STaRS Scholars Present at 2024 GMS Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
The 2024 Summer Training as Research Scholars (STaRS) cohort concluded their 10-week internships at the Graduate Medical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, held in Hiebert Lounge on Aug. 6.
The symposium began with oral research presentations by the STaRS scholars, followed by an afternoon poster session that included STaRS and research volunteer students.
The 2024 STaRS Scholars are:
| Danesha Derima (University of the Virgin Islands) | Katherine Lopez (Williams College) |
| Anya Ganesh (McGill University) | Joaquin Martinez (Boston University) |
| James Gonzalez Inocente (Boston University) | Jenny Medina (University of California, Irvine) |
| Caslie Jean-Francois (The College of New Jersey) | Nicolás Santamaría Hopkins (Wheaton College, Massachusetts) |
| Ivy Lin (Boston University) | Joseph Vann (Bates College) |
This year’s presenting volunteer high school student was Veronica S., mentored by Gareth Morgan, PhD.
The faculty mentors for this year’s STaRS scholars were:
| Rahm Gummuluru, PhD | Dennis Jones, PhD |
| Maria Medalla, PhD | Francesca Seta, PhD |
| Jay Mizgerd, PhD | Gareth Morgan, PhD |
| Jean-Pierre Roussarie, PhD | Weining Lu, MD |
| Andrew Wilson, MD | Karin Schon, PhD |
The STaRS program is an on-site summer research experience for undergraduates and first-year Boston University medical students. STaRS offers motivated and academically talented students the opportunity to participate in research and to enhance the skills required for successful entrance and completion of a graduate program or an MD/PhD program.
The program was founded in 2010 to promote equitable access to graduate research and education for students historically underrepresented in science and medicine. Since its founding, the program has graduated 155
undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to pursue advanced studies in the biomedical sciences. Several STaRS alumni have since returned to BU as graduate students.
Over the course of the 10-week program, STaRS scholars participate in faculty-mentored research informed by the scholars’ personal research interests. The scholars execute independent projects, participate in seminars on career development, research competencies and graduate school applications and receive training on critical scientific communication skills.
“We are proud of our 2024 STaRS scholars for both a summer of successful research and their symposium presentations,” said STaRS Program Director Isabel Dominguez, PhD. “Thank you to all at GMS and BU – faculty and laboratory mentors, staff, and personnel – and professionals outside of BU for your ongoing commitment to supporting our STaRS scholars. We look forward to seeing these scholars continue to enhance their research competencies in pursuit of a career in biomedical sciences.”
Learn more about the STaRS program and previous research here. If you are interested in participating in the STaRS program or advising the next cohort of STaRS scholars, please contact Dr. Dominguez at starsgms@bu.edu.
