The 2001 Travelers Summer Research Fellows at Weill Medical College.
Every summer, Weill Cornell sponsors three enrichment programs for exceptional college students from underrepresented groups who are interested in pursuing careers in medicine or the biomedical sciences, or both. The programs were established with the ultimate goal to help increase the number of underrepresented students (African-Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Mexican Americans and Puerto Rican mainlanders) matriculating not only at Weill Cornell, but also at other medical and graduate schools of biomedical sciences in the U.S.
This summer, a total of 47 college students participated in the programs at Weill Cornell: 25 students in the Medical College's Travelers Research Fellowship Program; 8 students in the Graduate School of Medical Sciences Avon Summer Research Program; and 14 students in the Gateways to the Laboratory Program sponsored by the Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, which is conducted jointly by Weill Cornell, The Rockefeller University, and the Sloan-Kettering Institute.
In addition to working in laboratories, students in the summer programs attend weekly seminars, conduct hospital rounds, and participate in journal clubs and career development seminars. Students undertake a specific research problem under the supervision of a faculty sponsor, and at the end of the program, give oral presentations on their research results. Many of the students also gain experience with presenting poster exhibits about their projects. There are also a series of lectures about various medical specialties, which enables students to hear from physicians who address issues of concern affecting different communities.
Students also receive counseling on financial planning for medical school and how to examine the financial aid package. These programs all provide undergraduate students with the resources needed to test and develop their interest in pursuing studies leading to the M.D. or Ph.D. degrees, or both.
Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program
The oldest summer enrichment program is the Medical College's Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program, which was started in 1969 with 10 students. This program gives talented college students an in-depth experience in the laboratory. This year, 25 students out of 176 applicants from various colleges and universities participated in the program, which is directed by Dr. Bruce Ballard, associate dean for student affairs and equal opportunity programs and associate professor of clinical psychiatry.
Major funding to support the program comes from the Travelers Foundation. (For more information on the Travelers summer program, go to www.med.cornell.edu/education/programs.)
Participants in the 2001 Avon Foundation Summer Research Program.
Avon Foundation Summer Research Program
The Avon Foundation Summer Research Program, sponsored by Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, aims to awaken and foster an interest in biomedical research and education for gifted students who are interested in earning a Ph.D. degree and who have excelled in their freshmen, sophomore or junior year in college. Out of the 152 applicants who applied this year, eight students were chosen to participate.
Major funding to support the program comes from the Avon Foundation. (For more information on the Avon summer program, go to www.med.cornell.edu/education/programs.)
Gateways to the Laboratory Program
Gateways to the Laboratory Program, sponsored by the Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, is for outstanding freshman or sophomore students who are interested in the biomedical sciences. Since its inception, the Gateways program has grown each year, from four students in 1993 to 14 students in 2001. This year, there were a total of 113 applicants.
During the 10-week program, Gateways students are exposed to research laboratories and clinical settings at Weill Medical College, The Rockefeller University, or the Sloan-Kettering Institute.
This year, Gateways received special support for traveling expenses from Nancy Gerhardt of Allegro Travel; Rockefeller University President Arnold Levine and his wife; The Medtronic Foundation; and The Rockefeller University Women & Science Fellowship Program. Anita Gotto and Dr. Antonio Gotto, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of the Medical College, spearheaded efforts to obtain travel assistance for family members in the Gateways program. Drs. Olaf Andersen and Thomas Sakmar, and other faculty members also helped by donating their frequent-flyer miles and giving monetary gifts to help bring parents to New York City for their children's final presentations.
Each year, Gateways students are encouraged to submit an abstract of their research project for the national conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and Weill Cornell pays their conference registration fee. All 13 Gateways students who submitted their abstracts this year were chosen to give a poster presentation at the next conference in Arizona. Through the generous support of individuals and corporate foundations, all of the students received a full travel award, including hotel and air accommodations.
In addition to giving oral presentations, Gateways students prepared poster exhibits on their research projects.
(For more information on the Gateways summer program, go to www.med.cornell.edu/education/programs.)
Faculty Sponsors: Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program
Carla Boutin-Foster, instructor in medicine
Answorth Allen, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery
Lynda Pierini, assistant professor of biochemistry
Alfred Krauss, associate professor of pediatrics, associate professor of pediatrics in physiology and biophysics
Yi Wang, associate professor of physics in radiology
William Apfeldorf, assistant professor of psychiatry
Susanna Cunningham-Rundles, associate research professor of immunology in pediatrics
Brij Saxena, professor of endocrinology in obstetrics and gynecology
Cynthia Pfeffer, professor of psychiatry
Noel Maclaren, professor of pediatrics
Barry Jordan, adjunct clinical assistant professor of neurology
Animesh Sinha, assistant professor of dermatology
David Silbersweig, assistant professor of psychiatry, assistant professor of neurology and neuroscience
Lloyd Gayle, associate professor of clinical surgery (plastic surgery)
Yuan-Shan Zhu, assistant professor of medicine
Mary Kreek, adjunct associate professor of medicine, adjunct associate professor of public health
Carol Mancuso, assistant professor of medicine
Adele Boskey, professor of biochemistry
John Daly, chairman of surgery
Thomas Templeton, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology
Margaret Altemus, assistant professor of psychiatry
George Sgouros, associate professor of physics in radiology
Steven Witkin, professor of immunology in obstetrics and gynecology
Medical Student Program Assistants
John Borrego
Damilola Ogunnaike
Jenice Forde
Melanie Wilson
Tawana Winkfield
Faculty Sponsors: Avon Foundation Summer Research Program
Rosemary Kramer, assistant professor of pathology
Roberto Levi, professor of pharmacology
Xiaojing Ma, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology
Barbara Hempstead, associate professor of medicine
Teresa Milner, research professor of neuroscience
Enrique Rodriguez-Boulan, Jules and Doris Stein Professor of Cell Biology in Ophthalmology (Rockefeller University)
Ulrich Hammerling, professor of immunology
Charles Inturrisi, professor of pharmacology
Faculty Sponsors: Gateways to the Laboratory
Olaf Andersen, professor of physiology and biophysics
Adele Boskey, professor of biochemistry
Mary Crow, professor of medicine
Jay Edelberg, assistant professor of medicine
Joy Hirsch, professor of neuroscience
Pamela Meluh, assistant professor of molecular biology
Lee Niswander, Howard Hughes Medical Institute associate investigator, associate professor of molecular biology
Lawrence Palmer, professor of physiology and biophysics
Donald Pfaff, professor (Rockefeller University)
Michael Posner, Sackler Professor of Developmental Psychology, professor of psychology in psychiatry
Roy Silverstein, Mark W. Pasmantier Professor of Hematology and Oncology in Medicine
Markus Stoffel, Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Professor (Rockefeller University)
Michael Young, professor (Rockefeller University)
MD-PhD students who served as big brothers and big sisters for Gateways
Joseph Amprey
Scott Avecilla
Leslie Castelo-Soccio
Makota Ishii
Meghan Kirksey
Abner Louissant Jr.
Joseph Mancias
John Markley
Jennifer Nunez
Kenolisa Onwueme
Daniel Rosell
Christopher Tinkle