Biomedical Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is in response to an RFA for providing Summer Research Experiences in Biomedical Science for undergraduates from distinct, non-biological backgrounds. With the increasing need for interdisciplinary approaches to solving biological problems, it is imperative that we modify the way in which the researchers of tomorrow are trained, particularly incorporating quantitative skills to meet the demands of the new age of bioinformatics, signaling networks, and biophysics. The current program seeks to intervene during the undergraduate years to expose students, who are currently in more physical science, computer and engineering tracks, to the wealth of opportunities provided in the biomedical sciences. An integrated 10 week summer program is proposed that would provide 10 students each year with a research experience entailing a semi-independent project within the lab of their choice (selected from over 40 mentors). The research experience will be enriched through a series of short courses and seminars in current topics in the biomedical sciences (including guest speakers who will present a variety of career opportunities for quantitative biologists), field trips to local research facilities (University centers, biotech, and pharmaceutical companies, etc.), and weekly social interactions among the students. Research areas represented among the mentors range from highly biophysical approaches to structure and function of proteins and DNA, to much more direct medical approaches to research. Students in the program would be given an initial orientation to lab techniques, and to the research opportunities available prior to selection of a mentor in consultation with the steering committee (one student per lab). At the close of the program, the students will present their work at a symposium for students and mentors in the program. Recruiting will occur at a National level through extensive mailings and a user interactive web site. Emphasis will be given to surveying student opinions during the program and tracking their career choices after they leave.