NIDDK Research Opportunities

Dan Lackland, Ph.D.
lackland@musc.edu

This program supports short-term research projects for medical students in areas that fall within the broad areas, such as diabetes, metabolic diseases, endocrine disorders, as well as the basic biology and pathophysiology of kidney, digestive, urologic and hematologic diseases. The program provides a 10-12 week research project, under the supervision of an established investigator, accompanied by a set of structured enrichment activities. The strengths of the program include the expertise of the mentors, basic and clinical scientists working side-by side, a vast array of technology and clinically relevant disease models for studying molecular events involved in disease processes, ability for students to ask significant questions about these events, and experience with and commitment to research training from bench to bedside. Students will benefit from understanding the critical issues pertinent to preclinical drug development and implementation of new diagnostics and therapies. The Program Faculty come from five broad areas: Diabetes and Complications; Renal, Vascular and Hepato-Pathophysiology; Signal Transduction and Human Disease; Health Disparities and Gender Differences; New Technologies and Human Disease Research. All students are required to participate in a class entitled Responsible Conduct of Research, given the first week of the program, and in a course introducing them to clinical research. Students are expected to present their research results at the end of their research (FLEX Fair) and again in either poster or oral format at the annual Perry V Halushka MUSC Research Day in November. Research electives in the medical school curriculum are available for students who wish to take advantage of this program during the FLEX Phase or in their fourth year of study.