The overarching goal of this Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine collaborative program is to serve as an incubator in which students will be (a) immersed in mentored research in NIH-funded labs; (b) exposed to formal and informal mechanisms to further develop communication and quantitative skills for the successful pursuit of a doctorate in the biomedical sciences; and (c) be informed the importance of biomedical research in eliminating health disparities in minority groups. To this end, PREP students will be given full access to resources made available through Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine, the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Center for Science Education. This program will predominantly target underrepresented minority students from HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities nationwide. PREP students will engage in cutting-edge research in highly competitive laboratories of eminent scientists in the field of affective state disorders, diabetes, infectious disease, vascular diseases, and addiction. These scientists are committed to student training. In addition to research, students will be expected to participate in laboratory activities including seminars and weekly laboratory meetings; to attend GDBBS departmental journal clubs and evening lectures; to enroll in a bridge course Demystifying Biomedical Research, Values in Science Ethics course and no more than one graduate-level course per semester; to enroll in a GRE preparatory course and a statistical analysis; and, finally, to participate in a monthly Minority Health Disparities Symposium. In addition, students will be expected to apply to graduate programs during their tenure in the program. Near the end of the post-baccalaureate experience, students will prepare a poster and a journal chronicling their progress throughout the program and defining the focus and findings of their research. The overall PROMISE experience will (a) afford student a network of science scholars who will provide a wealth of advice pre-and post-PhD and (b) equip students with the skills to not only succeed- but excel in top-ranked graduate programs in the biomedical sciences.
