MGH Clinical Translational Fellowship at Pfizer
Overview
The Clinical Translational Fellowship at Pfizer provides a unique opportunity for a board-certified or board-eligible neurologist interested in translational research and industry-based drug development. The program allows fellows to work within Pfizer’s Early Clinical Development organization in Cambridge while maintaining clinical activities within the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The fellowship focuses on translational medicine and the development of innovative approaches to clinical trials. Fellows may participate in projects within Pfizer’s innovation research laboratories that explore digital medicine technologies, including continuous physiological monitoring and novel digital biomarkers for neurological disease.
The fellowship typically spans up to two years and is structured with protected research time at Pfizer and clinical time at Mass General, providing fellows with experience in both academic neurology and pharmaceutical research environments.
Requirements
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Board-certified or board-eligible neurologist.
- Fellow or junior faculty member in neurology .
- Ability to commit 75% of effort to Pfizer research activities and 25% to clinical work at Mass General.
- Strong interest in translational neuroscience or clinical research.
- Applicants with computational backgrounds, including signal processing or machine learning, may be particularly well suited for the fellowship, although prior industry experience is not required.
Curriculum
The fellowship provides training in translational neuroscience and pharmaceutical drug development through collaborative work between Mass General and Pfizer.
Key components include:
- Participation in early-phase clinical development projects
- Exposure to clinical trial design and regulatory processes
- Training in translational medicine and biomarker development
- Collaboration with multidisciplinary research teams at Pfizer
- Clinical activities within the Mass General Department of Neurology
Fellows gain experience bridging preclinical science and clinical development while contributing to innovative approaches to neurological drug development.
Research Experience
Fellows participate in research projects within Pfizer’s innovation research laboratories, contributing to the development of new approaches for evaluating neurological disease and therapeutic interventions.
Research may include work in:
- Digital medicine and remote physiological monitoring
- Translational neuroscience
- Biomarker development
- Early-phase clinical trials
These projects aim to improve disease diagnosis, health monitoring, and clinical trial endpoints using emerging digital technologies.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit the following materials as a single PDF:
- Letter of intent describing research interests and career goals
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Letter of support from the applicant’s neurology department chair
- One additional letter of recommendation
- NIH Other Support documentation for current and pending grants
Applications are reviewed by a joint Pfizer–Mass General search committee. Selected candidates will be invited to interview with program leadership.