Bylaws & governance

1.1 — Name

The group shall be officially known as the Sentara Structural Cardiology Research Lab (hereinafter “the Lab” or “SSCRL”).

1.2 — Mission

The SSCRL is dedicated to the generation and dissemination of original clinical and translational research in structural cardiology, interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure, and closely related subspecialties. The Lab is committed to rigorous methodology, collaborative scholarship, mentorship of trainees at all levels, and the highest standards of academic and ethical conduct.

1.3 — Institutional Affiliation

The SSCRL operates under the auspices of Sentara Medical Group, Department of Cardiology, in academic partnership with Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University. Research activities are conducted in compliance with the policies of the Eastern Virginia Medical School Institutional Review Board (IRB).

2.1 — Member Categories

The Lab recognizes the following membership categories:

• Faculty Leadership — attending physicians serving as principal investigators and senior authors
• Trainee Director(s) — one or more residents or fellows designated by faculty leadership to manage day-to-day Lab operations
• Active Members — medical students, residents, fellows, and other trainees actively participating in Lab projects
• Research Support Personnel — institutional research coordinators and IRB liaisons providing operational and regulatory support
• Analytics Partners — individuals or groups providing biostatistical or data science support on a collaborative basis

2.2 — Faculty Leadership

Faculty Leadership consists of the following attending physicians:

• Matthew R. Summers, MD, FACC — Senior Faculty Lead
• Deepak R. Talreja, MD — Faculty Lead
• Raymond L. Benza, MD — Faculty Lead
• Clinton D. Kemp, MD — Faculty Lead

Faculty Leadership holds ultimate scientific and ethical responsibility for all Lab activities and provides mentorship, project direction, and manuscript oversight.

2.3 — Trainee Director(s)

One or more Trainee Directors are responsible for coordinating Lab operations, managing member communications, facilitating meetings, onboarding new members, and serving as the primary liaison between Active Members and Faculty Leadership. Trainee Director appointments are made at the discretion of Faculty Leadership and are subject to revision based on training progression, availability, and Lab needs. Current Trainee Director(s):

• Nicholas J. Valle, DO · PGY3
• Omar A. Saleh · Incoming PGY1

2.4 — Current Active Members

Current Active Members include:

• Israa Saleh, MS2
• Rishab Agarwal, MS3
• Shinjer Li, MS2
• Thomas Cook, MS4
• Hemish Philip, MS3
• Joshua Dolsen, MD — PGY3
• Hira Sarfraz, MD — PGY3
• Omar Jafar, MD — Chief Internal Medicine Resident

This roster will be updated as members join or depart and maintained in a separate membership registry.

2.5 — Research Support Personnel

The following individuals provide critical operational and regulatory support to the Lab:

• Angela Toepp, PhD — Sentara Research Support
• Ann Harper, MS — Sentara Research Support
• Chelsea Martin, RN, BSN — Sentara Research Support
• Emily Riggan — EVMS IRB Liaison
• Alyssa Lachau — EVMS IRB Liaison

Research Support Personnel are integral to Lab operations and shall be appropriately acknowledged in all publications arising from projects they support.

2.6 — Analytics Partners

Biostatistical and data analytics support is provided through formal collaboration with EVMS Research, led by Dr. Rehan Qayyum and/or Sentara Health Analytics lab. Analytics Partners who make substantive intellectual contributions to a manuscript’s analytical design, execution, or interpretation shall be included as co-authors in accordance with ICMJE authorship criteria. The nature and scope of analytics collaboration shall be established in writing at the outset of each project.

2.7 — Fellow Roles

The Lab anticipates the inclusion of cardiology fellows beginning in the next academic year. Fellow roles, responsibilities, and authorship eligibility will be defined following initial outreach and discussion with incoming fellows, and will be incorporated into a subsequent amendment to these bylaws. Fellows are encouraged to engage with the Lab as both contributors and mentors to junior trainees.

2.8 — Membership Maintenance Requirements

Active membership in the SSCRL requires demonstrated ongoing scholarly productivity. To maintain Active Member status, each member is expected to meet the following annual benchmarks:

• Present at least one scientific abstract or case report at a local, regional, or national conference per calendar year
• Submit at least one manuscript — either a case report or original research — for publication per calendar year

Members who do not meet these benchmarks without documented extenuating circumstances may be transitioned to inactive status at the discretion of the Trainee Director(s) in consultation with Faculty Leadership. Inactive members may reapply for active status upon demonstrating renewed scholarly engagement.

3.1 — Eligibility

Membership in the SSCRL is open to individuals meeting all of the following criteria:

• Currently enrolled as a first-year medical student or more advanced trainee, or holds a relevant graduate or professional degree
• Demonstrates genuine interest in cardiology, structural heart disease, interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure, cardiac imaging, or a closely related field
• Is able to commit meaningful time and effort to Lab activities

3.2 — Preferred Qualifications

The following qualifications will be given favorable consideration during review:

• Background or proficiency in computer science, biostatistics, data science, or programming
• Prior research experience in cardiovascular medicine or a related field
• Established relationships with Faculty Leadership through shadowing, clinical rotations, or prior academic collaboration
• Evidence of prior scholarly productivity

3.3 — Application Process

Prospective members shall submit a written application to the Trainee Director(s) including a brief personal statement, current curriculum vitae or academic resume, and documentation of any prior research experience. Applications are reviewed monthly or on an expedited basis at the request of Faculty Leadership or a Trainee Director. Applicants will be notified within two weeks of the monthly review cycle.

3.4 — Tiered Onboarding for Inexperienced Members

Medical students, interns, and other members without demonstrated prior research experience will generally be expected to complete a tiered onboarding process before being invited to take on first authorship roles on larger projects:

• The initial expectation is preparation and submission of a case abstract to a local or national conference. This serves as a structured evaluation of the member’s ability to produce and present scholarly work at an acceptable standard of quality.
• Upon successful completion of this milestone, the member becomes eligible to be considered for first authorship on case reports and, subsequently, original research projects.
• Exceptions to this tiered process may be granted at the discretion of Faculty Leadership in cases where a member demonstrates exceptional skills directly relevant to a specific project’s needs — for example, a medical student with advanced data science or programming capabilities contributing to an analytics-intensive project.

3.5 — Fellowship Applicant Priority

Residents who are actively applying to cardiology fellowship and fellows who are applying to subspecialty fellowship training shall be given priority consideration for first authorship opportunities where appropriate and feasible given project timelines. This policy reflects the Lab’s commitment to supporting the career development of its trainees and to building the reputability of the SSCRL through strong fellowship application outcomes. Other Lab members are expected to provide reasonable support to these individuals in advancing their projects during application-critical periods.

4.1 — Governing Standard

All authorship decisions shall comply with ICMJE criteria. To qualify for authorship, an individual must satisfy all four criteria: (1) substantial contributions to conception, design, data acquisition, or analysis; (2) drafting or critically revising the manuscript; (3) final approval of the submitted version; and (4) accountability for accuracy and integrity of the work. Meeting only one or two criteria warrants acknowledgment, not authorship.

4.2 — First Authorship — Original Research

First authorship on original research manuscripts shall be governed by the following:

• A member who identifies and expresses first interest in spearheading a project arising from a faculty-generated research question shall have priority claim to first authorship.
• Members may independently propose original research ideas and shall hold first authorship claim for projects they initiate, provided they take primary responsibility for execution.
• Each member is permitted to hold a first authorship claim on a maximum of one (1) active original research project at any given time. Approval for additional original research project work is subject to approval by the Trainee Director(s).
• If no other member expresses interest or existing claimants cannot accommodate additional projects, a member may take on an additional first authorship role with Faculty Leadership approval.
• Voluntary transfer of first authorship is permitted and must be documented in writing and communicated to Faculty Leadership.
• Disputes regarding first authorship must be brought to a formal meeting with the current first author and senior Faculty author prior to initial manuscript submission. The burden of presenting evidence rests with the challenging member. Authorship will not be altered post-submission except under extraordinary circumstances requiring a meeting of all relevant parties.

4.3 — First Authorship — Case Reports

First authorship on case reports follows the same principles as Section 4.2. Each member is permitted to hold a first authorship claim on a maximum of one (1) active case report at any given time, with the same exception for cases of no competing interest.

4.4 — Progress Expectations and Forfeiture

Members holding a first authorship claim are expected to make meaningful, demonstrable progress on their project at intervals not to exceed four (4) weeks. Examples of acceptable progress milestones include but are not limited to:

• Submission or resubmission of IRB protocol or revisions within four weeks of receiving feedback
• Completion of a protocol, introduction, or literature review within one month of project initiation
• Completion of a discussion section, results section, or methods section for a case report or manuscript within one month of the relevant data being available
• Submission of an abstract, poster, or manuscript draft within agreed-upon timelines

If a member fails to demonstrate adequate progress within a four-week period without documented extenuating circumstances, the Trainee Director(s) in consultation with Faculty Leadership may determine that the member has forfeited their first authorship claim. The project may then be reassigned to another interested and qualified member. The original member retains co-authorship credit for contributions already made, in accordance with ICMJE criteria.

4.5 — Analytics and Support Authorship

Analytics Partners making substantive intellectual contributions to a project’s analytical design or execution shall be included as co-authors. Individuals providing purely technical or administrative support shall be recognized in the Acknowledgements section.

4.6 — Author Order

Beyond first authorship, author order shall be determined collaboratively by contributing authors and the supervising Faculty Lead, consistent with the relative magnitude of each contributor’s intellectual and practical contributions. The senior Faculty author shall generally appear as the final author.

4.7 — Authorship Stability

The authorship list shall be finalized prior to initial manuscript submission. Changes following submission require written justification, all parties’ consent, and approval by the senior Faculty author. Largely, changes during revision are permitted only under documented extenuating circumstances.

4.8 — Extenuating Circumstances

Other matters pertaining to authorship are subject to apply per Trainee Director(s) and/or Faculty Authorship Lead.

5.1 — Faculty-Trainee Meeting

The Lab shall convene faculty-trainee meetings on a recurring basis. Attendance by Faculty Leadership and Active Members is expected when possible, in consideration of clinical duties and other obligations. Members unable to attend a meeting should communicate with a Trainee Director or Faculty Lead. Virtual participation is permitted. The agenda shall include:

• Progress updates on active projects
• Discussion of new research ideas and project proposals
• Review of next steps and task assignments for ongoing work
• Manuscript and submission status updates

5.2 — Medical Student Meeting

A dedicated meeting for resident, fellow, and medical student members shall be held on a recurring basis. This forum shall include:

• Discussion of ongoing student-contributing projects
• Guidance from Trainee Director(s) and resident or fellow members
• Educational content relevant to research methodology and cardiovascular medicine
• Opportunities for students to present project updates and receive structured feedback

5.3 — Ad Hoc Meetings

Additional meetings may be convened at any time at the request of Faculty Leadership, Trainee Director(s), or any member with a time-sensitive matter.

5.4 — Communication

Primary Lab communication shall occur through institutional secure email. Members are expected to maintain timely responsiveness and to provide advance notice when unable to attend scheduled meetings.

6.1 — Funding Philosophy

The SSCRL is committed to supporting its members in disseminating their work through publication and conference presentation. Available funding sources shall be utilized in a structured and equitable manner to maximize the Lab’s scholarly reach.

6.2 — Funding Hierarchy

Members seeking financial support for publication fees, open-access charges, conference registration, or travel expenses shall exhaust available funding from their respective training program prior to requesting institutional support from Sentara Medical Group. The expected sequence of funding requests is as follows:

• Step 1: Apply for available funding through the member’s primary training program (e.g., EVMS, Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, or applicable residency or fellowship program research funds)
• Step 2: If program-level funding is unavailable or insufficient, submit a funding request to Sentara Medical Group through the designated faculty designee

6.3 — Faculty Designee for Funding

Dr. Deepak R. Talreja serves as the Faculty Designee responsible for overseeing funding requests directed to Sentara Medical Group. All funding requests shall be directed to Dr. Talreja, with Faculty Leadership copied on all correspondence. Requests should include a brief description of the project, the nature of the funding need, the amount requested, and documentation of efforts to secure program-level funding first.

6.4 — Funding Decisions

Funding decisions are made at the discretion of the Faculty Designee in consultation with other Faculty Leadership as appropriate. Funding is not guaranteed and shall be considered on a case-by-case basis considering the scientific merit of the project, the member’s contribution, available resources, and the Lab’s overall funding priorities.

7.1 — IRB Compliance

All research activities involving human subjects, patient data, or protected health information must receive appropriate IRB approval prior to initiation. Members shall work with the designated EVMS IRB Liaisons to ensure timely and complete submissions. No data collection or analysis may begin without documented IRB approval or a formal exemption determination.

7.2 — Data Security

Patient data and research datasets shall be handled in strict compliance with HIPAA regulations, EVMS institutional policy, and applicable law. De-identification must occur prior to any external sharing, cloud storage, or use in analytical platforms. Members are prohibited from storing identifiable patient information on personal devices or non-institutional platforms.

7.3 — AI Disclosure

Use of artificial intelligence tools in manuscript preparation, data analysis, or figure generation must be disclosed in accordance with target journal policies and applicable institutional guidelines. AI tools may not be listed as authors. Members are responsible for verifying the accuracy of AI-assisted content and ensuring that AI use does not compromise the integrity or originality of the work.

7.4 — Conflict of Interest

Members must disclose any financial relationships, speaking arrangements, consulting agreements, or other potential conflicts of interest relevant to their research activities to the supervising Faculty Lead prior to project initiation and at the time of manuscript submission.

8.1 — Amendment Process

These bylaws may be amended by consensus of Faculty Leadership in consultation with the Trainee Director(s). Proposed amendments shall be circulated to all Active Members no fewer than seven days prior to adoption. Amendments take effect upon Faculty Leadership approval.

8.2 — Annual Review

These bylaws shall be reviewed annually at the beginning of each academic year to ensure continued relevance and alignment with Lab activities, institutional policies, and journal authorship standards.