News Release

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

NIH announces 2017-2018 Medical Research Scholars Program Class

The National Institutes of Health has selected 42 talented and diverse students, representing 35 U.S.-accredited universities, for the sixth class of its Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP). The MRSP received a record number of applications during the 2017-2018 application cycle. The 42 selected participants consist of 39 medical, two dental, and one veterinary student; 48 percent are female and eight individuals are from underrepresented minority groups. There are five second year, 35 third, and two fourth year students in the class; six of the 42 have had previous NIH research experience. The accepted scholars begin their MRSP fellowship in July/August of this year. 

“These 42 scholars represent some of this country’s most promising future biomedical researchers and academic leaders.”

—Frederick P. Ognibene, M.D., Director, Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education, NIH Clinical Center

“This year-long research enrichment program is the starting point for a successful research-oriented career. These 42 scholars represent some of this country’s most promising future biomedical researchers and academic leaders,” said Frederick P. Ognibene, M.D., director of the Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education, NIH Clinical Center.

The NIH MRSP is a year-long enrichment program which provides mentored training to creative, research-oriented medical, dental, and veterinary students at the intramural campus of the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. This residential program enables scholars to conduct basic, clinical, or translational research in areas that match their personal interests and research goals. The mentored research training experience forms the core of the program and allows these future clinician-scientists and medical researchers to carry out research across the full spectrum of science in the interest of improving public health. Additionally, over the course of the academic year, MRSP scholars participate in courses, journal club seminars, a structured lecture series, and clinical teaching rounds. They also present their research to the NIH community and at domestic professional conferences.

Each scholar is assigned a tutor/advisor, who provides guidance in defining a well-articulated career development plan and in selecting a dedicated NIH research mentor. Mentors are fulltime NIH investigators with established basic, clinical or translational research programs.

The MRSP is co-sponsored by the NIH and other partners via contributions to the Foundation for the NIH.

The 42 participants for the 2017-2018 NIH MRSP include:

  1. Mairead Baker, Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine
  2. Fatima Barragan, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, East Lansing
  3. Jennifer Bayly, Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey
  4. Jacqueline Boyle, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria
  5. Rebecca Breese, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
  6. Sonny Caplash, the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington
  7. Katherine Chen, the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine
  8. Sophie Claudel, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  9. Shavonne Collins, Meharry Medical College, Nashville
  10. Shazia Dharssi, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
  11. Joshua Diamond, the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
  12. Youssef Elnabawi, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston
  13. Joseph Featherall, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
  14. Kathleen Fenerty, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis
  15. Samuel Gold, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine, Brooklyn
  16. Morgan Graves, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
  17. Jacob Groenendyk, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
  18. Russ Guidry, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans
  19. Graham Hale, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
  20. Christopher Hampton, the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington
  21. Belen Hernandez, Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Fort Collins
  22. Christopher Hogden, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City
  23. Tommy Hu, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey
  24. Eileen Hu-Wang, Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago
  25. Sahar Khan, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
  26. Alyssa Kosturakis, the University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio
  27. Jason Lau, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
  28. Andrew Lum, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston
  29. Uchenna Okoro, the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
  30. Kristen Pan, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
  31. Priya Patel, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
  32. Grant Randall, the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Medicine
  33. Corinne Rauck, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
  34. Kareem Rayn, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine, Brooklyn
  35. Isabelle Sanchez, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago
  36. Aakash Sathappan, the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
  37. Clayton Smith, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
  38. Dattanand Sudarshana, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
  39. Enock Teefe, Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
  40. Alison Treichel, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
  41. Fernando Vazquez, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire
  42. Jeannette Yu, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina

About the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health: The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) creates and manages alliances with public and private institutions in support of the mission of the NIH, the world’s premier medical research agency. The FNIH works with its partners to accelerate biomedical research and strategies against diseases and health concerns in the United States and across the globe. The FNIH organizes and administers research projects; supports education and training of new researchers; organizes educational events and symposia; and administers a series of funds supporting a wide range of health issues. Established by Congress, the FNIH is a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) charitable organization. For additional information about the FNIH, please visit fnih.org.

About the NIH Clinical Center: The NIH Clinical Center is the clinical research hospital for the National Institutes of Health. Through clinical research, clinician-investigators translate laboratory discoveries into better treatments, therapies and interventions to improve the nation's health. More information: https://clinicalcenter.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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