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Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality

PERLHS Academy

The goal of the Johns Hopkins PERLHS: Promoting Embedded Research in a Learning Health System is to prepare embedded investigators to apply rigorous methods to generate and disseminate evidence across the Johns Hopkins Health System and the state of Maryland.

We aim to train investigators in comparative effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes research (CER/PCOR) in service to a learning health system (LHS). Johns Hopkins Medicine is a signatory to the Core Values Underlying a National-Scale Person-Centered Continuous Learning Health System, and our leaders recognize that the LHS model is central to patient care.

Program Information

A chart of the organization of leadership and mentors for the PERLHS Academy program.

The PERLHS Academy is the training program for our embedded scholars in the Johns Hopkins system. The program targets core- and specialized competencies that the scholar needs to conduct CER/PCOR within an LHS context. The PERLHS programming has three components:

  1. a series of recorded lectures, drawn from existing content, for asynchronous, didactic learning that is tailored to the unique needs of these diverse scholars
  2. monthly half-day sessions that the scholars participate in as a cohort where they learn from lectures by the mentors and present works-in-progress in small groups with rotating groups of mentors
  3. an embedded research project under the close supervision of one of our selected mentors who is matched to the scholar. The research culminates in a presentation to health system leaders, including the sponsoring entities' leadership where the scholars are embedded

Program Overview

Available Spots: 10 scholars plus one post-doctoral trainee annually
Application period: January 24 - March 15
Final selection: April 2025
Program duration: 1 year
Orientation date: August 2025
Final Symposium: May 2026

Learning Objectives

  • Describe a high-functioning LHS 
  • Demonstrate skills reflecting competencies of an embedded researcher including those needed for engagement and leadership, research methods, generation of evidence, informatics, systems science, implementation science, ethics in implementation science and equity and justice in an LHS
  • Describe a problem in your system, design a project to advance solutions to this problem, and yield a product from this work

Scholar Expectations

When you are accepted as a PERLHS scholar, you are expected to complete independent online prework before the beginning of the program to identify and prepare for your project.

During the program, you will devote an estimated 232 hours  — or 10 percent effort — to program-related activities, including work on a project. Most of the effort is self-directed; however, participation in lectures and live training programs is required.

As a PERLHS scholar, you are expected to complete the following during the program:

  • Online lectures available in CANVAS (16 lectures with short activities and Discussion posts)
  • Read 2 - 4 articles monthly as posted in CANVAS
  • Participate in required monthly “lab” sessions
  • Attend regular meetings with the mentor with whom you were paired for assistance with project development and execution, including IRB submission and approval
  • Participate in experiential learning – details to follow
  • Present at final Symposium

Scholars are not graded. Scholars will participate in assessments as part of the evaluation of the PERLHS program.

Application and Selection

The application process requires a CV and a letter of support from the sponsoring organization that outlines the funded time that is provided (minimum of 10% effort) and a statement of partnership with the Scholar. The selection criteria will be:

  1. role in a learning health system
  2. past research experience (research master’s degree not required)
  3. an understanding of the goals of PERLHS as exemplified by responses to questions,
  4. a realistic research projects that aligns with learning health system goals

Selected applicants may be invited to interview with a PERLHS leader or mentor to confirm their interest and commitment.

Eligibility

We are seeking healthcare professionals who are embedded clinicians (physicians, nurses, pharmacists and others), quality specialists, system analysts and operational leaders, including those connected with the InHealth Centers of Excellence. Johns Hopkins recognizes that a learning health system mindset is central to the care of patients.

Application Process

  • By March 15, 2025, please complete the online application.
  • As part of the application, you will be asked to upload two documents:
    • Your curriculum vitae (CV) or resume.
    • A statement of commitment signed by you and your direct supervisor.
  • Applicants selected for an interview with a faculty member will be contacted by email.
  • Final selection will be announced by April 30, 2025.

Contact

Please contact the following with any questions:

Jodi Segal, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University
jsegal@jhmi.edu

Jill Marsteller, Ph.D.
Professor of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
jmarste2@jh.edu

Mohammad Naqibuddin, M.D., M.P.H.
Research Program Manager, Johns Hopkins Medicine
mnaqibu2@jhmi.edu

Scholar Testimonial

“The PERLHS program has provided me with (1) didactic learning that is highly relevant and practical to my particular research interests, (2) a connection to and collaboration with other early career researchers across the university in different disciplines who share similar interests to me, in particular using real world data to generate evidence that improves patient care, and (3) strong and supportive research mentorship from my primary mentor and multiple other mentors on the leadership team.”

- Allison S. Brandt, M.D.

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