UCI/CHOC Advanced Neonatal Cardiovascular Intensive Care and Hemodynamics Fellowship Program
CHOC is not only advancing neonatal cardiac care—we’re training the next generation of leaders in it. Our Neonatal Hemodynamics and Cardiac Intensive Care Fellowship is one of only two programs in the U.S. dedicated to developing physician-scientists and clinical experts in this rapidly growing field. Building on a foundation laid by global echocardiography authority Dr. Wyman Lai, the program combines rigorous bedside training with mentorship in cutting-edge research.
Program Overview
UC Irvine and CHOC partner to offer a one-year, advanced fellowship training program in Neonatal Cardiovascular Intensive Care and Hemodynamics where board-eligible or board-certified neonatologists can further their training in neonatal cardiac intensive care and targeted neonatal echocardiography. Our fellowship program is the only one of its kind in the United States, teaching its graduates how to integrate the skills of targeted neonatal echocardiography and hemodynamics in both the neonatal intensive care and neonatal cardiac intensive care units since we enrolled our first fellow in 2021.
Our highly specialized team includes a group of neonatologists who together possess decades of advanced training, covering dedicated cardiac intensive care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care/hemodynamics and targeted neonatal echocardiography. This expertise makes our program one of the most diverse and advanced neonatal cardiac training programs in the world. We leverage this diversity in thought and training to offer a flexible, customizable clinical training curriculum that encompasses neonatal cardiac intensive care, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, neonatal hemodynamics, and bedside functional echocardiography to manage the smallest and sickest infants in our busy Level III/IV NICUs.
Trainees gain mastery in functional echocardiography, neonatal physiology, and advanced hemodynamic management—all in the clinical environment of CHOC’s NICU and CVICU, where complex care meets innovation daily.
We’re proud to be one of the few institutions not only delivering this level of care but also shaping the field’s future—one fellow at a time.
Common Neonatal Hemodynamics Consults
Transitional and Circulatory Challenges
- Delayed Cardiopulmonary Transition
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
- Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
- Sepsis and Shock
Cardiac Function and Structure
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Neonatal Arrythmias
- Cardiomyopathy and Myocardial Dysfunction
Respiratory and Pulmonary Vascular Disease
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)
- Chest Masses
- Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
Multi-Organ Involvement and Critical Illness
- Multi-System Organ Failure
- Cardio-pulmonary Failure
- ECMO Initiation and Weaning Support
Interested in becoming trained in neonatal hemodynamics?
Our team of dedicated neonatal hemodynamic and cardiac intensive care physicians would love to share with you what makes our program special and walk you through how to apply for one of our two advanced, one-year fellowship training positions.
Applications to the advanced fellowship training program in Neonatal Cardiovascular Intensive Care and Hemodynamics are typically accepted on a rolling basis from June 1st – July 1st for the fellowship year starting the following July. To learn more information, including information on how to apply, please refer to our fellowship training program website.
We currently accept 2 advanced fellows/academic year, typically running from July 1st – June 31st. Applications are typically open from June 1st-July 1st of the prior academic year. If you are interested in applying, please refer to our fellowship webpage on the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine website.