2024 PCEN Summer Research Scholars Program

The Washington University Pediatric Center of Excellence in Nephrology (WU PCEN) is pleased to request applications for our 2024 Summer Research Scholars Program. This program aims to inspire future leaders in pediatric kidney disease research by engaging students in meaningful research and clinical experiences in kidney development, biology, cutting-edge technologies, preclinical model systems and pediatric nephrology.

The program is open to undergraduate and medical students. Start and end dates are usually the first business day in June through the last business day in July, but some flexibility is allowed as academic schedules may vary for each student; however, an 8 week commitment is required. Students will work with a mentor on a research project, and will have opportunities for didactic training and clinical shadowing in nephrology. Students will also participate in seminars about research and careers in medicine, and will take one or more lecture series in relevant fields.

Students will receive an approximately $4000 stipend. Please note: Housing is not provided as a part of the program. A small stipend towards housing MAY be available in addition and will be determined on availability of funds near the start of the program.  For this stipend, we will prioritize applicants from underrepresented racial/ethnic group or disadvantaged background.

The program structure includes:

Practical research training and mentorship

• Responsible conduct of research training (including, as applicable to the research project: human subjects research, animal care and use in research, laboratory safety)
• Full-time research experience on a clinical, translational or basic science project under the mentorship of a PCEN investigator
• Weekly meetings with PCEN faculty mentor
• Preparation of an abstract and/or manuscript, as appropriate
• Oral presentation of research findings to the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the end of the program
• Career development, diversity, and ethics workshops 
• Seminar series organized by Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program 
• Pediatric Summer Research Program lectures 
• In-house computer labs and pathology labs 

Didactic training

• Participation in Pediatric Nephrology Fellow’s Core Curriculum weekly lecture series provides exposure to core clinical pediatric nephrology topics and opportunities to interact with pediatric nephrology fellows
• Research Seminars: students will participate in weekly student led seminars or lab meetings as appropriate based on their research project and mentor. Depending on the number of students, this may include a student run journal club and discussion on research presentations.
• Online Instruction: Students will have access to various online training in kidney development, single cell genomics, patient recruitment and sample processing, disease models, etc.
• Each student is placed in a kidney lab for their hands-on experience. 

Clinical shadowing in pediatric nephrology

• Observe pediatric nephrology clinic once per week
• Attend inpatient rounds once per week

End of Year Program Feedback 

• Program feedback will be solicited via survey 

Eligibility

Must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university. For foreign student applicants eligibility may need to be determined based on visa regulations. 

Questions?

Contact Holley Kelly, administrative manager, or Dr. Sanjay Jain/Vikas Dharnidharka, program directors via the email address pcen@wustl.edu.

Sample Schedule

Actual work hours are flexible, but a full-time (40 hours per week) commitment is expected. To ensure maximum productivity and engagement with your mentor and research staff, the majority (>70%) of the working hours are expected to be during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

Example of lecture series can be found here.