The purpose of this project is to attract high school students into research careers in the biomedical sciences. The core site will be research laboratories in the University of Maryland Dental School, including the areas of Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Oral Medicine, Orthodontics and General Dentistry. The one-on-one faculty-student relationship is the core of this project. Hands-on involvement in funded projects will ensure the development of students into independent thinkers and workers. Other activities include field trips to local research institutions, seminar courses designed for the high school students, written assignments and oral presentations. There will be three weekly seminar courses: one on general research topics such as bioethics, laboratory safety, experimental design, and laboratory animals; one on biomedical careers; and one on recent scientific advances. Procedures are in place for recruitment of disadvantaged students and for matching them with their mentors. The program also includes the training of teachers so that they can, in turn, inspire their students. There is strong commitment to this project from the administration of the dental school and campus, which houses six health professional schools.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter