Department of Medicine Research

The Department of Medicine research faculty and staff lead the College of Medicine in funded research awards. All of the divisions within the department have active research and scholarly initiatives that span the research spectrum from sub-cellular studies and disease pathophysiology to translational, clinical and patient-centered outcomes research.

Specific examples of research expertise include: Our Division of Nephrology has expertise in the mechanisms and therapeutics of kidney fibrosis and inflammation as well as the natural history of acute kidney injury. Researchers in our Division of General Internal Medicine are passionate about studying behavioral change, women’s health and diabetes care. Faculty in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism are engaged in diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, women’s health and parathyroid disease research. Researchers in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology are actively investigating the pathophysiology, clinical characteristics and/or treatments for a variety of conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, fatty liver disease, pancreatic cancer and motility disorders of the gut. Research-focused faculty in our Division of Cardiology have interests that range from meta-research and clinical epidemiology involving all aspects of cardiovascular medicine to using artificial intelligence for predicting atrial arrhythmias and response to treatment.

Faculty in the Division of Hematology and Oncology concentrate on a wide variety of clinical-translational cancer research studies and clinical trials encompassing blood disorders, solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Our Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Allergy and Immunology has several NIH funded research programs on control of breathing in health and disease, toxicology, end of life decision making, periodic breathing and interstitial lung diseases, as well as a very productive company sponsored research on hereditary angioedema, lung cancer and oncology patients in the ICU. Rheumatology research covers basic, translational and clinical investigations in arthritis and autoimmune disease, primarily lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Departmental programs like the Research Grand Rounds and leadership provided by the Research Council and Divisional Research Representatives help to guide this wide-ranging and transformative work. Research infrastructure and grant-writing services, including dedicated pre- and post-award staff, help support faculty in their research efforts. The innovative Qualitative and Mixed Methods Core also provides enhanced resources for qualitative and mixed methods research.

The Department is committed to ensuring trainees excel in all areas of learning, including through research experiences. We recently launched a progressive program entitled “Research MaTES” to fund and support clinical studies developed by our residents. Clinical and research fellows, residents and medical students as well as PhD students in the Department of Medicine are uniquely positioned to participate in groundbreaking research programs that pave the way for patients to lead healthier lives.

I am honored to serve as the Vice Chair for Research within the Department of Medicine and support our outstanding faculty, staff and learners in this role. I encourage you to explore our page and learn more about all of our pioneering research that is transforming the lives of our patients as we work together to positively impact the future of medicine!

Jennifer Kraschnewski, MD, MPH
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Medicine
Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences
Director, Penn State Project ECHO