.D., funded for “Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema in Special Operations Trainees,” which aims to use hand-held ultrasound for medical providers during Special Operations training to help expedite decision making and give information to medical staff and cadre about events such as swimming induced pulmonary edema (SIPE).
The CSION program is unique in that it is tri-service, Corps neutral, has no service obligation, and is focused on its research mission rather than degree granting. The pipeline a CSION fellow follows is tailored to the needs of the military mission. With no service obligation, motivated members are offered a non-financial incentive to remain in a career tract specifically designed to retain research-focused medical academics in the military. The program is supported by the 59 MDW Office of the Chief Scientist, Science & Technology, and all their partners with the United States Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR), San Antonio Military Health System (SAMHS), San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC), and Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio (NAMRU-SA) to provide mentors willing to train and mentor clinician scientists in all areas of (DHP RDT&E) programmatic research.
HJF is proud to support these two CSION Fellow on their path to making a real-world difference in the health outcomes of military members and in furthering research on these important topics.