Dear Medical Students:
The Division of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at Brown University
invites
3rd year medical students to apply for a funded one-year clinical research fellowship under Dr. Alan H. Daniels, MD and Dr. Bassel G. Diebo, MD beginning June 2026. This is a transformative opportunity for exceptional, hard-working students who are deeply passionate about orthopedic surgery and committed to building a career that changes people's lives through impactful clinical research. Fellows will gain intensive experience in high-impact clinical research with the most productive academic orthopedic research division in the world.The fellowship provides hands-on training in clinical research, direct clinical exposure, and close mentorship from senior orthopedic spine surgeons and faculty at Brown.
Our mission is to transform lives and improve musculoskeletal health through evidence-driven spine research that informs surgical decision-making, patient-centered outcomes, and health-equity initiatives.While the fellowship is anchored in adult spinal deformity and degenerative spine disorders, fellows will have opportunities to participate in a broad range of projects spanning:·
Sagittal Alignment & Spinopelvic Parameters: defining alignment targets and evaluating surgical correction techniques.·
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Implant & Surgical Technology Studies: including cage subsidence, pre-contoured rods, bone grafting, and MIS vs open fusion outcomes.
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Patient-Reported Outcomes & Health Economics: quality-of-life metrics, return-to-sport, cost-effectiveness, and value-based care.
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Peri-operative Optimization & Quality / Safety: infection prevention, opioid-sparing pathways, ERAS protocols, and disparities in access to spine care.
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Multi-center Collaboration: active participation in the International Spine Study Group (ISSG)
and other national research networks.Fellows will gain:· Robust experience in study design, data collection and analysis (PearlDiver, Medicare claims, REDCap, SPSS/R), manuscript preparation, and abstract submission.
Extensive opportunities to co-author high-impact papers in top orthopedic and spine journals (e.g.,
Spine,
JBJS Am,
JNS Spine,
NASSJ). Many of our fellows have gone on to co-author 30+ publications during their time here
We seek candidates who:·
-Demonstrate exceptional work ethic and dedication to excellence in research and patient care
-Are genuinely passionate about spine surgery and eager to contribute meaningfully to the field
-Care deeply about research that makes a real-world impact on patient outcomes and surgical practice
-Are committed to building a career in orthopedic surgery that transforms patient lives
-Presentation of work at national and international spine and orthopedic meetings (NASS, SRS, AAOS, ISSG).Our former research fellows matched into top orthopedic surgery residency programs nationwide and have established strong academic and clinical careers in orthopedic surgery.
Application Instructions:
Please submit the following materials in a single PDF to
[email protected] AND [email protected] by
November 10th, 2025:
1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
2. One letter of recommendation
3. Unofficial medical school transcript
4. Brief personal statement (≤ 1 page) describing your interest in spine surgery and research
Sincerely,
Alan H. Daniels, MD
Professor of Orthopedics
Chief, Division of Spine Surgery
Bassel George Diebo, MD
Assistant Professor of Orthopedics
Director of Spine Research and Innovation
Director of Spine Research Fellowship
