University of Pittsburgh: Short-Term Educational Experiences for Research (PITT-S

描述（由申请人提供） 匹兹堡大学环境健康科学短期教育体验研究（PITT-STEER）的总体目标是鼓励学生进入生物医学研究和环境健康科学的职业生涯。 PITT-STEER将重点关注呼吸生物学，金属毒理学，健康差异和环境健康科学的其他当代方面。在为期10周的课程中，学生将在研究生院公共卫生（GSPH）的环境与职业健康（EOH）和行为社区健康科学（BCHS）教师的指导下在这些领域进行原创研究。 学生将使用最先进的技术解决生物医学科学前沿的问题。学生还将参加一系列专门的讲座，并参加基于问题的学习，介绍环境健康科学和毒理学的基本原理。 此外，他们将参加研讨会计划，旨在进一步了解科学过程和批判性分析，以及生物医学研究中的职业道路研讨会论坛。长期目标是促进对新研究人员的科学培训，利用跨学科方法解决环境卫生科学中的重大研究问题。 未来的学生将从匹兹堡公立学校系统的新兴初中和高中学生的候选人中选出。在一个单独的研究项目（2010年健康班）中，GSPH的少数民族健康中心与匹兹堡的9所公立高中建立了牢固的互动关系。每年夏天将由行政委员会根据高中成绩单，个人陈述和推荐信选出六名学生。匹兹堡公立学校系统有显著的代表性不足的少数民族（70%）和弱势青年代表促进多样性招聘的目标。将提供机会，参加第二个夏季的经验，为优秀学生在自己的大学本科经验。 NIEHS和NIH-HLBI资助的核心，经验丰富的研究人员已被选为导师。 辅助活动将包括实验室安全和科学道德。 在节目结束时，每个学生将在参加学生和导师的座谈会上介绍他/她的工作成果。 所有成功完成课程的学生将获得证书。 纵向随访将监测研究生培训和职业选择由学生参与者在这个程序中，并将进入代表性不足的少数民族生物医学研究生谁没有参加PITT-STEER或类似的程序进行比较。这种跟踪将提供对方案实现其目标的能力的评估。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) The overall goal of the University of Pittsburgh Short-Term Educational Experience for Research (PITT-STEER) in the Environmental Health Sciences for High School and Undergraduate Students is to encourage entry of students into careers in biomedical research and environmental health sciences. The PITT-STEER will exploit a mentored focus on respiratory biology, metal toxicology, health disparities and other contemporary aspects of environmental health science. During the 10-week program, students will conduct original research in these areas under the mentored supervision of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) and Behavioral Community Health Sciences (BCHS) faculty in the Graduate School Public Health (GSPH). Students will work on problems at the frontier of biomedical science using state-of-the art techniques. Students will also follow a dedicated series of lectures and participate in problem based learning to introduce basic fundamentals of environmental health science and toxicology. Additionally, they will participate in a seminar program designed to further their understanding of the scientific process and critical analysis, and workshop forums on career paths within biomedical research. The long-term goal is to promote scientific training of new investigators that exploits interdisciplinary approaches to address significant research problems in environmental health science. Prospective students will be selected from a large and outstanding pool of candidates of emerging junior and senior high school students in the Pittsburgh Public School system. Access to this group of students will be facilitated by ongoing efforts in a separate research project (Healthy Class of 2010) in which the Center of Minority Health in the GSPH has established firm interactive ties with the 9 public high schools in Pittsburgh. Six students per summer will be selected by an administrative committee based on high school transcripts, personal statement and letters of recommendation. The Pittsburgh Public School system has significant underrepresented minority (70%) and disadvantaged youth representation facilitating goals of diversity recruitment. Opportunities will be provided to participate in a second summer experience for outstanding students during their own college undergraduate experience. A core of NIEHS and NIH-HLBI funded, experienced investigators has been chosen as mentors. Ancillary activities will include laboratory safety and scientific ethics. At the end of the program, each student will present the results of his/her work at a colloquium of participating students and mentors. A certificate will be awarded to all students successfully completing the program. Longitudinal follow-up will monitor graduate training and career choices elected by student participants in this program and will be compared with that of entering underrepresented minority biomedical graduate students who did not participate in the PITT-STEER or similar programs. This tracking will provide an assessment of the ability of the program to achieve its goals.