Research news
Do You Need Biostatistics Help?
Do you have a question related to biostatistics or data analysis? The Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design Program (of CTSI) and the Data Science Core (DSC) have established biostats consulting sessions for medical students. Please discuss with your research mentor before sharing project information, and after the initial consultation, your mentor can discuss establishing additional analysis and project support.
- Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design Program
Connect with Dr. Cabral and Dr. Weinberg, esteemed faculty in the Dept of Biostatistics, for personalized consulting sessions tailored to your needs. Request an individual session or drop into a virtual consultation every Tuesday, 12-1 PM. - Data Science Core
Faculty members of the Data Science Core (Chao Zhang, PhD; Ignaty Leshchiner, PhD; and Jinying Chen, PhD) are available for initial biostatistics consultations. See website for individual areas of expertise and contact info.
Introduction to Research Information
Slides from the Introduction to Research meeting on September 26th.
Meet with Wilkins Visiting Professor for Evans Day
Dr. Barbara Kahn, the Wilkins Visiting Professor for Evans Day on October 19th, will meet informally with students and postdocs at 4:00 pm in the Keefer Auditorium after her lecture on “A Novel Class of Signaling Lipids with Anti-inflammatory and Anti-diabetic Effects.”
Students and Fellows can RSVP via this registration link.
Cancer Care Delivery and Outcomes Research Fellowship
A Program for Medical Students from Backgrounds Traditionally Underrepresented in Medicine
Goal: To provide opportunity for intensive training in cancer population science for medical students who are from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in medicine.
Program: The Fellowship will provide a one-year mentored training experience in research focused on cancer care delivery and outcomes. We specifically seek applicants who are from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in medicine (URiM) in order to enhance diversity within the field and bring needed voices into population sciences research.
Students will spend one year (July 2024-June 2025) conducting mentored research within the Division of Population Sciences at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, Massachusetts, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. Examples of potential areas of focus include cancer care quality, cancer care delivery, health communication, health equity, informatics, ethics, supportive care interventions, and palliative care, among other areas of interest of faculty. The year will start with the 7-week Program in Clinical Effectiveness at the Harvard School of Public Health in July and August, coursework that will help provide the student with a background in research methods. The student will then continue the program of research at DFCI. Based on interests identified at the time of application, the student will be guided toward an appropriate mentor who will provide research oversight and supervision. The mentor will work closely with the student to develop a research question and plan, to assist the student in carrying out the research project, and to facilitate dissemination of research findings through talks and publications upon completion. The goal will be for the student to complete a research project over the course of the year and gain experience in academic oncology as a career path.
An additional career mentor will be assigned to meet with the student regularly to provide academic and career guidance and to foster connections with others in the field.
The student will receive salary support as well as tuition for the Program in Clinical Effectiveness and a stipend for research costs. The student will have designated workspace within the Division and access to a computer.
We encourage students from medical schools across the US to apply.
Faculty Director: Jennifer Mack, MD MPH, Director of the Center for Outcomes and Policy Research and Associate Chief of the Division of Population Sciences, DFCI
Application Process: Interested students should send the following to Nicole Santangelo (Nicole_santangelo@dfci.harvard.edu) by November 14, 2023:
- A completed application
- A personal statement describing background and motivation to pursue the fellowship program (up to one page)
- A statement summarizing an interesting question in cancer care delivery and outcomes research and possible ways to answer it through research (up to ½ page)
- A medical school transcript
- Curriculum vitae
- A letter of recommendation
Note: The National Institutes of Health considers the following groups to be underrepresented in biomedical research:
- Individuals from racial and ethnic groups such as Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders
- Individuals with disabilities
- Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds
- Women from the above backgrounds
Questions can be directed to: nicole_santangelo@dfci.harvard.edu
Medical Scholars Research Fellowship (MSRF)
The Physician-Scientist Support Foundation (PSSF) Medical Scholars Research Fellowship (MSRF) provides research opportunities and mentoring to students who aspire to become physician-scientists and are dedicated to making fundamental discoveries that improve health. The MSRF is a key component of PSSF’s mission to revitalize, grow and support the career pathway for physician-scientists. The fellowship supports one year of mentored, rigorous research training in fundamental biomedical research. All applicants must be nominated by the medical school dean. The medical school dean can nominate only one applicant in any competition year.
STIPEND AND ALLOWANCES: For the 2024 fellowship year, the total amount awarded to each Medical Student Fellow is $50,000. The annual stipend is $42,000. In addition to the stipend, the award includes an allowance of $8,000 for health insurance and travel expenses.
ELIGIBILITY: The MSRF is open to United States citizens and U.S. permanent residents only. Prior research experience is not required. Single-degree medical students interested in a dual career in research and patient care are eligible. Members of minority groups underrepresented in medicine and science are particularly encouraged to apply.
Applicants are responsible for selecting a research mentor at any academic or nonprofit research institution in the United States, except for a government laboratory. Research proposal preparation is a key component of the application process.
INTERNAL REVIEW PROCESS: Interested medical students should submit the following materials listed below via InfoReady Review by Monday, October 16, 2023 at 12 noon.
- Questions outlined in InfoReady Review application
- A brief statement (< 1 page single space) by the medical student describing their planned research. Citations can be on second page
- One-page personal statement by medical student explaining how the proposed experience will contribute to their future career, and what they want to achieve with an extra year in medical school for research
- Updated CV or Biosketch. The research statement, personal statement, and CV should be assembled into a single PDF for submission
- Letter of support submitted directly from the research mentor (not by the student)
A faculty committee will review proposals and select a nominee.
Due Dates:
- Internal due date for student’s documents: Monday, October 16, 2023 at 12 noon
- Mentor's letter of support: Monday, October 30, 2023 at 12noon
- Sponsor's due date: Thursday, January 11, 2024
If you have any questions about the application process or the program please contact:
Matthew Layne, PhD
Assistant Dean for Research
mlayne@bu.edu
New Publications—Pediatric provider burnout
Congratulations to Cameron Hill (M2) and co-authors for publishing a new study: "Pediatric Provider and Staff Burnout in Federally Qualified Community Health Centers", in the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. This study provides important insights into the factors that contribute to burnout among pediatric providers and staff in Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs). These findings encourage healthcare organizations to further implement actionable change to address burnout in their workforce.
Student Presentation – “American College of Physicians (ACP) National Abstract Competition”
Congratulations to Vikram Daesety (Medical Student Class of 2025) who recently participated in the American College of Physicians (ACP) National Abstract Competition and was selected as a Poster Finalist. His research was performed in Dr. Andrew Wilson's lab in the Center for Regenerative Medicine. The poster was entitled "Building a Lentivirus-Based Luciferase Reporter to Measure Wnt Signaling" and was presented at the ACP National Meeting held on April 27-29, 2023 in San Diego, California. Congratulations Vikram!
New Publications – “Glaucoma and Systemic Disease”
We are pleased to announce the research study "Glaucoma and Systemic Disease" by medical student Eugene Hsu that was published in Life as part of the Special Issue Eye Manifestations of Systemic Disease.
Abstract: "Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world, making it imperative that providers in multidisciplinary healthcare teams understand how systemic conditions and their respective treatments can increase the risk for developing glaucoma. In this review, we discuss systemic diseases and the impact, risk, and mechanism for developing glaucoma, including pharmacologically induced, inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, infectious, dermatologic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, urologic, neurologic, psychiatric, systemic malignancies, intraocular tumors, pediatric, and genetic conditions. The goal of our discussion is to emphasize the importance of ocular examinations and follow-up with the multidisciplinary teams involved in the care of each patient to prevent unnecessary vision-loss."
Master of Science in Clinical Research
Our Mission
The Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS) Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Research program is dedicated to the discovery, development and application of knowledge as it pertains to all areas of clinical research. Our mission is to foster an engaging and effective educational environment that promotes the pursuit of outstanding teaching and learning through formal classroom and practical training. With established collaborative relationships with pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic institutions, students are provided with unique opportunities to pursue clinical research in areas that are of personal and professional interest.
Program Highlights
- The program covers all aspects of clinical research, including designing research studies, good clinical practice, actively managing patient-based research, biostatistics and data analysis, as well as regulatory and compliance issues.
- The program requires 22 credits, including a practicum and capstone project.
- Courses are offered through Graduate Medical Sciences and delivered at BU’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
- Students can choose practicum experiences (a minimum of 240 hours of hands-on, meld-based learning) from a broad range of academic and industry settings.
- Coursework emphasizes practical, applied learning. Faculty, all of whom are active practitioners in the field, share real-world case histories, and there is a significant amount of group work, modeling the collaborative nature of clinical research.
- MD/MSCR students will complete the program in one academic year, prior to the beginning of the 4th year of medical school.
- The MSCR degree is awarded by Graduate Medical Sciences at Boston University Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine.
Program Overview
- Combining medical education with training and experience in clinical research prepares clinician-researchers to improve patient health and healthcare. The dual degree program is appealing to those students who are interested in pursuing careers in areas of medicine and clinical research in either an academic environment or pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry setting.
- Graduates are well prepared to develop study protocols, work directly with subjects, interpret data and train and educate others in the field.
- Program graduates are qualified to sit for several of the clinical research certification exams offered by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) and the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA).
Curriculum
Required Courses
Course Titles |
Credits |
| Management of Clinical Trials | 4 credits |
| Biostatistics with Computing | 4 credits |
| Regulatory and Compliance Issues | 4 credits |
| Designing Clinical Research Studies | 4 credits |
| Capstone Research in Clinical Research | 2 credits |
| Seminar in Clinical Research | 2 credits |
| Practicum in Clinical Research | 2 credits |
Admissions Criteria
Applicants for admission to the MD/MS in Clinical Research should:
- Meet the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution -- an undergraduate degree with an academic background that includes science courses is recommended, with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
- Be a current medical student in good standing at the BU Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine.
The Clinical Research program no longer requires GRE or MCAT scores.
Application Deadline
Students will apply to the MD/MSCR at the beginning of their 3rd year of medical school, and will complete the MSCR between their M3 and M4.
Application Requirements
A completed application consists of the application, a personal statement, one letter of recommendation from a BU Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine faculty member, a CV/resume, and official transcripts for all colleges and universities attended.
To apply to the program, please visit the GMS website.
Contact
Janice Weinberg, ScD - janicew@bu.edu
Professor, Department of Biostatistics BU School of Public Health
Director, MS in Clinical Research, BU Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine
Stacey Hess Pino, MS, MS - sahess@bu.edu
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Sciences and Education, BU Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine
Assistant Director, MS in Clinical Research, BU Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine
Research year
We are pleased to announce the official approval of the Research Year program. This optional program is for BU medical students that want to engage in a full year of research between M2 and M3 or M3 and M4.