CFRI's Patrick Nash Fellows Program

About the Program

As more people with CF live deep into adulthood, understanding and addressing new complications that present or progress with aging has become critical. These include unique issues with the gastrointestinal tract, diabetes, bone weakness, heart disease, cancer, and ongoing lung and sinus complications.

The CFRI Patrick Nash Fellows program, established in 2023 by CFRI in collaboration with the Elizabeth & Patrick Nash Foundation and a steering committee of leading CF physician researchers, is designed to address these very challenges.

The program has two primary objectives:

1 - To identify, educate, and connect the next generation of adult CF care providers and thought leaders, and

2 - To serve as a catalyst for innovative research activities focused on the unique challenges of adults aging with CF.

Each year the program brings together a select group of medical Fellows drawn from a variety of medical specialties relevant to CF patient care. They are provided with targeted education (regarding aging with CF / the multi-organ impact of CF) as well as ongoing mentorship from leading CF care providers and researchers. Over time, this growing, nationwide interdisciplinary network of care providers and researchers will play an important role in increasing the duration and quality of life of CF adults.

Get more info or apply

Program Snapshot

(Totals as of Dec 2025):

2

Cohorts

30

Fellows

16

Faculty memberss

21

Institutions represented
(faculty and Fellows)

11

Medical specialties
represented

Hear from our Fellows

  • This was truly the most incredible and rewarding opportunity I have had in my academic career. It had the ideal balance of learning about cystic fibrosis from a patient personal perspective, current practices and literature, connecting and collaborating with other fellows and the experts in the field, and truly finding and expanding on our personal connection to cystic fibrosis that brought us to this conference.

    Fellow, 2024 Cohort 1

  • I enjoyed hearing about aging with cystic fibrosis from experts in the field. There were a number of important clinical pearls that I plan to take back to my clinic.

    Fellow, 2024 Cohort 1

  • The opportunity for multidisciplinary discussion in such an intimate setting was astounding - I left the conference with so many ideas for future areas of research, and I can't remember the last time I felt this inspired. I also very much valued the opportunity to meet physician scientists of incredible caliber and experience; the idea that I would be able to collaborate with these individuals is incredibly exciting. I am just as excited to work with the other fellows this year - everyone I met was curious, driven, and kind. It is my hope to maintain the connections and even friendships that I was able to form over this past weekend far into the future.

    Fellow, 2024 Cohort 1

  • What I found most valuable about the conference was the strong emphasis on networking and collaboration. It provided an excellent platform for the integration of diverse disciplines, bringing together clinicians, patients, and scientists to exchange perspectives and experiences. The sessions covered a comprehensive range of topics spanning the entire pathophysiology of CF, fostering a deeper understanding of the disease from multiple angles.

    Fellow, 2025 Cohort 2

  • I found myself unique at this conference and found the experiences from individuals with cystic fibrosis the most compelling. Listening to how CF impacts one's life every day is something as a researcher I would not normally see. I'm incredibly grateful I was able to attend and meet everyone to understand what a life is like with Cystic Fibrosis and continuing to determine how I can help further research and care.

    Fellow, 2025 Cohort 2

  • This was a wonderful event. I think there was a lot of excitement and momentum among the fellows and faculty involved.

    Faculty member, Cohort 2