Michigan Summer Undergraduate Research Experience: Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases

Abstract To improve health and quality of life for people with diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic disorders; liver and intestinal diseases; and obesity, there is tremendous need for well-trained basic and clinical researchers who further our mechanistic understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings, and who translate these findings to therapies. To that end, it is important to encourage recruitment of talent from varied scientific disciplines to these research areas. Programs linking talented undergraduate students with research training opportunities in both foundational science and clinical research will help fuel interest in scientific research and spark new careers to strengthen the scientific workforce for the decades to come. Thus, to promote and retain a steady and diverse pool of new scientists, we propose the Michigan Summer Undergraduate Research Experience: Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases (M-SURE). Our goal is to provide a meaningful undergraduate student research and mentored experience to instill appreciation and passion for discovery, and to propel trainees towards careers in biomedical research. To achieve this goal we plan to 1) recruit fourteen undergraduate trainees per year for a summer research experience with mentors from an outstanding pool of 23 faculty investigators engaged in cutting-edge basic and clinical research in diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases, 2) establish a regional and national recruiting program for recruitment of underrepresented minority trainees to enhance diversity of our M-SURE program and the pipeline for future scientists working in diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases, and 3). enhance our trainees’ experience with a weekly lecture series highlighting the physiology of diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism, how to develop a career in biomedical research, and the responsible conduct of research.