MENTORING YOUNG MINDS TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

Director: Dr. Antonio De Maio / Dr. Mark Lawson
Student Coordinator: Tam Nguyen
Communications Assistant: Barbara Rho
BMTL Director: Dr. David M. Cauvi
BMTL Instructor: Dennis Hawisher 

The program “Mentoring Young Minds to Increase Diversity in The Biomedical Research” is directed at motivating, mentoring, and training students from underrepresented minority groups, disadvantaged economic and social backgrounds, and with disabilities to pursue higher education at the level of Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences. The program is part of the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) “Initiative for Maximizing Student Development” (IMSD), founded in 2008. 

The UCSD-IMSD program is composed of two consecutive phases starting with a basic training laboratory (BMTL), where they learn the basic skills necessary to participate successfully in a research project. The BMTL experience is followed by participating in a hands-on research project under the mentorship of an internationally recognized investigator. In addition, scholars participate in academic development workshops, a short course on ethics in science, and scientific seminars and journal clubs. During the year prior to graduation, scholars are assisted by the program director in the preparation of a strong graduate school application.

Phase 1. Basic Methodology Training Laboratory (BMTL): Students with no or limited prior research experience are introduced to scientific work via fundamental experimental instruction within the BMTL (12 weeks, 8 hours per week). In this setting, students learn the essential research principles and skills (laboratory safety, basic techniques, data collection, and analysis) that will prepare them to participate in organized independent research projects.