Student Research
Research is an important mission of the CMU College of Medicine. As a growing medical school, our research programs are still evolving, but encompass basic, translational, clinical and public health service areas of research. Our faculty, M.D. students and graduate students work with state-of-the-art technology and the latest techniques to tackle the world's most pressing medical issues and find sustainable solutions based on research. We are pursuing projects that will contribute to groundbreaking discoveries in medicine while training medical students in proper research methodology. Their work includes understanding and finding better treatments for a variety of common chronic illnesses that affect many people within central and northern Michigan.
College of Medicine Research Symposium
The College of Medicine and CMU Medical Education Partners
collaborate in an annual spring Research Symposium. This is an
opportunity for our faculty, residents and students to gain valuable
experience presenting their research to a group of peers in a local
venue. The best posters and best oral presentations win awards at the
event. The Symposium attracts over 150 abstract submissions and it is a
great opportunity for sharing our enthusiasm and celebrating our
research accomplishments.
Student Research Forum
The College of Medicine coordinates an annual medical student
Research Forum held in the spring. This forum provides an opportunity
for medical students to submit an abstract and present their research
accomplishments to the medical school faculty, staff and other students
through an oral presentation or posters. While all medical students are
eligible to present, the forum tends to focus on the research conducted
by our Summer Research Scholars Program. Summer Scholars are required
to give an oral presentation of their summer research projects and are
offered positive feedback in preparation for the Research Symposium
later in the spring.
Summer Research Scholars Program
The College of Medicine supports a Summer Research Scholars Program.
The program is targeted to first-year students interested in a summer
research experience between their first and second years of medical
education. Interested students identify a faculty mentor and write a
short research proposal that is competitively reviewed. Then 12-16
Summer Scholars are awarded per year. Summer Scholars are expected to
present their research at the Student Research Forum and at the CMU
College of Medicine/CMU Medical Education Partners Research Symposium
the following year.
Student research opportunities
The College of Medicine offers extensive opportunities for
postdoctoral, medical, graduate, and undergraduate students to gain
real-world, hands-on research experiences. Students are encouraged to
work with faculty members and academic advisors to match interests with
opportunities on an individual basis.
Through collaboration
with our clinical affiliates and community organizations, we foster the
highest quality research, scholarly initiatives, creative activities,
and innovations.
The College of Medicine currently offers
internal projects related to neuroscience, mitochondrial diseases, maternal and child health, opioid use disorder, medical education, aging, endocrinology, emerging infectious disease, pharmacology and cancer, eating disorder prevention and nutrition, cardiovascular research, disabilities, vaccines, functional anatomy cadaver studies, and many others.
Student research support
Student travel support
The Research department offers incentives to students who present their research at local and national meetings by financially supporting their travel. Students can submit Student Research Conference Travel Funding requests and receive financial support for things like lodging, transportation and attendance fees to present their research at scientific meetings and forums.
Student publication support
The Research department offers incentives to students to publish their research in journals by funding publication fees to approved journals and publications. Students can submit Student Research Publication Funding requests and receive financial support to publish their research in peer-reviewed journals.
External support
External funding is also possible and encouraged. The Student Research Interest Group along with the Research administrative staff comprise a list of available external funding opportunities for students that can be found on the College of Medicine’s student intranet.
