Undergraduates from Underrepresented Groups Pair with Mentors for Introduction to Epilepsy Science
CHICAGO ― Seven research institutions are receiving grants to support summer research internships for seven undergraduate students from groups historically underrepresented in medicine and the neurosciences, the American Epilepsy Society (AES) announced today.
The students, all of whom are interested in epilepsy as a career path, are participating in the AES Broadening Representation, Inclusion, and Diversity by Growing Equity (BRIDGE) program designed to deepen the commitment of promising young scientists to medical and/or research careers, introduce them to the epilepsy community, and promote their careers by featuring their work at the upcoming AES Annual Meeting in December 2024.
Labs chosen for the program receive a grant of up to $10,000, which is to be used to cover intern stipends as well as housing, travel, and other direct costs of the internship. Students also receive complimentary membership in AES, complimentary registration and travel stipend for the AES Annual Meeting, and an opportunity to participate in mentored events and present their research at the meeting.
“We are very excited to welcome our third cohort of BRIDGE interns," said Eileen M. Murray, MM, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of AES. "AES is proud to continue our investment in cultivating the next generation of scientists and clinicians who will advance the field of epilepsy."
The institutions receiving grants from AES are Augusta University, Georgia; Boston Children’s Hospital; Stanford University in Palo Alto, California; University of California, San Diego; University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and University of Texas at San Antonio.
Students and their mentors participating in the program are:
- Gladys Addai-Domfe from Augusta University with Hisham Daoud, PhD from the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Laboratory at Augusta University, Georgia
- Aaron Bagaoisan from Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California with Tatiana Mishanina, PhD and Jubilee (Jubi) Cabellon, MS from the Mishanina Lab at the University of California, San Diego
- Sebastian Casillas-Lopez from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with Lori Isom, PhD and Dyke McEwen, PhD from the Isom Lab at University of Michigan
- Diana Teresa Perez from the University of Texas at San Antonio with Jenny Hsieh, PhD from the Hsieh Lab at the University of Texas at San Antonio
- Danielle Sanchez from the University of California, Davis with H. Westley Phillips, MD and Michelle Monje, MD, PhD from the Phillips Pediatric Research and Innovations in the Molecular Genetics of Epilepsy (P2RIME) Laboratory at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California
- Zachary Stayn from Harvard University with Annapurna (Ann) Poduri, MD, MPH from the Poduri Lab and Epilepsy Genetics Program at Boston Children’s Hospital
- Essi Raymonda Tsatsou from the University of Kansas with Adam Rouse, MD, PhD and Carol Ulloa, MD from the Precision Neural Dynamics Lab at University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City
"These interns are the future of our field; they are already doing great things and will continue to inspire through their future contributions to improving the understanding, treatment, and prevention of epilepsy," said Rana R. Said, MD, chair of the AES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. “Through this early immersion into our field, we aim to guide their development and simultaneously advance our goal of expanding a well-trained and diverse epilepsy workforce.”
UCB, Inc. is the lead sponsor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion activities at AES. The BRIDGE Summer Intern Program is made possible through their generous support.