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The UCLA MD-PhD Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program is an initiative aimed at expanding diversity in the physician-scientist workforce by exposing undergraduates from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds to this vibrant career pathway. During a 10-week summer fellowship running from June until August, fellows will conduct exciting biomedical research in a laboratory at UCLA.
About the Fellowship
The Program is named after Richard Morgan who graduated from the UCLA’s Medical Scientist Training Program in June 2021. Richard holds an M.S. in Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise from the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. He completed his Ph.D. research in 2019 under the mentorship of Prof. Donald Kohn in the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA. Richard was also a student in the Charles R. Drew Medical Education Program, where he is completed his fourth year of medical training. Richard’s expertise lies in the development novel gene and cell-based therapies for hematological disorders.
Fellowship Overview
- Fellows will benefit from individualized mentorship from diverse UCLA faculty, in addition to their primary research mentor.
- Fellows will participate in joint activities with other students engaged in summer research at UCLA
- Fellows will meet regularly with current students in the UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program to learn about the physician-scientist career path and discuss the application process for MD-PhD programs.
- During the course of the summer, Fellows will participate in weekly workshops led by various UCLA faculty and current MSTP students.
- After the summer, fellows will continue to receive periodic 1-on-1 guidance counseling provided by the same student and faculty mentors
- Basic Medical Science Research: During the 10 weeks at UCLA, Fellows will join the lab of a faculty mentor after discussions with the Program’s leadership.
- At the end of the summer, Fellows will present their laboratory research findings in the form of a poster presentation to the Program’s leadership, other fellows and MD-PhD students.