USF Health Expanding Research in AD/ADRD Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program

The USF Health Expanding Research in AD/ADRD (ERA) PREP is committed to developing a cohort of postbaccalaureate students with limited research experience to foster their transition to AD/ADRD research-focused doctoral programs to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD degree. The USF academic community, notably the Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute (referred to as the Byrd Institute), is rich with many investigators focused on molecular, cellular, pathological, clinical, and regenerative aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD). This makes USF an ideal location for a PREP in AD/ADRD. The mission of the USF Health ERA PREP is to train a pool of post-bac students to enter PhD and MD/PhD programs with the goal of expanding the research workforce dedicated to prevention, treatment, and cure of AD/ADRD. This team will be led by Prof. Paula C. Bickford and Prof. Gopal Thinakaran (CEO of the Byrd Institute). Drs. Bickford and Thinakaran have a long track record of excellence in research and a commitment to successfully mentor young researchers into successful scientific careers. We have selected 12 faculty mentors as program faculty for our ADRD PREP application. Many of us have mentored “gap” year students in our labs on AD/ADRD research who have successfully transitioned to advanced degree programs. This formal PREP program will enhance the ability to attract and train a pool of post-bac scholars interested in AD/ADRD. We are committed to recruiting a pool of recent baccalaureate graduates who have not previously had the opportunity to participate in medical research and will provide them with mentors and strong research training. USF has a strong track record of recruiting a pool of undergraduate and graduate students. The PREP program will entail intensive exposure to hypothesis-driven research experience with an established mentor with a funded research program in AD/ADRD. This mentored research will accelerate training and enhance the number of highly skilled researchers dedicated to AD/ADRD research. The program will help PREP scholars develop a research project, hone critical thinking skills, learn experimental techniques, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the results, and brainstorm each other’s research projects with the program faculty. We will offer workshops on how to thrive and establish skills for long-term career success, including aspects of professional development. Monthly social gatherings and workshops will foster engagement and engender a strong community of scholars to thrive.