Description

Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology (HLA) Fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Job Type: Full-Time, including on-call responsibilities

Start Date: Estimated June/July 2027 (Flexible)
Duration: 4 years

The Northwestern University HLA Laboratory is seeking applicants for a Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology (HLA) Fellowship designed to fulfill the American College of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ACHI) Director-in-Training (DIT) requirements and to prepare future leaders in histocompatibility, immunogenetics, and transplant immunology. This is a structured training position with an anticipated duration of 4 years. This fellowship provides advanced clinical, technical, research, and laboratory management training within a high-volume academic transplant program serving both adult and pediatric transplant recipients.

Role Description 

The HLA Fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is a full-time, on-site training program based in Chicago, IL. DIT fellows participate in day-to-day activities within the HLA laboratory, including test ordering and interpretation, data analysis, and preparation of reports supporting solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Responsibilities include correlating laboratory findings with clinical information, contributing to case discussions with multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring adherence to regulatory and accreditation standards. The fellowship also offers opportunities for scholarly activity, including research, presentations, and manuscript preparation in histocompatibility and transplant immunology.

Application Information

Applicants should submit:

• Motivation Letter
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Two Letters of Recommendation

Requirements

Primary Responsibilities: 

Oversight of high-complexity histocompatibility testing 

Fellows will be exposed to a variety of assays and trained in result review and interpretation for a wide variety of HLA test methods, including:

• HLA typing by NGS and SSO methodologies
• HLA antibody detection and identification
• Flow cytometric crossmatching
• Virtual crossmatching and donor-recipient compatibility assessment
• Clinical consultation and result interpretation

Post-Transplant Monitoring

• Donor-specific antibody (DSA) monitoring
• HSCT Chimerism testing

Laboratory Management and Leadership

• The American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) accreditation standards granted deemed status by CLIA
• Quality management and regulatory compliance
• Laboratory operations and personnel management
• Assay validation and implementation

Clinical Exposure

Training includes interaction with multidisciplinary transplant teams involved in:

• Kidney, Liver, Pancreas, Heart, Lung and Stem cell transplantation

Research Opportunities

Fellows are encouraged to participate in translational and clinical research projects and present their work at national meetings and contribute to peer-reviewed publications, under the supervision and support of the HLA directors. 

Eligibility

• Candidate must fulfill the requirements for enrolling as an ASHI/ACHI director-in-training with a doctoral degree in an immunology-related field. (https://www.achicertification.org/laboratory-director-requirements.html)
• Potential candidates should verify their eligibility to enroll as a DIT program and determine the required duration of the training with the ASHI/ACHI Chief Accreditation Officer Melissa Weeks (mweeks@ashi-hla.org) prior to applying.
   

History of the NU Director-in-Training (DIT) Program

The Northwestern Histocompatibility and Transplant Immunology training program builds upon a long-standing tradition of excellence in HLA laboratory education and leadership development. Since 2006, the Northwestern DIT and fellowship program has trained physicians and scientists from the United States and around the world, many of whom have gone on to become laboratory directors, associate directors, faculty members, and leaders in histocompatibility and immunogenetics at major academic medical centers. More info about graduated fellows: https://sites.northwestern.edu/tamburlab/directors-in-training/ 

Clinical Program Highlights

The Northwestern University HLA Laboratory supports the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, one of the nation's premier transplant programs. In 2025, Northwestern performed total 689 solid organ transplants and is currently ranked No. 1 in Illinois and No. 10 nationally in overall transplant volume according to UNOS data. The program includes kidney, liver, pancreas, heart, lung and multiorgan transplantation.

The HLA laboratory also supports the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Program at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, a nationally recognized leader in stem cell transplantation, performing more than 350 hematopoietic stem cell transplants annually and achieving outcomes that consistently exceed national benchmarks.

In addition, the HLA laboratory provides histocompatibility testing and consultations for the pediatric transplant programs at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, one of the nation's leading pediatric transplant centers. In 2024, Lurie Children's performed 75 pediatric solid-organ transplants.

Together, these programs provide fellows with exposure to a highly diverse transplant population and a broad spectrum of histocompatibility testing, clinical consultation, and transplant immunology research.

About Northwestern University
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is committed to excellence in education, research, and patient care. Located in downtown Chicago, fellows benefit from training within a world-class academic medical center with extensive opportunities for collaboration across transplantation, immunology, pathology, and laboratory medicine.

Benefits: 

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental  leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more. 

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Salary and Benefits

Compensation and benefits are provided according to Northwestern University fellowship policies. Fellows are eligible for Northwestern University's comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, retirement, paid leave, wellness, and professional development programs.