BRITE Veterinary Student Program

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The faculty and administration at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine (KSU-CVM) are dedicated to training veterinary students in comparative biomedical research. We believe that the future of the veterinary profession depends on our ability to provide the veterinary students who exhibit research potential with accelerated, integrated and subsidized research training opportunities. To this end, the Basic Research Immersion Training Experience (BRITE) veterinary student program is designed as an intensive research oriented experience directed towards attracting talented professional students into biomedical research careers. Through mentored research experiences, the BRITE program exposes trainees to the methodologies associated with hypothesis formation, experimental design, data acquisition and analysis and reporting of research results. In addition, BRITE students receive formal training in the responsible conduct of research. Most importantly, the BRITE program provides veterinary students interested in research careers with a flexible, integrated opportunity to either earn a Masters degree or "jump-start" a combined DVM/PhD program. The BRITE program faculty is comprised of established, productive senior investigators and well-trained motivated mid-career and junior faculty. These scientists have active laboratories, a strong history of collaboration, and wide-ranging scientific and technical expertise. The pool of potential mentors includes faculty members with primary academic appointments in 7 departments/units at Kansas State University, and research emphasizing three areas: comparative medicine; epithelial health and disease; and the host-pathogen-environment interface. BRITE students are able to investigate problems relevant to human health at the molecular, cellular, organismal and systems levels. BRITE alumni are expected to pursue career paths that combine veterinary medicine with comparative biomedical research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): There is a critical national need for veterinarians engaged in biomedical research to promote the public health. The proposed training program will encourage veterinary students to pursue this career path.