Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (Drew) proposes to sponsor a short-term education program entitled "Drew Student Scholar Program" The program will expose three underrepresented minority high school and seven underrepresented minority undergraduate students to critical methodologies and principles of biomedical research with an emphasis on cellular and molecular biology. The student training opportunities will focus on disease areas identified by Healthy People 2010 as disproportionately prevalent among underrepresented minority communities. Specifically, the training opportunities will address NIDDK priority areas including but not limited to: 1) diabetes, nutrition, obesity, and related endocrine/metabolic disorders; and 2) kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases such as mechanisms of chronic kidney disease and prostate cancer. The training program will draw from undergraduate students attending the Drew University College of Allied Health and California State University, Dominguez Hills, as well as junior and senior high school students attending Drew's medical magnet high school. The research program will expose promising students to the above areas of biomedical research they would otherwise not likely have access to, thus encouraging them to pursue biomedical careers in these areas. Activities will include a formal 1-week research orientation, research forums, student presentations, specialized, student-specific assignments, and a yearly half-day student seminar for research presentations. The research program will complement the NIH-NIDDK National High School Student Summer Research Program at Drew, enhancing the pipeline for promising underrepresented minority students' pre- college and college experiences in the biomedical sciences. The program, to be held principally during five consecutive summers, has the following specific aims: Specific Aim 1: Implement a summer school program for ten promising underrepresented minority high school and undergraduate students that emphasizes research in the biomedical sciences. Specific Aim 2: Prepare trainees to prepare research reports for conference presentations. Specific Aim 3: Increase the number of racial/ethnic minority and/or disadvantaged high school and undergraduate students who will pursue higher education in the biomedical sciences.

R25DK067015

2003-09-30

2009-07-31