Fellow to Faculty: Sonya Tang Girdwood, MD, PhD

Our Fellow to Faculty series highlights current Cincinnati Children’s faculty who also completed their fellowships here. They’re sharing their journeys, experiences, advice and why they decided to continue their careers here. Our next story features Sonya Tang Girdwood .

Sonya Tang Girdwood, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of Pediatrics, co-director of Genetic Pharmacology Service and co-program director of the Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology T32 Fellowship & K12 Program. She joined Cincinnati Children’s in 2013 for residency and later completed a combined fellowship in Hospital Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, one of the first programs of its kind.?

During her fellowship, Sonya gained valuable experience in launching a new research program and ambitiously applied for six grants. She credits the support of her fellowship directors and mentors, Karen Jerardi, MD, MEd, Joanna Thomson MD, MPH, Sander Vinks, PharmD, PhD, and many others for helping her find her path as a physician-scientist. An early chance encounter with Jennifer Kaplan, MD, MS, led to Sonya’s work on a critical care drug therapy study. As a hospitalist, having the opportunity to engage in critical care research is typically rare, and Sonya views that opportunity as a testament to the strong collaboration across divisions at Cincinnati Children's.?

As a clinical fellow, Sonya received several notable awards, including the Cincinnati Children’s Arnold Strauss Fellow Award and Hospital Medicine Fellow Award, and the Gerber Foundation Research Novice Award.?

After completing her fellowship in 2020, she applied to faculty positions that fulfilled her desire for both clinical work and research in Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology. Looking to expand upon the incredible opportunities from her fellowship, she ultimately chose to stay at Cincinnati Children's because of its empowering academic research culture and valuable mentorship opportunities.?

Her current research program aims to study precision antibiotic dosing in critically ill patients with varying body compositions and kidney function with Jennifer and Stuart Goldstein, MD. She also has several publications addressing research on critical care units, patients with kidney disease, and transplant recipients. Sonya is currently the research subcommittee chair for Graduate Medical Education, which allows her to interact with current fellows from various divisions. ?

Inspired by her late father’s commitment to mentorship, Sonya is a mentor with a focus on recruiting diverse trainees, 50% of whom are from underrepresented groups.?

Outside of her illustrious career, Sonya has a passion for singing, hosting game nights and offering faith-based mentorship to marginalized college students.??

Sonya graciously shared some additional insights on her journey from fellow to faculty.?

What interested you in joining a fellowship program??

I knew I wanted research to be a part of my career, but by the end of residency, I wasn't sure how central it would be. Having done a PhD, I've experienced a life of 100% research. And then as a resident here, I experienced a life of 100% clinical, but I had not had the opportunity to understand what it truly meant to be a physician-scientist, and how to balance those worlds. The fellowship offered an opportunity to understand what a physician-scientist career might look like, and also for me to explore what my research program would look like as a faculty member.?

I think that one of the unique things here at Cincinnati Children’s is that we highly value academic research and that we have multiple grant-funded Hospital Medicine researchers. There are many Hospital Medicine divisions around the country, but a lot of them are mostly clinical focused.??

Is there a research study you’ve done that stands out in your career??

I have a study that my fellows and I endearingly call Frankenstein, because initially, I had a very specific focus, but because of how many samples we were able to collect from a large group of patients in the ICU, we've been able to ask a lot of really exciting questions. We've often been the first to publish something in the field of Pediatrics, and it's through this study that I've been able to bring in trainees from other divisions, because I have data on so many topics they may be interested in. ?

What makes you stay at Cincinnati Children’s??

We have a great Hospital Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology division and excellent faculty. My favorite part of my job is mentorship. I love mentoring and teaching trainees. I think one of the coolest parts, especially about Clinical Pharmacology, is that I get to mentor a lot of people outside of my clinical division of Hospital Medicine because of my research here. My primary mentees have been clinical fellows in Critical Care and Nephrology, and it's been really exciting to inspire them to do some incredible research. A couple of them have gone on to get primary research physician-scientist positions at other institutions. The legacy that I want to leave is to ensure that everyone has equitable opportunities to learn, and I believe I’m making a difference here.?

What advice do you have for someone who's starting here as a new fellow??

Always keep an open mind and meet as many people as possible, especially outside of your division. Use fellowship as a time to learn not only new content but also new skills and methodology. Remember, this process is a marathon and not a sprint.?

When I met with my fellowship oversight committee, I felt like I needed to get going and start on a research project quickly. They suggested I slow down and meet people who are doing what I thought I wanted to do. They reminded me that I’m not just planning for my next research project, I’m setting the foundation of my research career. I'm so incredibly grateful that my fellowship oversight committee had that vision of going beyond just the next two to three years of my career. ?

Also, don’t be afraid to speak up about life changes and ask about how those can be incorporated into your schedule. Whether it’s children, marriage or other life events, consider ways that it can be integrated into your goals. There are times when one aspect of your life must take precedence over another, but don’t let fear prevent you from embracing a balanced life, whatever that may look like.?