Increasing Diversity in Hematology: Training for Underrepresented Students

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Project Summary/Abstract There are few women and underrepresented minorities (URM) entering into the fields of hematology and pediatrics as well as positions of leadership. It is critical that more underrepresented hematology researchers are trained to better understand, identify, and reduce health disparities in the field and study diseases that are relevant to underrepresented communities, such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia, to improve outcomes. We have developed an innovative, multidisciplinary training program in nonmalignant hematology with faculty mentors who have unique expertise and experience training students. The goal of this R25 application, “Increasing Diversity in Hematology: Training for Underrepresented students,” is to recruit underrepresented high school graduates and local community college students to Stanford University to 1) obtain an introduction to clinical aspects of nonmalignant hematology; 2) participate in didactic lectures and laboratory experience in hematology research, 3) be exposed to ethics in research; and 4) explore career development options. Given the declining number of underrepresented translational and basic researchers in hematology, a training program in hematology will be critical to fill the pipeline and ultimately increase the number of underrepresented leaders in hematology. In this application, we seek funding for 5 recent underrepresented high school graduates and 5 underrepresented community college students each year to spend 8-weeks during the summer with faculty who have expertise in mentoring underrepresented students. Students will have the opportunity to perform research in one of the 30 expert faculty mentors’ laboratories. Trainees will be selected from a pool of >200 eligible high school graduates from cities throughout the country and >1400 students from 26 local community colleges surrounding Stanford University. The funding will support the students’ salaries and living expenses. The students will participate in a curriculum consisting of lectures, workshops, and research seminars. Lectures will focus on introduction to hematology and various research techniques. Career development workshops for trainees include writing scientific abstracts, giving presentations, ethics, and preparing posters. Students will also receive “hands on” experience with appropriately matched mentors and their trainees, e.g. postdoctoral fellows, based on the students’ interests. There will be a poster symposium at the end of the program. The Program Directors and Internal Advisory Committee will evaluate the program annually. The External Advisory Committee will review the R25 program every year and meet with the Program Directors, Internal Advisory Committee members, and students. The R25 program will be evaluated by the student participants every year. We will utilize the strengths of Stanford University to recruit underrepresented students to the hematology, including the breadth and depth of investigators across many disciplines, to train future leaders in the hematology.