Abstract A064: The Meharry Cancer Summer Undergraduate Research Program: Increasing undergraduate exposure to cancer health disparities via summer research experiences

Abstract

Abstract Few under-represented minorities (URM) pursue careers as physicians and biomedical researchers. This lack of diversity within the scientific and clinical workforce greatly influences our ability to address the public health burden and disparities associated with cancer. To enhance the diversity of the cancer workforce and fully address the problem of cancer health disparities, we must increase the number of URM students who obtain the MD and/or PhD degrees and train in the areas of cancer biology and oncology. To address this issue, we established the Meharry Cancer Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). The Meharry Cancer SURP is a 10-week intensive, cancer-focused research experience that exposes undergraduate students to the area of cancer health disparities. It is designed to provide participants with a better understanding of how biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research influences cancer outcomes and to inspire participants to pursue careers in cancer research. In the first year of the program, a nationwide search was conducted to identify and select ten undergraduate students who were interested in pursuing careers in medicine and biomedical science. Each student performed a research project with an experienced cancer investigator from either Meharry Medical College or Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The research projects, which included preclinical studies, translational research, and epidemiologic/community-based studies, focused on cancers that disproportionately affect African-Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities. To ensure students understood fundamental concepts common to all cancers and cancer health disparities research, all program participants attended a weeklong cancer biology minicourse. They also attended cancer biology/cancer health disparities research seminars that allowed them to interact with oncologists and cancer researchers from groups traditionally under-represented in biomedical science and to be exposed to career opportunities within the areas of cancer research, oncology, and cancer health disparities. Furthermore, students participated in career development workshops that allowed them to explore cancer-related career options, create individual development plans, and obtain information needed to apply and successfully gain entrance into MD and PhD training programs. Together, these program activities increased student awareness of the fields of cancer biology and cancer health disparities and provided knowledge and tools necessary to successfully pursue cancer-focused careers. Citation Format: Evangeline Motley-Johnson, Katelyn Atkinson, Aliecia Bouligny, Del-vecie Brown, Samuel Delk, Jordan Finch, Kennedi Fitts, Dorian Hill, Faith Mungai, Dalancee Trabue, Kierra Whitelow, LaMonica Stewart. The Meharry Cancer Summer Undergraduate Research Program: Increasing undergraduate exposure to cancer health disparities via summer research experiences [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A064.