NORFOLK—The Contraceptive Research and Development program (CONRAD) at EVMS recently welcomed Thomas Kimble, M.D., its first clinical fellow in contraception.

Kimble, a graduate of Howard University Medical School in Washington, completed his residency at York Hospital in York, Penn. He has been interested in family planning for 15 years. His interest in research grew out of a job as a contraceptive counselor at Planned Parenthood in Chapel Hill, N.C.

"I feel very fortunate to have been selected for this excellent opportunity to work with physicians such as Dr. Archer [David Archer, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology] and Dr. Ballagh [Susan Ballagh, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology], who are world-renowned in the field of contraception," Kimble said.

The fellowship was created as a result of an increasing need for faculty with specific expertise in contraception, according to Archer.

"Our training is designed to give him a background in how to develop a clinical trial, how to obtain research funding and where to go from there," Archer said.

Kimble is also one of only five fellows nationally to be accepted into the 1st Annual Ortho/American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Family Planning Fellowship to be held at the ASRM annual meeting in New Orleans in October. The fellowship includes travel, lodging and participation in postgraduate courses. Kimble will be recognized, along with the other fellows, at an opening ceremony and gala reception on Oct. 22.

Kimble said he is honored to have been selected to participate in the forum.

"This will give me the ability to meet and network with other researchers, physicians, and providers who also share an interest in the advancement of the science, delivery and social policy of contraception," he said.

Archer said CONRAD is delighted to have Kimble as the program's first contraceptive fellow.

"We hope that our educational endeavor will result in expanding his horizons into a more national and international interest level for his future practice and research," Archer said. "Having the opportunity of attending this fellowship forum in New Orleans is a significant accolade and will be a stimulus to further enhance his training."

In the 1970s and 1980s, contraception was a major area of focus for the ASRM. Recently, interest level has declined due to an increasing focus on assisted reproductive technology. The Ortho/ASRM fellowship was created in the hopes it will invigorate physicians to join the ranks of contraceptive researchers, Archer said.

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For more information, contact:

Doug Gardner, Director of News and Publications
EVMS Office of Institutional Advancement
(757) 446-6070 - gardneda@evms.edu

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