Biomedical Science and Engineering Summer Program for Rehabilitation Interventions

Louis Stokes Cleveland Va Medical Center, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

Since 2017, the Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center of the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (LSCVAMC) has successfully operated a summer undergraduate research program to enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, health services, and rehabilitative research workforce. The proposed program seeks to continue this legacy by preparing diverse undergraduates in engineering and medical science majors for success in graduate school and research careers. Our objectives are twofold: 1) Recruit diverse undergraduate students majoring in engineering or medical sciences, with a focus on Veterans and children of Veterans, women and other individuals from ethnic and racial groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields, as well as others who face disadvantages in entering research careers. 2) Provide a comprehensive summer research program that equips participants with the necessary research education, training, experience, and mentorship to succeed in graduate school and research careers. The APT Summer Internship Program is open to undergraduate students in STEM from all backgrounds. Our approach to enhancing diversity involves outreach through social media, conference presentations, distribution lists, and career fairs. These efforts have led to a more than 4-fold increase in the number of institutions with applicants to the program from 2022-2024. Once each year’s cohort has been selected through an application process and onboarded, the participants become immersed in a research experience comprised of a didactic Research Education Program, a Hands-on Research Experience, and robust Mentorship. The Research Education Program provides foundational knowledge and training in Responsible Conduct of Research, Science Communication, Critical Thinking and Analysis, and Career Paths and Options. It will include three weekly class sessions, one featuring a VA researcher discussing their research program and career experience. The program aims to establish a strong understanding of research career options and the tacit knowledge crucial for STEM research career success. Participants will be matched according to their research interests and career goals to an APT Center lab at the LSCVAMC, where they will engage in research in one of five core research areas: Prosthetics & Orthotics, Neural Interfaces, Health Monitoring & Maintenance, Activity-Based Neurorehabilitation, or Enabling Technologies. Interns will become integrated, active members of their research labs, working on innovative research projects that integrate knowledge from coursework, research papers, and lab colleagues. They will gain experience in state-of-the-art technologies and approaches in biomedical devices for Veterans' rehabilitation. Each intern will present their work at a culminating poster symposium during the last week of the program. Additionally, participants will gain exposure to the breadth of VA research through laboratory facility tours, attendance at seminars, and the VA Researcher Spotlight series. A critical aspect of ensuring success during the program and maintaining that success after the conclusion of the summer program is the mentorship provided by the APT Summer Internship Program. Each intern will have multiple mentors to facilitate success and development, including program directors, their lab PI, and a graduate or post-doctoral trainee. This layered mentorship approach ensures that all interns have frequent research and career planning guidance throughout the summer program. Additionally, seeding their networks with multiple mentors will help to provide enduring career guidance and support, especially for individuals who are the first in their families to pursue research careers in science, engineering, or medicine. To date, 61 undergraduate student trainees have participated in our program, with 80% pursuing higher education in graduate or medical school. Many have co-authored peer-reviewed publications or presented their work at local and national conferences. Our program seeks to continue to be a pipeline for the next generation of researchers in biomedical devices for Veterans' rehabilitation interventions.