Research and Scholarly Activities

At UC Davis, all residents are strongly encouraged and supported to pursue scholarly activities. Scholarship activities allow residents to nurture intellectual curiosity for lifelong learning skills, become critical evaluators of medical literature and develop skills for fellowship and academic practice. Residents receive extensive training and support to engage in research during their junior resident years, to help them decide on a career pathway that best fits their interests and skills. The residency program provides time and funding for residents to attend and present at regional and national scientific meetings, such as the Society of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and other subspecialty meetings, where they can interact with experts in the field and present their scholarly work.

Research Stream

The residency program provides protected time to all junior residents (PGY1 to PGY3) to gain training and experience in basic science, translational, and clinical research in a wide variety of laboratories. As a PGY 4, residents may choose to enter our formal Research Stream, which provides 1-2 years of dedicated research time and robust support for those seeking careers in academic neurological surgery. Residents choosing this pathway have the opportunity to compete for the prestigious R25 training grant that offers additional support, training, and national recognition. The Research Stream offers the opportunity to complete up to 2 years of full-time research during residency, or 1 year of full-time research and an enfolded PGY7 Clinical Fellowship. Residents that complete the Research Stream are expected to present frequently at national/international conferences, publish numerous scientific manuscripts, and be well trained in all aspects of academic Neurosurgery. We expect that graduates from this program will be excellent candidates for highly competitive academic positions.

The directors of the R25 program are Dr. Griffith R. Harsh, IV, Professor of Neurological Surgery, and Dr. Michael A. Rogawski, Professor of Neurology. Candidates for Neurological Surgery with questions about the program may contact Dr. Harsh at gharsh@ucdavis.edu. The program is funded by a grant from NINDS (R25NS124520).

Clinical Stream

Residents that prefer to focus on clinical excellence are encouraged to enter the Clinical Stream, which focuses training on subspecialty clinical skills through elective rotations. This stream also provides resources and support to engage in scholarly activities such as quality improvement or education. Graduates from this stream are expected to be excellent candidates for a wide range of positions, which may include academic neurosurgery (e.g. education focus), hospital-based practice, or private practice.