Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology at Mount Sinai

Mentorship isn't one-size-fits-all. At the Institute, we provide support across three distinct but complementary forms: mentoring, coaching, and sponsorship.

Mentors help trainees navigate career goals and decisions, formally or informally. The trainee drives the relationship, bringing questions and challenges, while the mentor offers experienced perspective and candid, agenda-free guidance.

Coaches focus on skill development, particularly the interpersonal and professional competencies that formal training rarely teaches. The relationship is collaborative, with both coach and trainee actively shaping the work, whether that's learning to write a competitive grant application, communicating with funding agencies, or building confidence in high-stakes settings.

Sponsors are senior leaders who use their influence to open doors. Where a mentor advises and a coach develops, a sponsor acts, nominating trainees for awards, advocating for them in rooms they're not yet in, and telling the field plainly: this person is exceptional.

Together, these three forms of support reflect the Institute's belief that developing great researchers requires more than scientific training. It requires guidance, investment, and advocacy from people who are genuinely committed to seeing you succeed.

The Institute is pleased to introduce the Career Development and Mentorship Committee — a dedicated resource for early career investigators navigating the opportunities and challenges of academic science.

Led by Research Director Yelena Ginzburg, MD, together with Jeffrey Laitman, PhD, Dolores Malaspina, MD, MS, MSPH and Terry F. Davies, MD, the mentorship program offers personalized, one-on-one consultations designed to help junior faculty and researchers reflect on their professional goals, identify pathways for advancement, and receive candid guidance from experienced leaders in the field.

Consultations can cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Grant strategy and funding opportunities
• Academic promotion and career planning
• Building and sustaining a research portfolio
• Leadership and professional skill development

As the Institute grows, so does its commitment to the people doing the work. This committee reflects our commitment to ensuring that every early career investigator has access to the mentorship and perspective needed to thrive, both here and beyond.

The Institute is proud to partner with the Mount Sinai Academy of Physician-Scientists (MAPS), a new interdisciplinary academy developed for those who move between the laboratory and the bedside.

Organized by a distinguished group of Mount Sinai faculty leaders, MAPS brings together students, fellows, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and clinicians from across the health system to support one of academic medicine's most demanding, and most vital, career paths: the physician-scientist.

The need MAPS addresses is real. Clinician-researchers often find themselves caught between two demanding worlds, without a community that fully understands either role. MAPS exists to change that — providing mentorship, institutional support, and a network of peers and leaders who share the same dual commitment to discovery and patient care. Through panel discussions, networking events, and cross-disciplinary programming, MAPS aims to foster the collaborations and conversations that translate scientific innovation into clinical impact.

The Institute looks forward to deepening this partnership and supporting our own physician-scientists as they engage with this growing community.

This immersive, mentored training experience is designed for motivated high school students, undergraduate students, and MD fellows with a strong interest in biomedical science. Participants are selected to join the Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, where they work as volunteers under the guidance of faculty mentors.

Trainees are integrated into active research environments and gain hands-on experience in core experimental techniques, rigorous data analysis, and responsible research practices. Participants contribute to ongoing projects that bridge fundamental biological discovery with clinical application. Through close mentorship, engagement in journal clubs, weekly laboratory meetings, and structured scientific discussions, the program emphasizes the development of critical scientific thinking. Trainees learn to formulate testable hypotheses, design experiments, interpret data, and effectively communicate their findings.

By the end of the program, participants acquire both practical laboratory skills and a deeper understanding of how translational research is conducted within a leading academic medical center. For additional information, please contact the Program Directors: Rauf Latif, PhD (Basic Science) and Se-Min Kim, MD (Clinical).