Trains fellows in patient-oriented and health-system research methods: clinical trials, clinical epidemiology, claims-based health services research, biomedical informatics, health AI, and empirical bioethics. The methodologically broadest of the four tracks.
Informatics and health AI training run through the Institute for Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics (I2DB) and the Center for Health AI, both at WashU Medicine; claims and policy work run through CAHSPER; empirical bioethics through the Bioethics Research Center.
The CAHSPER Data Core anchors the health-services side
CAHSPER maintains a Data Core with Medicare, Medicaid, MarketScan, and Hospital Cost and Utilization Project administrative claims data, running 20+ active projects on hospital quality, Medicare Advantage, dual-eligibles, and Medicaid policy. Fellows have the opportunity to join a wide range of CAHSPER projects using claims and other administrative data.
Medicare: 100% Claims, Parts A/B/D, MA Encounters
Medicaid: T-MSIS Analytic Files, Multi-State
MarketScan: Commercial and Medicare Supplemental
HCUP: SID, NIS, NEDS
Recent fellow projects
Pharmacogenomics
Refinement of pharmacogenomic warfarin dosing algorithms, building on the GIFT trial (JAMA 2017) to improve anticoagulation precision in older adults.
Mentor: Gage
Fellow: Stephenson
Cardiology, Evidence Synthesis
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing catheter or surgical ablation against medical therapy. Across nine databases (1987 – 2024), catheter ablation reduced longer-term ischemic stroke (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.92), mortality, and heart failure hospitalization, while raising peri-procedural stroke risk; surgical ablation lowered stroke from any cause. Published in Annals of Internal Medicine (2025).
Mentors: Gage
Fellow/First Author: Montané
Affiliated faculty
Meet the multidisciplinary team of affiliated faculty conducting clinical and health services research.
Ready to apply?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Reach out to fellowship director Kevin Stephenson, MD (k.stephenson@wustl.edu) before you apply. Most successful applicants have a mentor identified in advance.