Student Research

Welcome to the Student Research section at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU). Here, we empower our students to push the boundaries of medical and health science through rigorous research opportunities. Our program is designed to foster a deep understanding of health disparities and to develop solutions that advance health equity. Students at CDU engage in a wide range of research projects under the guidance of our distinguished faculty, exploring critical issues in areas like epidemiology, community health, and clinical innovation.

Student Opportunities to Advance Research (SOAR) 

UHI Director: Caroline Farodolu

Contact: carolinefarodolu@cdrewu.edu 

SOAR Application: https://forms.office.com/r/bMdpexttc0

Program Description:
The SOAR program is a team-based student research training program in 5 key research areas: (1) Cancer, (2) Cardio-metabolic, (3) HIV/AIDS, (4) Mental Health, and (5) Health Policy. Focusing on addressing health disparities to achieve health equity, the program is an interdisciplinary research training that encourages the formation of collaborative teams (2-3 students per team) to conduct integrated, translational, cross disciplinary and inter-professional research. 

The Engaging Students in Aging Research (ESAR) Program

Program Director: Dulcie Kermah, Ed.D, MPH

Contact: dulciekermah@cdrewu.edu 

Program Description:
The Engaging Students in Aging Research (ESAR) program is an exciting PAID opportunity for Community College students to participate in an eight-week summer research program and a year-long continuum at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU). The goal of ESAR is to provide first-year underrepresented racial/ethnic Minority (URM) community college students such as African American, Latino(a), Native American, Pacific Islander, disabled, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students with hands-on exposure and training in scientific research aligned with the scientific mission of the National Institute of Aging. The program will also provide community college students with workshops, near-peer mentoring, and skills to enable them to successfully apply to a 4-year college or university and subsequently be prepared to pursue a health profession or scientific research career.

Project STRIDE (High School Students)

Program Director: Mrs. Dolores Caffey-Fleming, MS, MPH

Contact: deefleming@cdrewu.edu 

In response to the critical shortage of minorities in biomedical research and the health professions, the overarching goal of Project STRIDE is to increase the number of underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students in the pipeline who are committed to research careers in the health sciences. Improving the nation’s number of minority clinicians and researchers is a crucial component to eliminating health disparities, especially given that minority researchers and physicians are more likely to work in minority communities than their nonminority counterparts. STRIDE aims to increase the diversity and quality of the research workforce specifically in regard to the ongoing nationwide effort to better understand the complex health-related needs of low-income, medically underserved populations and thereby, ultimately, reducing disparities in health care accessibility, quality and outcomes. 

ExStRM (High School Students)

Program Director: Mrs. Dolores Caffey-Fleming, MS, MPH

Contact: deefleming@cdrewu.edu

The Exposing Students to Regenerative Medicine (ExStRM) Program engages qualified high school students in meaningful, world-class regenerative medicine research. The ExStRM Program aims to increase the diversity and quality of the research workforce specifically in regard to the ongoing nationwide effort to better understand the complex health-related regenerative medicine needs of low-income, medically underserved populations and thereby, ultimately, to reduce disparities in health care accessibility, quality, and outcomes.

The ExStRM Program will also provide an in-depth health science immersion experience to underrepresented high school students predominantly from high schools in the South Los Angeles community.

Undergraduate Cancer Research Training Program (UCRTP) 

Director: Dr. Jay Vadgama 

Program Coordinator: Jacob De La Torre

Contact: cancerresearch@cdrewu.edu

The Education and Training Program under the umbrella of the CDU/UCLA Cancer Center Partnership is dedicated to training undergraduate, graduate and medical students, as well as fellows, and early stage investigators to cancer research training, encourage them to pursue or advance their careers in this area, and implement a formalized mentorship program, whereby junior research investigators are counseled and mentored through their career development. The Division of Cancer Research and Training which houses the CDU Partner of the CDU/UCLA Cancer Center has to date, under the lead of Dr. Jay Vadgama, participated in the training of over 50 postdoctoral fellows, 13 clinical residents, 20 graduate and medical students, more than 120 undergraduate students across the nation and several high school students. Many of the students are on a positive trajectory to further their careers. For example, several of the undergraduate trainees have successfully matriculated into graduate or medical school and several post-doctoral fellows have received faculty appointments as Early-Stage Investigators.

The summer UCRTP program is 8 to 12 weeks full-time experience for 10-12 outstanding underrepresented undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing careers in biomedical sciences and have an interest in health disparities. Trainees accepted into the program are matched with a faculty mentor at CDU or UCLA and will participate in research with a hypothesis-driven cancer health disparities question. In addition to hands-on research training, students will participant in weekly Cancer Journal Club at CDU, which is a CME- accredited series dedicated to cancer health disparities research in the basic, clinical and community sciences. Trainees will receive instruction from their mentors and the UCRTP regarding careers in biomedical sciences and careers serving the underserved. Additional training will include development and preparation of a research thesis, and formal presentations at lab meetings, and the Cancer Journal Club at CDU.

The goal of the UCRTP is to ensure that each undergraduate student acquires the knowledge, skills and attitudes to become a proficient researcher in cancer health disparities. On completion of the program, each undergraduate trainee will have developed a research paper based on the findings of the ancillary project to be given to his or her lead mentor for evaluation and feedback. Students will then present their findings before a local or national conference, to be determined by the student’s lead mentor.

TO APPLY:
Please use the online application form available at: Application