Virginia Commonwealth

University Presentation

• VCU joined the Virginia Nebraska-Alliance as a charter member in 2005.

• Goal of the Partnership:• Provide opportunities for underrepresented minority

students to participate in health sciences research with the guidance of a research or clinician mentor.

• All Alliance participants are required to create a scientific poster based on their research and to present an oral presentation.

• The VCU Center on Health Disparities (COHD) was created in November 2005 to develop and facilitate research, education, community connections, and workforce diversity initiatives that will eliminate health disparities in populations in the Commonwealth of Virginia .

EducationEducation WorkforceWorkforce

DiversityDiversity

Require Require students to students to attend research attend research courses and courses and present present summary of summary of work to enhance work to enhance skills.skills.

A number of A number of students students conducted conducted research research focused on the focused on the Center’s work Center’s work with with improving improving minority birth minority birth outcomes.outcomes.

Introduce Introduce students students with strong with strong science science backgrounbackgrounds to ds to careers in careers in research. research.

Connectivity Between Goals of the Alliance and the COHD

ReseaResearchrch

In addition to participation in the Alliance, VCU has established several Health Careers Pipeline Programs to

introduce URM students to health sciences careers.

• STEP-UP-Dr. Suzanne Barbour, PI – a 10-week Exploring Biomedical Research Opportunities program sponsored by

the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (awarded 2006).

• HERO-Dr. Rakesh Kukreja, PI – a 10-week research program for underrepresented and underserved

undergraduates and 1st year medical students funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (awarded 2007).

• D-STAR – Dr. Carolyn Booker, PI– a 10-week research program focused on Dentistry and funded by the Robert

Wood Johnson Foundation (awarded 2008).

• P60- – Community Outreach Core –– a 10 week research program that allows faculty conducting research on the P60

grant to mentor students

• P60- – Community Outreach Internship –– a year long internship program in partnership with VUU to introduce student to

CBPR

 

Kevin Harris, Director of Diversity Access Programs, coordinates the development of VCU's Health Careers Pipeline, including the VCU Alliance. Currently, there are 4 full-time staff who assist with the coordination of more than 20 VCU Health Careers Pipeline programs.

In 2007, there were a total of 426 Students participating in the 14 VCU Health Careers Pipeline programs that reported data during that year.

Since 2005, a total of 20 students and faculty have participated in the VCU Alliance.

History of VCU Summer Research Programs

2005 2006

AllianceStudents: 2Faculty: 2

2007 2008

AllianceStudents: 2Faculty: 4

AllianceStudents: 4Faculty: 4

STEP-UP Students:7

AllianceStudents: 2

P60Students: 3

D-STAR: Students: 1

STEP-UP Students: 6

HEROStudents: 11

Sample of Research Projects for Summer

Health Careers Pipeline Students Student Mentor Research Project

1. Douglas Miller Dr. Bonny Bukaveckas Leveraging the Electronic (Alliance) Medical Records to Personalize and Improve Patient Safety.

2. Jocelyn Wondong Dr. Philip Archer Disproportionately Occurring

(Alliance) Low Birth Weight Among African American Infants at Selected

Virginia Regions.

3. Esther Han Dr. Harvey Schenkein Role of Bacterial Periodontal

(NCMHD P60) Pathogens in Pregnancy

Complications

4. Darryl Stephens Dr. Scott Walsh Staining of MMP8 a

(NCMHD P60) Neutrophil Collagenase in Decidual Tissue of Patients

with Preterm Labor, Term Labor, and Premature Rupture of the

Membrane (PPROM)

2008 Photo Ops

Jocelyn Wondong talking with mentor Dr. Phil Archer.

Antonia Washington with mentor Dr. Dace Svikis.

Darryl Stevens with mentor Dr. Scott Walsh

Douglas Millershowing off his scientific poster

Where Are They Now?

Brittany Wright (on right) with mentor Dr. Wally Smith is now in her first year of the DDS program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ms. Wright participated in the ’07 VCU Alliance Program.

Douglas Miller is finishing his Douglas Miller is finishing his senior year at Norfolk State senior year at Norfolk State University and is preparing to apply University and is preparing to apply to the School of Pharmacy at VCU. to the School of Pharmacy at VCU. He participated in the ’08 VCU He participated in the ’08 VCU Alliance Program. Alliance Program.

Health Careers Pipeline Research Students at VCU

Summer 2008