International Sonntag Spine Research Fellowship

About the Sonntag Fellowship

The International Sonntag Spine Research Fellowship offers a funded, one-year research opportunity at Barrow Neurological Institute’s Kelly Spinal Biomechanics Laboratory, focusing on non-clinical, laboratory-based spine research. Designed for international spine surgeons or neurosurgery residents from low- and middle-income countries, the fellowship is anticipated to start in July 2026.

Fellows will engage in academic, collaborative learning and research, primarily investigating implantable devices and surgical spinal procedures under the direction of Brian P. Kelly, PhD, in the Sonntag Spine Center. Support will also be provided by the Franke Neuroscience Education Center, Barrow Global, and its partners.

Current Sonntag Fellow Winnie Mapuor, MD, with Laura Snyder, MD.

Participants will gain in-depth knowledge of spinal biomechanics principles, learn advanced laboratory techniques, and take a leadership role in research projects, including data collection, analysis, and presentation. A key component of the fellowship involves disseminating research through abstract submissions to major spine-related conferences (e.g., CNS, NASS, AANS) and publishing in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals, with crucial support from Barrow’s Neuroscience Publications Department.

This opportunity does not involve direct patient care or clinical practice, but fellows can augment their clinical learning by attending neurosurgical spine rounds, clinical case conferences, grand rounds, and via observation in Barrow operating rooms. While the role is research-focused, fellows will be expected to contribute clinical insight to novel study designs and interpretation of findings. An ultimate goal is for fellows to be able to take the research principles and methodologies learned during their time at Barrow and apply them to conduct future research projects in their country of origin.

Application Deadline: October 31, 2025

Accepting applications for academic year 2026-2027.

Apply here

Questions?

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How to Apply

You will need to create an account with Clinician Nexus to apply for this fellowship.

Note: Regardless of your present status, you must register as a “student, resident, volunteer, etc.” and select the “I’m not enrolled at a school” option for our fellowship to populate in the “Find Clinical Experiences” tab.

Please follow the steps below as you complete your application.

Access Clinician Nexus:
- Log in to your existing profile or create a free profile at Clinician Nexus.
Set up your professional role (required for all applicants):
- Regardless of your current professional status (e.g., student, physician, surgeon, volunteer), you must create or add a role in your Clinician Nexus profile.
- For this role, all applicants must select the option: “Apply for clinical experiences as a student, resident, volunteer, etc.“
- Guidance for the school field: When you are asked “What school do you attend?”, international applicants should choose “I’m not enrolled at a school.” Then, continue filling out the rest of your profile.
Search for Opportunities:
- Once your profile is fully completed, go to the “Find Clinical Experiences” search tab.
- Type “Franke” in the in the keyword field and click “search” to discover all available opportunities.