Maine Medical Center
Providers conferencing over a hospital bed

Research

Basic and clinical research is essential to the advancement of health care and education at MMC. The MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR) is the focal point for basic science, while the clinical facilities provide a broad platform for an active program in clinical research. The Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Division has faculty members at both sites. Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Fellows are expected to participate in research and scholarly activity as part of their training, and are provided with the necessary resources to be successful. The program strives to produce critical thinkers, competent in analyzing research studies and their clinical applications.

MMC is a major referral center for patients with pulmonary disease and critical illness in northern New England. Subspecialty clinics are currently held in Adult Cystic Fibrosis, Pulmonary Vascular Disease, Mycobacterial Diseases, and Thoracic Oncology.

The research months provide opportunities for clinical investigation in a wide variety of fields including but not limited to sleep medicine, airways disease, critical care, neurocritical care, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary vascular disease, lung cancer, mycobacterial disease, and cystic fibrosis.

Basic science training in immunologic, biochemical, genetic, molecular and cellular techniques through the MaineHealth Institute for Research is also available. For those wishing to pursue advanced training, MaineHealth Institute for Research offers Ph.D. programs in conjunction with the University of Maine and the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor. Programs offered are Ph.D. in Functional Genomics and Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology.

For those interested in further study of health policy, the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine in Portland offers both certificates and advanced degrees (M.S. and Ph.D.) in Health Policy & Management. See detailed list of certificates and degrees below.

  • Certificate in Health Policy and Management
  • Certificate in Applied Research and Evaluation Methods
  • Master of Public Health
  • Ph.D. in Public Policy

Research Conferences and Literature Review (Journal Club) sessions are an integral part of the fellowship curriculum. Fellows each present at divisional “Research in Progress” lectures on a regular basis. Each fellow (with a faculty mentor) is expected to design and complete an independent scholarly project. Fellows identify the area of interest to study, along with an attending mentor. The research plans for clinical projects will be written and presented to the MMC Institutional Review Board by the fellow. Statistical support is available through Maine Medical Center Clinical Outcomes and Evaluation (CORE) Center. Presentation at a national meeting is expected and submission to a peer-reviewed journal is encouraged.