Program Vision and Goals

The Program to Advance Physician Scientists and Translational Research is a School of Medicine based program developed to augment the training, number, career satisfaction, and retention of physician scientists at the Anschutz Medical Campus.

The Program focuses on the goal of improving the impact of research and strengthening the comradery among a broad community of physician scientists. Career choices are made early and these choices are heavily influenced by mentorship and opportunity.

Consequently, we have developed programs focused on students, trainees, early career faculty, MDs and PhDs, and established physician-scientists. Sustaining the careers of physician scientists requires collaboration with a broad group of MD and PhD investigators and ongoing opportunities in translational and interdisciplinary research. To accomplish this, we have also established programs to foster programmatic research among established investigators.

Since the translational research environment is critical to the success of physician scientists, we strive to foster a collaborative environment on campus, supporting both MDs and PhDs involved in pursuing careers in translational research in the School of Medicine.

Faculty and Staff

David Schwartz, MD

Program Director

David Schwartz is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Colorado and the Program Director for the Program to Advance Physician Scientists and Translational Research.

He served as the Robert Schrier Chair of Medicine at the University of Colorado between 2011 and 2021, and focused on expanding and improving the quality of clinical care, creating knowledge to improve care, supporting professional growth and development, improving diversity, assuring fairness and creating gender and racial equity, creating new channels of communication, and integrating the department across the partner institutions. 

He has made numerous contributions toward understanding the role that biological and genetic determinants play in the onset of diseases that are influenced by the environment. These efforts have provided new insights into the genetics, epigenetics, and genomics of interstitial lung disease, asthma, and innate immunity. 

His work has led to the recognition that genetic susceptibility, and specifically MUC5B, plays a role in the etiology of pulmonary fibrosis.  Dr. Schwartz’ lab was the first to clone the human TLR4 gene and demonstrate that variation in this gene decreased immune responsiveness to endotoxin, enhanced the risk of Gram negative sepsis, and protected individuals from the development of coronary artery disease.  In addition, the Schwartz lab demonstrated the importance of locus-specific DNA methylation in the development of allergic airway disease by directing the maturation of T lymphocytes toward a Th2 phenotype.  

He is the former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, and the American Clinical and Climatological Association, and a recipient of the American Thoracic Society Scientific Accomplishment Award and the Amberson Lectureship Award and the Bonfils-Stanton Science and Medicine Award.

Jennifer Kemp, PhD

Associate Program Director

Jennifer Kemp is the Associate Program Director for the School of Medicine’s Program to Advance Physician Scientists and Translational Research. 

Dr. Kemp has a unique background in biomedical research and research development/scientific and medical writing. She earned her PhD at Harvard University, where she studied microbial development. Her postdoctoral studies were performed at the Stanford University Genome Technology Center, where she developed biotechnology for DNA microarrays and nanosensors. In the ~20 years since her postdoctoral research, she has turned her focus to research development and scientific and medical writing. 

She has worked in the pharmaceutical industry, as an independent consultant, and at academic institutions writing manuscripts and developing grant proposals with a variety of investigators ranging from individual investigator research studies to large, multi-investigator and institutional proposals.

She joined the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado in 2015 as an Instructor and currently serves as the Director of the Department of Medicine’s Research Office. In this capacity, she develops and oversees programs to support the Department’s research faculty, including seed funding programs, grant writing support and consultations, and education and training in research development.

She is passionate about helping physician scientists and researchers at all career stages take their research in new directions and achieve funding success. She is thrilled to bring her expertise to this new program in support of the School of Medicine’s early career physician scientists and researchers.

Paul Wood, MA

Program Manager

Paul Wood is the Program Manager for the Program to Advance Physician Scientists and Translational Research. 

Paul has a unique history with CU, where he earned his bachelors degree and a Masters degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He worked across the CU system since 2012, and most recently spent over five years at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder supporting graduate students and faculty within the various MBA and MS programs. Paul also has prior experience with program review and consistently helped the Leeds School of Business graduate programs improve their national ranking from 59 up to 32 according to US News and World Report.

Paul brings to the Program his previous experience in program management, event planning, project management, and curriculum review/redesign to strengthen the many initiatives under the Program.

Sarah Miller

Business Coordinator

Sarah is the business coordinator for the Program to Advance Physician Scientists and Translational Research.

Sarah has an extensive background in the education, healthcare, and non- profit industries. She has worked on the Anschutz Medical Campus for over a decade in a variety of administrative support positions supporting leadership in the School of Medicine Dean’s office and Department of Surgery.

Sarah excels at managing tasks and projects seamlessly and effectively so that leadership can focus on their objectives. Sarah is eager to apply the knowledge and skills from her background and long history on the campus, along with her strong organizational and communication skills, to ensure the success of the many PAPSTR initiatives.