Evan Brittain, MD, MSCI, professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, has been named assistant dean for Physician-Researcher Training, director of the Physician-Scientist Training Program/Harrison Society and director of the Office of Medical Student Research.
Brittain, who holds the Rose Marie Robertson Directorship, will assume these roles related to training and developing aspiring physician-scientists on Oct. 1 from Patrick Hu, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology.
Brittain will assume these roles related to training and developing aspiring physician-scientists on Oct. 1 from Patrick Hu, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology.
“Dr. Hu has been a dedicated leader in the mentoring, guiding and training of our medical students and aspiring physician-scientists,” said Donald Brady, MD, executive vice president for Educational and Medical Staff Affairs at VUMC and executive vice dean for Academic Affairs at VUSM. “We have benefited immensely from his ability to ignite a passion for scientific investigation and build support for collaborations that fuel that passion for students and physicians early in their journeys.
“We are delighted that Dr. Brittain will now bring his remarkable talents to these important roles. For more than a decade, he has been very active in the Physician-Scientist Training Program and the Harrison Society, as well as in developing innovative training initiatives for medical students and residents who are interested in pursuing clinical and translational research. We look forward to him continuing to strengthen our institution’s longstanding commitment to physician-scientist training.”
Brittain will oversee all activities of the Office of Medical Student Research, including directing a four-year research curriculum for medical students who are not enrolled in the MD/PhD program, as well as the Medical Scholars Program. During the first and second years of medical school, students learn about the principles of research in preparation for a mentored research experience in their third and fourth years.
As director of the Physician-Scientist Training Program, Brittain will guide the combined clinical and research training of residents and fellows committed to careers in academic medicine. Participants in the program become lifetime members of the Tinsley Randolph Harrison Society, which is named for the educator and researcher who came to Vanderbilt in 1925 as the first chief resident in Medicine. The Harrison Society is dedicated to the preservation of science in clinical medicine and to the scientific literacy of physicians who use this knowledge at the bedside.
“Dr. Brittain is a graduate of our Physician-Scientist Training Program, an active member of the Harrison Society, and an internationally acclaimed physician-scientist,” said John McPherson, MD, the Drs. Sol and Marvin Rosenblum Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and vice chair for Education for the Department of Medicine. “In addition, he has an outstanding record of mentorship and service in our training programs. I believe that Dr. Brittain is the perfect person to lead the Harrison Society going forward, and I could not be happier.”
Brittain earned undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and completed his medical degree at Cornell Medical College. He came to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for an Internal Medicine residency and internship, and remained at Vanderbilt to complete clinical and research fellowships in Cardiovascular Medicine. He furthered his clinical and translational research education by earning a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) at VUSM.
In addition to an active clinical practice, including serving as director of the Inpatient Cardiology Consult Service, Brittain leads a translational research program as principal investigator of seven active, NIH-funded awards. His work focuses on the role of metabolic disease in pulmonary vascular disease and right ventricular failure, as well as the epidemiologic, molecular and genetic profiling of pulmonary hypertension phenotypes. Brittain is also investigating the use of wearable devices to monitor and promote physical activity for individuals with pulmonary hypertension and other chronic diseases.
Brittain has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and presented his research nationally and internationally. He serves on the editorial board for the journals Circulation Research and Chest and has published original research in high-impact journals such as Nature Medicine, Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“I am excited and deeply honored to step into these new roles as director of the Harrison Society, director of the Office of Medical Student Research, and assistant dean for Physician-Researcher Training,” Brittain said. “It is a special privilege to lead the Harrison Society, which I joined nearly 20 years ago when I arrived at Vanderbilt as an intern.
“Dr. Hu’s outstanding contributions and leadership in these roles leaves the programs exceptionally well-positioned for continued success. Vanderbilt has a uniquely strong tradition of training and developing physician-scientists, and I am enthusiastic to support and advocate for this vital part of our mission. I am equally excited to dedicate energy to advancing the research curriculum and fostering the scholarly work of our medical students.”
