Our Story

Founded in 2024, the American Junior Investigator Association (AJIA) is dedicated to advocacy, career development, and mentorship to empower diverse, early-career physician-scientists in advancing biomedical research and improving human health for all.

Recognizing the challenges that drive many physician-scientists away from research—such as funding constraints and growing administrative and clinical loads—AJIA was born to address the critical “leaky pipeline” and support today's investigations and tomorrow’s cures.

Our Mission & Vision

Mission: To champion advocacy and offer career development opportunities for physician-scientists at the resident, fellow, and junior faculty levels.

Vision: To plug the leaky physician-scientist pipeline and facilitate smoother transitions to scientific independence.

The Movement: Mobilizing public and private partners to strengthen support systems for junior investigators on their path to scientific independence.

How We Support Physician-Scientists

AJIA fosters an ecosystem of growth through three core pillars:

Career Development: Access to high-impact workshops at national meetings—covering topics like launching a lab, navigating scientific independence, and physician-scientist career launchpads.

Mentorship: A broad network of senior mentors committed to nurturing the next generation of physician-scientist leaders.

Networking: Peer-to-peer support and horizontal mentorship among physician-scientist trainees, providing advice and camaraderie during critical career transitions.