REU Site: Cellular Bioengineering: From Biomaterials to Stem Cells

Rutgers University-New Brunswick的REU站点：细胞生物工程：从生物材料到干细胞，为不同的本科生提供独特的机会，在细胞生物工程领域进行尖端的跨学科研究，并加深对研究生水平研究的理解，以加速他们作为研究科学家和工程师的发展。该项目包括战略性和有影响力的正式规划、积极的指导、合作以及对学生经历的仔细监控。该网站包括一个细胞生物工程训练营，向学者介绍实验室和成像技能，加速他们融入研究实验室。令人兴奋的研究项目，在很大程度上依赖于跨学科的合作，介绍学者到广泛的主题接地在细胞生物工程。对创新和企业家精神的关注与美国国家科学基金会I-Corps的转化研究计划相一致，以利用研究中产生的新技术的潜力。一个可选的为期一天的临床沉浸让学生与临床医生接触，亲身体验当前的设备和技术。此外，该网站还将重点放在健康差异上，通过提高我们的学者对生物医学研究和最终治疗对不同美国社区（包括许多学者所属的社区）的不同影响的认识，增强队列综合多样性的影响。每周的研讨会和讨论小组可以跟踪和监测学者的经历，同时培养沟通技巧、职业目标和其他专业技能。Rutgers University-New Brunswick的REU站点：细胞生物工程：从生物材料到干细胞，为不同的本科生提供了在细胞生物工程领域进行尖端跨学科研究的机会。REU网站的重点是招收传统上没有这些研究机会的学生，包括代表性不足的少数民族、女性、家庭中第一代上大学的学生，以及上小型学校的学生，这些学校没有广泛的研究企业。REU网站为这些学生提供了沉浸式的、为期10周的研究体验。学生的研究项目领域包括工程细胞疗法、药物输送、再生医学、细胞成像和系统生物学。在这些领域，学生运用工程原理和解决问题的技能来促进科学的进步，了解细胞如何相互沟通以执行生物和生理功能的基本要素，并通过设计和开发方法在受伤和疾病的情况下恢复这些功能来促进国民健康。与此同时，学生们还参加每周一次的专业发展研讨会和讲习班，这些研讨会和讲习班是在研究活动的基础上进行的。这些活动促进对研究项目的深刻理解，强调研究不仅仅是学生在实验室里做的事情，还包括学生试图解决的大问题是什么，为什么解决这个问题很重要，以及研究如何以新的和创新的方式解决这个问题。学生们通过准备模拟奖学金和个人陈述，以及通过海报和演讲口头交流他们的研究成果。REU计划为学生在国家会议上发表这些演讲提供财政支持。为了扩大学生对研究重要性的认识和观点，他们完成了创新与创业和健康差距的练习。创新与创业的练习使学生了解他们在细胞生物工程方面的暑期研究如何转化为新产品和新技术，以及如何识别需求和机会，这些需求和机会可以通过新的研究和技术来解决，并以模拟商业宣传为高潮。健康差异的练习旨在激励学生认识到生物医学研究和最终治疗对不同美国社区的不同影响，包括我们的暑期学生所属的许多社区。所有这些练习都是为了让学生在交流他们的研究时考虑不同的受众和利益相关者，这大大提高了他们对工作的理解，并激励他们为未来的研究和技术发现新的机遇和挑战。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The REU Site: Cellular Bioengineering: From Biomaterials to Stem Cells at Rutgers University-New Brunswick provides unique opportunities to a diverse population of undergraduate students to perform cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research in the field of Cellular Bioengineering and develop a deeper understanding of graduate level research to accelerate their development as research scientists and engineers. The program includes strategic and impactful formal programming, active mentoring, collaboration, and careful monitoring of the student experience. The site includes a Cellular Bioengineering Boot Camp which introduces Scholars to laboratory and imaging skills that accelerate their integration into their research labs. Exciting research projects that rely heavily on interdisciplinary collaboration introduce the Scholars to a broad array of topics grounded in Cellular Bioengineering. A focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship parallels the NSF I-Corps initiative for translational research to capitalize on the potential for new technology that emanates from the research. An optional day-long clinical immersion allows the students to engage with clinicians for hands-on experience with current devices and technology. Additionally, this site includes a focus on health disparities to enhance the impact of the comprehensive diversity of the cohorts by increasing our Scholars’ awareness of the disparate impact of biomedical research and eventual treatments on different US communities, including many to which the Scholars belong. Weekly seminars and discussion groups allow tracking and monitoring of the Scholars’ experiences while concurrently developing communication skills, career goals, and other professional skills.The REU Site: Cellular Bioengineering: From Biomaterials to Stem Cells at Rutgers University-New Brunswick provides opportunities to perform cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research in the field of Cellular Bioengineering to a diverse population of undergraduates. The REU site focuses on recruiting students who traditionally do not have these research opportunities, including under-represented minorities, women, students who are in the first generation in their family to attend college, and students who attend small schools that do not have extensive research enterprises. The REU site provides these students with an immersive, 10-week research experience. Student research project areas include engineering cell therapies, drug delivery, regenerative medicine, cellular imaging, and systems biology. In these areas, students apply engineering principles and problem-solving skills to promote the progress of science to understand basic elements of how cells communicate with one another to perform biological and physiological functions, and to advance national health through design and development approaches to restore these functions in cases of injury and disease. In parallel to these efforts, students participate in weekly professional development seminars and workshops that build on and complement the research activities. These activities promote a deep understanding of the research projects to emphasize that research is much more than what a student does in the laboratory, but also what the big picture problem is that the student is trying to solve, why it is important to solve that problem, and how the research is aimed at solving that problem in a new and innovative way. Students work to communicate their research in writing through preparation of mock fellowships and personal statements and orally through posters and presentations. The REU program provides financial support for the students to deliver these presentations at national meetings. To broaden the students’ appreciation and perspectives for the importance of research, they complete exercises in Innovation & Entrepreneurship and in Health Disparities. The exercises in Innovation & Entrepreneurship enable students to understand how their summer research in cellular bioengineering can be translated to new products and technology and how to identify needs an opportunities that can be addressed by new research and technology and culminate with a mock business pitch. The exercises in Health Disparities aim to inspire students to recognize the disparate impact of biomedical research and eventual treatments on different US communities, including many to which our summer students belong. All of these exercises are designed for students to consider different audiences and stakeholders when communicating their research, which significantly enhances their understanding of the work and stimulates them to identify new opportunities and challenges for future research and technology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.