Bridging the gap in the biomedical sciences

Tufts Now All Stories

BOSTON (July 17, 2017)—Eighteen undergraduate students are visiting Tufts University’s Health Sciences campus for 10 weeks of scientific seminars, research, workshops, mentoring and activities across Boston to learn more about careers in the biomedical sciences. The Building Diversity in Biomedical Sciences (BDBS) program provides students who typically come from backgrounds underrepresented in the biomedical sciences with valuable research and career training to assist them in taking the next step in their education.Each summer, the program, which is based at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts, welcomes 17-22 students who are interested in pursuing Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. studies. Over the course of the 10 weeks, each student works closely with two mentors—one faculty member, one graduate student or postdoctoral fellow—while he or she completes a research project that will be presented at a judged poster competition at the end of the program. The students with the winning posters will receive a trip to a national meeting the following fall to present their work.
In addition to the research and career training, BDBS participants learn presentation skills, the tenets of responsible conduct of research, and how to work productively as a member of a team. A survey of over 200 recent participants reveals that approximately 75 percent have gone on to pursue advanced degrees.
Mara Shainheit, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences at Towson University, participated in BDBS and later returned to Tufts to earn her Ph.D. from the Sackler School. She now recommends BDBS to her undergraduate students, one of whom is taking part this summer.
“I participated in BDBS because I was looking for an immersive research experience before I finished college. As soon as you connect with your Tufts mentors, you are surrounded by people who support and encourage you while you’re learning. I gained hands-on experience because my mentors ...

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