undergraduate research ecu

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I Am An Undergraduate Student

I want to find a research center or faculty member…

• ECU Research Centers and Institutes
• ECU Core Facilities
• ECU Faculty Experts
• Rural Prosperity Initiative

I want to participate in undergraduate research…

• Office of Undergraduate Research
• Office of Community Engagement and Research
• Undergrad Research FAQs
• Finding a Faculty Mentor
• Student Research Impact Profiles
• Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy
• Undergraduate Research Events
• Undergraduate Research Deadlines
• Off-Campus Undergraduate Research Opportunities

I want to participate in post-undergraduate level research…

• ECU Graduate School
• ECU Postdocs

I want to find research funding…

• Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Awards
• Undergraduate Research Mini Awards
• Undergraduate Research Travel Awards
• Grant Funding Opportunities

I want to share my research…

• Capture180 Research Challenge
• ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week
• State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium
• Council on Undergraduate Research National Conference

I want to find an internship or job…

• SECU Public Fellows Internship Program
• RISE29 Student Entrepreneurship Internship
• Undergraduate Research Assistantships
• ECU Career Services

I want to be a student entrepreneur…

• Miller School of Entrepreneurship
• Horizon Living Learning Community
• Idea Incubation Spaces
• Innovation an Entrepreneurship Courses and Competitions
• ECU Microenterprise Program
• Innovation Corps@ECU
• Idea 2 Impact Innovation Network
• Innovation and Technology Transfer FAQs
• Inventors Handbook
• Inventor Funding Sources
• Available ECU Technologies
• Innovation and New Ventures Idea Submission
• Small Business and Technology Development Center Counseling

I need research training…

• Responsible Conduct of Research Training Matrix
• Research Conflicts of Interests
• Research Misconduct Resources
• University Training Requirements
• Am I Conducting Human Research? Flowchart
• UMCIRB FAQs
• UMCIRB Training
• Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Training
• Supplemental UMCIRB Education
• UMCIRB Forms, Documents and Templates
• UMCIRB Investigator and Key Student Personnel Resources
• ePIRATE Electronic IRB Submission

I want to participate in a research study…

• Human Research Participant Resources

I want to give to research…

• Supporting Undergraduate Research

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ECU was recently recognized as a Top 100 public university for research in the Health Sciences for our continued innovations to prevent, treat and deliver health care.

ECU’s research mission includes supporting creative activities, providing undergraduate research support to our talented artists.

ECU professors are creating innovative new teaching methods in the lab, introducing a new way of learning to students in chemistry, biology and physics.

ECU’s motion capture studio in its Innovation Design Lab is one of many cutting-edge technologies available to university researchers.

RESEARCH AND REGIONAL TRANSFORMATION

As the only university in North Carolina with a medical school, a dental school and a college of engineering, East Carolina University is leading the way in creating important discoveries through research. We offer research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, while seeking the best and brightest professional minds to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Researchers here are developing new technologies, medicines and innovative approaches that will transform the rural and coastal regions of our state and be part of the flagship university of eastern North Carolina!

Discover More

• Research Centers and Institutes
• Funding Opportunities
• Undergraduate Research
• Research Development
• Graduate Research
• Postdoctoral Research
• Community Engagement
• Research Administration and Compliance
• Licensing and Commercialization
• National Security and Industry Initiatives
• East Carolina Research and Innovation Campus
• Scholars@ECU Faculty Profiles

ECU RESEARCH DASHBOARD

ECU’s Research, economic development and community engagement activities are having a significant impact in North Carolina. Our continued increase in research and creative activities is benefiting the people, communities and businesses of the state. ECU’s Research Dashboard allows the community and our partners to track our progress. Learn more about how our researchers are affecting the region.

ECU’s DRIVE East Initiative harnesses the intellectual strengths and research facilities of ECU to improve the quality of life, health, education and employment for the people and communities of eastern North Carolina. Read more to see how ECU is helping its rural communities.

https://youtu.be/gq0DrkmumP0

ECU students, working both individually and in multidisciplinary teams, are discovering powerful and sustainable solutions for pressing health, education and economic prosperity challenges. Learn more about our students and their groundbreaking research.

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Research Opportunities

REU-ChemBiochem Page

Interested in undergraduate research opportunities in the Department of Chemistry? Follow these steps:

• Pick a subject. Chemistry research usually falls into one of the five classic areas of chemistry: Organic, Inorganic, Analytical, Physical, and Biological. Your General Chemistry courses were a combination of all these topics, and your advanced chemistry courses cover each topic in more depth. Think about which courses you’ve enjoyed most to help you figure out what kind of research you might like. You should also review the web pages of professors in the department to read about research projects that are active in their group.
• Meet with a professor. Decide which discipline (or project) might be of most interest to you, and communicate with a faculty member in that discipline via email, phone, or in-person. Let the professor know of your interest in undergraduate research, and talk about whether you can join his/her group. Try to do this well before pre-registration!
• Register.  The professor supervising your research will request a seat for you in one of the classes listed above. There isn’t a set meeting time; you should set up a weekly schedule with your professor.
• Write a paper. Every student participating in undergraduate research is required to write a research paper at the end of the semester. The paper does not have page length restrictions, but typically runs between 3 and 7 pages. It should clearly describe the objective, methods and results of the research that was conducted and be written in the scientific format with literature citations, figures, and tables as appropriate (your research mentor will provide guidance).

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Undergraduate Research in Physics Award (URPA)

Applications are submitted online via the 2024 URPA Application . Before you begin work on the application, you must gather all the parts . Awards will be announced several weeks after the application deadline and will be disbursed immediately thereafter. Your proposal may not be reviewed or succeed in scoring high enough to warrant funding if all items are not included.

The deadline for applications for this funding cycle is 11:59 p.m. on December 5, 2023. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Eligibility

To be considered for an award, an individual must

• Be a full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student at ECU;
• Be a physics major;
• Have completed a minimum of 12 credits at ECU by time of application;
• Have an acceptable record of academic achievement with a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and a physics GPA of 2.5; and
• Agree that by completing this application, you are allowing us to gather information about you through the Banner system.

Application Parts

• Banner ID, name, e-mail address, current GPA, and credits completed (overall and in Physics)
• Name and e-mail address of your co-investigator, if applicable. There can be up to two students on one project, but one must serve as the primary applicant and contact.
• Mentor’s complete name, e-mail address and department/school where you will perform the work. If you have a co-mentor, add that person’s name and e-mail address.
• Whether or not IRB approval for human participant research or IACUC for animal research is required. If affirmative, the date of submission or approval. No awards will be made without a pending or approved human participant or animal protocol.
• Project Title (maximum of 50 characters with spaces)
• Hypothesis or problem statement,
• Significance,
• Your role in a larger project (if applicable),
• Methodology, and
• Any preliminary or previous results.
• Budget Information. ($1500 max. per single-student project and $2500 max. per two-student project, with Undergraduate Assistantships between $500-1000 for each student). Provide an estimated itemization (maximum 150 words or 1500 characters with spaces) of the project expenses for the amount listed. You do not need to include a justification for the assistantship(s). If you are only requesting an assistantship, please enter $0 for each of the other categories. Please see the Budget and Spending Guidelines section below.
• Time Period. Applicants can request funding for Spring, Summer Term 1, Summer Term 2, or Fall of the calendar year. Projects can last more than one semester. Please see the Spending Deadlines section below for more information on when funds will be transferred as well as the deadline to spend these funds.

Budget and Spending Guidelines

• Undergraduate Assistantships are set at a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $1000 per semester or summer term. Undergraduate Assistantships are intended to allow students to work on a project in lieu of working at a job for pay. Undergraduate Assistantships are normally NOT awarded if the student is earning course credit for work performed on a project. However, if it is anticipated that the student will work on the project for time and effort over and above what is required to receive the course credits, an Undergraduate Assistantship is appropriate.
• Any equipment that is required to carry out the project and is purchased with these funds remain the property of the Department of Physics.
• Student travel cannot be paid for with these funds. Funding for students to travel to present their research can be requested by applying for a Conference Award through the Office of Undergraduate Research.
• Food cannot be purchased with these funds.

Spending Deadlines

The following deadlines apply to funds awarded for each semester. Any funds not spent by the deadline may revert to the Department of Physics. For projects being carried out in the

• Spring, all funds must be spent by May 3, 2024.
• Summer Term 1, all funds must be spent by June 30, 2024.
• Summer Term 2, all funds must be spent by August 15, 2024.
• Fall, all funds must be spent by December 31, 2024.

Research Mentor

Each project must have a research mentor who is a faculty member in the Department of Physics. After submission, the application will be shared with your mentor . No recommendation letters are required nor will be accepted.

Please Note

• A committee made up of Physics faculty will review applications. All applicants will receive notification by ECU e-mail regarding the status of their application as soon as possible after review. Some applications may be awarded at a reduced level. Budgets should be adjusted with your mentor and the Department of Physics office staff.
• Recipients of these grants will incur an obligation to submit a final report due either May 31 (for students graduating in May) or December 31 (for those graduating later). Details about the final report submission will be provided.
• Recipients of these grants will also incur an obligation to present their results at ECU’s Research and Creative Achievement Week, SNCURCS, the statewide undergraduate research symposium, or ECU’s Undergraduate Research Summer Symposium.
• Undergraduate Assistantships should replace the wages that you receive for an on-campus or off-campus job, rather than supplement them.
• Applications can be submitted by one (1) primary investigator and a maximum of one (1) co-investigator. All must be undergraduate Physics majors. The primary investigator will be the correspondent.
• Only one application per investigator, and one application per project, is allowed.
• Upon completion of this application, your responses will be provided on-screen and in a downloadable PDF file. A copy of your responses will also be sent to the ECU e-mail address provided. Please retain a copy of your submission for your records.

Questions and/or concerns: Please contact [email protected] or call the Department of Physics office at 252-328-6739 .

The 2024 URPA Application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on December 5, 2023.

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Undergraduate research on display during summer symposium

• ECU Now Blog

In the first event of its kind since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, East Carolina University undergraduate researchers gathered to share their work as part of the university’s weeklong summer symposium.

The 2021 Undergraduate Research Summer Symposium featured virtual and in-person presentations, with 11 undergraduate students presenting in ECU’s Main Campus Student Center at the Biomedical Engineering in Simulations, Imaging and Modeling Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) poster session.

East Carolina University undergraduate student Nikole Galman, right, shares her research poster with an audience member at the Biomedical Engineering in Simulations, Imaging and Modeling Research Experience for Undergraduates poster session. The session was part of ECU’s weeklong 2021 Undergraduate Research Summer which featured virtual and in-person events. (Photo by Rhett Butler)

Thirty-four posters were presented from July 19-23 across the university’s four REU programs, with additional presenters from the Resilience and Adaptation to Coastal Change Across Virtual Communities REU, Chemistry and Biochemistry REU, and Software and Data Analytics REU.

In all, more than 420 visitors attended the event with 2,600 total presentation views.

“We have had a summer undergraduate research symposium at ECU in the past, but we did not have one last summer due to COVID,” said Mary Farwell, director of undergraduate research. “We have many students carrying out mentored research projects that wanted an opportunity to present their research outcomes.

“We also wanted to support our National Science Foundation-funded research experiences for undergraduates programs on campus,” she said. “Summer is an excellent time to spend on research since there’s more time available to dedicate to their project.”

Students presented in 10 categories ranging from computational sciences and health sciences to engineering and social sciences.

Nikole Galman, a rising senior majoring in exercise physiology, spoke to a group of students about her research project on the effects of aging on brain activation and motor control.

“It means a lot to me to be able to share my work because research is definitely something I have a passion for,” Galman said. “I’ve been able to make connections with new friends, faculty and students here. It’s been great getting to know them, and it’s been fun to meet people who have the same passion as me.”

Students participating in the REU programs are not just limited to ECU. REU participants traveled from all over the country, from as far west as Utah and as far north as Connecticut.

Having the opportunity to share ideas with students from different universities was appealing to engineering major Nicholas Adams.

“It’s been amazing to get to know these people and hear their experiences,” Adams said. “I hope they really enjoyed their research experience and enjoyed Greenville. Hopefully they’ll think about attending graduate school here.”

With summer coming to a close, undergraduate research is ramping up at ECU.

The office’s annual fall Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Awards deadline is Sept. 24. The awards provide thousands of dollars to undergraduate researchers each semester to support their faculty mentored projects. Students can begin applying during the second week of the fall semester.

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Undergraduate Opportunities

Summer Program for Future Doctors

Summer Biomedical Research Program

Undergraduate Research

Biomedical Sciences MARC - Maximizing Access to Research Careers

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Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Dr. Lauren R. Sastre is the Director of the Farm to Clinic (F2C) Program, an initiative that focuses on addressing health disparities with under-served patient groups across various programs address both social determinants of heath (food insecurity, access to healthy food) as well as behavioral risk factors associated with chronic disease (e.g., diet, physical activity) that combined are estimated to comprise 70% of the causative factors for patient’s health outcomes.

Students interested in volunteering with F2C should reach out to Dr. Sastre at [email protected] the program Assistant Director Brandon Stroud at  [email protected] to get connected with current volunteering/service and/or research opportunities.

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Student Research Assistants

On this page…

Undergraduate Research Experience

Interested in gaining hands-on research experience with a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at East Carolina University? Our faculty is engaged in a variety of active research programs that span a number of specializations, methodologies, populations, and designs. Undergraduate students are encouraged to become a part of this research by assisting faculty with new and ongoing projects—an experience valuable for students who are interesting in learning more about one or more areas of psychology in greater depth, becoming an informed consumer of research, and developing skills and abilities valued by employers and graduate schools. Undergraduate research assistants typically register for supervised course credit in psychology during the semester or session in which they are working.

How to Apply

If you are interested in gaining research experience by working with ECU Psychology faculty members, here are the steps to follow for your application:

• Our current list of faculty mentors for fall/summer 2024 research experience opportunities can be accessed HERE .
• Once students have studied this document, they may complete the research assistantship application via the link in the document.
• The deadline to apply for Fall/Summer 2024 Undergraduate Research Assistant positions is Friday, March 29th, 2024.
• You will be contacted via e-mail by a faculty mentor before the end of the Spring 2024 semester in the event that you are selected to interview for a research experience opportunity.
• If you have not heard from a faculty mentor by the end of the semester, reach out to them personally to inquire about the status of your application.
• Feel free to visit Professor Baker in Rawl 112 to seek guidance.
• IMPORTANT : Since you may not know whether you will be selected for a research assistant position until later in the semester, we strongly advise that you create a full course schedule for yourself by registering for other courses this fall that satisfy your remaining degree requirements as soon as you are able to do so. You can then drop one of these classes from your schedule in the event that you are offered a position as a research assistant. This way, if you are not offered a position, you will still be registered for the classes that you need to take in order to ensure that you are making adequate progress toward completing your degree.

Senior Thesis

A senior thesis or honors senior thesis in psychology allows students to conduct an original project under the mentorship of a faculty member. Successful completion of a senior thesis can also be used to satisfy the departmental requirement for a capstone course.

What does a senior thesis/honors thesis involve?

The thesis is designed to expose promising undergraduate psychology majors to some of the steps involved in conducting original research in psychology under the guidance of a faculty member. The steps in completing a thesis may include: searching and analyzing the published literature; identifying important and interesting research questions about thought and/or behavior; formulating testable hypotheses; selecting appropriate research methods and participants; securing ethical approval; piloting materials and procedures; collecting, entering, and analyzing data; and writing up research results. This process will help students develop their critical thinking skills, refine their skills in research design, implementation, and analysis, and improve their writing abilities. A thesis paper can be the basis for a public presentation at a local, state, or national conference, or it can be used as a writing sample for graduate or medical school.

Requirements for a Senior Thesis

To complete a senior thesis, a student must:

• be a declared psychology major
• have a GPA above 3.0 (overall and in psychology)
• have passed PSYC 2210: Research Methods

During the time students are working on their theses, they are required to be signed up for PSYC 4401 during their 1st semester and PSYC 4402 during their 2nd semester. Also, to enroll in PSYC 4402, students must meet the additional requirement of having taken at least 2 courses from the learning and cognition, biological bases, or general course groups.

Requirements for an Honors Senior Thesis

To complete an honor’s senior thesis, a student must:

• be a declared Psychology major (see the Director of Undergraduate Studies if you have not declared your major)
• have a GPA above 3.3 overall and in Psychology
• have passed PSYC 2210: Research Methods.

During the time students are working on the honors thesis, they are required to register for PSYC 4601 during the 1st semester and PSYC 4602 during their second semester of the thesis. Also, to enroll in PSYC 4602, students must meet the additional requirement of having taken at least 2 courses from the learning and cognition, biological bases, or general course groups.

Sample Timelines

A senior thesis does not necessarily follow a strict timetable. Many students who complete theses begin by gaining experience as undergraduate research assistants. With this in mind, below is a rough timeline for students considering theses.

Sophomore Year

Students should consider becoming involved with faculty research through an undergraduate research assistantship.

Junior Year

Students should begin to identify potential senior thesis advisors. For example:

• a student who is participating in an undergraduate research assistantship might approach his or her research mentor about the possibility of completing a thesis (note: many faculty members prefer that students complete a research assistantship in their lab to gain experience necessary to complete a thesis)
• a student might review the list of professors accepting students for thesis and complete an online application, indicating interest in completing a thesis
• a student might begin work on a senior thesis or honors thesis in the spring semester.

Senior Year

Students must begin senior theses no later than the fall semester of the senior year and plan to spend both fall and spring semesters on their project. A departmental thesis research symposium is held at the end of the spring semester and the thesis is generally expected to be complete at the time of graduation.

What does an undergraduate research assistant do? Undergraduate research assistants help faculty with new and ongoing research projects. This may involve a variety of activities, from helping design and carry out a research study (e.g., recruiting participants, collecting data) to analyzing and presenting the results of a study. Undergraduate research assistantships are a form of supervised out-of-the-classroom study and research assistants typically earn elective course credit in psychology. The specific projects, activities, and credit earned are decided in conjunction with a faculty supervisor.

Are there prerequisite courses for being a research assistant? Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1000 or 1060) is a prerequisite for completing a research assistantship for credit. However, many faculty members have specific preferences for students working in their labs – such as having completed a research methods and/or statistics course. You should read each faculty member’s research description for an indication of his or her preferences.

What is the difference between research assistantships, senior theses, and senior honors theses?

Being an Undergraduate Research Assistant is a semester-long endeavor in which students can gain research skills and work in the lab of a faculty member in psychology. Students typically register for PSYC 4501 as a 2-credit psychology elective and contribute 6 hours weekly to lab activities; the only pre-requisite is PSYC 1000. Students who continue for a second semester can register for PSYC 4502. If you have never helped a faculty member with research before, it is recommended that you begin with a research assistantship.

Completing a Thesis (PSYC 4401, 4402) or Honors Thesis (PSYC 4601, 4602) is a year-long sequence and capstone that involves developing an independent research project under a faculty mentor’s supervision and requires a thesis paper and departmental presentation. Thesis students must be psychology majors, must have passed PSYC 2210, and need a minimum 3.0 overall and psychology GPA. Honors thesis also requires at least a 3.5 GPA overall and in psychology. Plan to complete thesis requirements no later than the spring semester of your senior year (some faculty prefer that you begin in the spring semester of your junior year).

Note: Both research assistantships and theses depend on the availability of faculty mentors, which varies from semester to semester. There are typically more students interested in both research and theses than there are available mentors. Which faculty research lab would be a good fit for me?You will be asked to indicate up to four professors whose research labs interest you. Begin by reading the description that each faculty member provides by clicking here. Try to identify areas of research that interest you, or that you would like to learn more about. Research assistantships are a good opportunity to explore how different faculty members in a range of specialties conduct research.

What information do I need to complete the online application? The online application will request the following information:

• GPA (overall) & GPA (psychology)
• Major and minor
• Grades in PSYC 1000, 2101, & 2210 (if complete)
• Four professors whose research interests you
• Why are you interested in being an undergraduate research assistant, in general?
• Why are you interested in assisting the specific professor(s) you listed?
• How did you hear about becoming an undergraduate research assistant?
• Have you ever been an undergraduate research assistant before? If yes, describe your experience.
• Describe any work or volunteer experiences that might be relevant to being a research assistant.
• Is there a professor in the psychology department that knows you well and would be willing to recommend you as an undergraduate research assistant? If so, please provide the professor’s name.

Think about how you will answer each question carefully, since your answers will be viewed directly by potential faculty mentors.

What should I do next if I did not receive a research assistantship? If you did not receive a research assistantship, please consider applying again next semester. To better your chances of obtaining an assistantship, please consider some of the following suggestions: (a) taking statistics and research methods as many professors prefer students with these courses, (b) earn good grades – particularly in psychology courses and particularly in statistics and research methods, (c) attend classes and psychology department events regularly so that you can get to know your professors, and (d) attend the Psi Chi Undergraduate Assistantships Recruitment and Information Session that is held each semester.

I received a research assistantship – how do I register for course credit? If you have been offered a research assistantship or thesis opportunity with a faculty member, you will need to complete an Independent Study Form with your faculty mentor in order to receive credit for your assistantship. Please contact your faculty mentor to inquire about this.

Student Feedback

Sarah Best Hometown: Rich Square, NC Area of Research: Industrial/Organizational Psychology Research Mentor: Dr. Lisa Baranik

“The OHP lab has truly been an amazing learning experience and has thoroughly prepared me for research, graduate school, and has offered knowledge that I can carry with me throughout my future endeavors.”

JoColl Burgess Hometown: Clayton, NC Area of research: Behavioral Neuroscience Research mentor: Dr. Tuan Tran

“My senior thesis involves studying Alzheimer’s Disease, using a triple transgenic (3xTg-AD) mouse model. We are investigating the neurobehavioral impairments exhibited during hippocampal-dependent learning in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) and non-spatial eyeblink classical conditioning (ECC) across the lifespan, thus allowing a better understanding of disease progression in humans.”

Tucker Jack Johnson Hometown: Gatesville, NC Area of research: Behavioral Neuroscience Research Mentor: Dr. Tuan Tran

“I am researching the effects of complex learning on facilitating adult hippocampal neurogenesis in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Caroline Mulhare Hometown: Mount Airy, MD Area of Research: Developmental Psychology Research Mentor: Dr. Lori Curtindale

“I am currently working with Dr. Curtindale on a study that focuses on perceived mental demand in children ages six to nine.”

David Sager Hometown: Rocky Mount, NC Area of Research: Stress and Health Research Mentor: Dr. Christyn Dolbier

“My senior thesis investigates relations of stress and stress management (SM) in medical students, as well as potential demographic (by sex, ethnicity, and training year) and SM technique differences. The study is also aimed at better understanding how these variables relate to SM opportunity receptivity and intent in medical students to address SM with future patients.”

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Russian Studies

Undergraduate Research

The ECU Russian Studies faculty dedication to research is also an inspiration for our undergraduates. As teachers, researchers and mentors we are encouraging our students to apply for the competitive undergraduate research scholarships from their freshmen year. Closely mentored by Russian Studies professors Dr. Elena Murenina (FLL), Dr. Justin Wilmes (FLL), Dr. Rick Ericson (Economics) and Dr. Rick Hernandez (History), our Russian Studies majors and minors have been very successful in receiving numerous Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Awards (URCA). Such URCA funding helped our students not only present their research projects at ECU RCAW and UNC-system undergraduate symposiums, but also afford their out-of-state archive, museum, library and conference travel to the prestigious national undergraduate research venues in Russian, Slavic and Eurasian studies.

In April 2019, we were able to organize The 1st Russian Studies Undergraduate Research Symposium, and we are planning to run this event with our students bi-annually. Despite pandemic, just recently, in April 2021, we had The 2nd Russian Studies Undergraduate Research Symposium, in the online format via WebEx.

RUssian Studies Research Undergrad Symposium

The interdisciplinary program in Russian Studies, Departments of Foreign Languages & Literatures, Economics, Political Sciences, and the Thomas Harriot College of Arts & Sciences

Tuesday | 4-16-2019 | 2409 Joyner | 5:00-7:00pm

Interdisciplinary research presentations:

• Chekhov & Shakespeare on the Modern Stage: Two Plays in One Show, Katie Collins
• Linking Tsiokovsky’s Rocket Science to Humanities, Chase Neese
• Vertov’s Man with the Movie Camera (1929): A Formula for Modern Filmmakers, Grayce Mosier
• The Impact the of Contemporary Russian Hybrid Warfare Initiative on the U.S. and its Allies, Jason Port
• Christian Symbolism and Imagery in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment (1866), Brian Austin Thaxton
• U.S. Russian Foreign Relations: Strategic Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Agreements, Christa Gordon
• “Reading” Fashion in A. Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin: ‘Word’ as ‘Image’ in 1820s Imperial Russia, Elizabeth LaFave

Faculty Mentors: Dr. Elena Murenina, Dr. Justin Wilmes, Dr. Richard Ericson

For more info: Dr. Elena Murenina at [email protected]

2nd RUssian Studies Research Undergrad Symposium

The interdisciplinary program in Russian Studies, Departments of Foreign Languages & Literatures, History, Political Sciences, and the Thomas Harriot College of Arts & Sciences

Monday | 4-26-2021 | WebEx | 4:00-5:20pm

• Sky Chernauskas , “A Gender Analysis of the Historiographies of Catherine the Great”
• MaKenna Johnston , “City as A Space: Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment ”
• Tysen Stephenson , “The Russian Vor and Stalin’s Gulag: Breeding Generational Russian Organized Crime Groups”
• Jared Egan , “Mechanisms of Putin’s Power: Memory Politics and Re-Sovietization”

Faculty Mentors: Dr. Elena Murenina, Dr. Justin Wilmes, Dr. Richard Hernandez

Join us for virtual symposium via WebEx

REDE: Student Impact: Student Profile

As ECU division of Research, Economic Development and Engagement (REDE) states, undergraduate research empowers students to contribute knowledge, innovation and promote intellectual independence and critical thinking skills that 90 percent of employers favor in new hires.

One of the Students Profiles featured at REDE website is Chase Neese, a Biochemistry Major and a Russian Studies Minor. His winning URCA project (2019) entitled “Linking Tsiolkovsky’s Rocket Science to Humanities” (mentored by Dr. Elena Murenina), examines how one of the 19th century Russian scientists’ famous equation and vision for the future of the mankind still impacts the world today.

Chase Neese Student Profile

Project Link

Digital Humanities projects developed by our recent graduates, Spring 2021 URCA winners (mentored by Dr. Elena Murenina):

• MaKenna Johnston, City as a Space: Dostoevsky’s “ Crime and Punishment ” : Through the use of ArcGIS, this digital humanities project portrays 1860s St. Petersburg as a Dostoevskian textual and historic space.
• Masha Tallant, Folktales Across Cultures: This cross-disciplinary website brings to life Russian folktales through texts, books illustrations, animated/film adaptations, and fine arts performances.

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Student Research Opportunities

Dental student research.

Matriculating and enrolled pre-doctoral students at ECU’s SoDM are eligible for selection to participate in research through a variety of experiences: in the summer prior to entering the DMD program via the Summer Scholars Research Program , through participation in the Research Selective, as well as by engaging in group research projects as part of the course Community Oral Health Practice.

Summer Scholars Research Program Application

The Student Research Group (SRG) is a local chapter affiliated with the AADR national SRG and is an officially recognized SoDM student group. The objectives of the local chapter are to promote student research in dentistry and its related disciplines, to promote the advancement of dental research and related aspects, and to further student research. Membership is open to all predoctoral and undergraduate students expressing an interest in dental research. Past research experience is not a requirement for membership and participation in activities are not limited to members. Thus, through the SRG students are exposed to research-related activities that may influence or support their decision to pursue research. The SRG hosts journal clubs and speakers on topics of interest to their membership, and thus usually reflects clinically-relevant topics. The group provides student researchers a school presence, campus and national recognition, and social support through collegial and social activities of their own creation.

Celebration of Dental Research and Scholarship Posters Opportunities

• NIH Student Research

Undergraduate Student Research

Many undergraduate students interested in dentistry as a career seek research experiences. Similar to demonstrating interest in dentistry through clinical shadowing, pre-dental students with an interest in research are advised to demonstrate their motivation towards research with broadly applicable experiences. Valuable research experience occurs in many settings, and does not need to occur in a dental school setting in order to demonstrate a student’s interest in research. Pre-dental students are encouraged to pursue the wealth of opportunities for research available at their home institutions.

The SoDM provides research experiences for students seeking to fulfill an academic requirement associated with a specific ECU program. In those instances, the student’s faculty advisor or program director should make the initial contact with the SoDM Office of Research. The faculty request should include the student’s name and program, prior research background, and specific area of interest. Requests will be reviewed within the context of available faculty mentors and resources.

For inquiries related to student research at ECU SoDM, email [email protected] .

• Student Clinicians of the American Dental Association
• National Student Research Group

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Tuan Tran, PhD Associate Professor | Neuroscience Program Director | Director of Undergraduate Research at REDE Office: Rawl 225 | Phone: 252.328.6445 | Email: [email protected]

• Program Director, Multidisciplinary Studies BA/BS – Neuroscience
• Director of Undergraduate Research, REDE
• Faculty of the STEM Center’s Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics Program
• Past President and Treasurer, Eastern Carolina Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience
• Adjunct Faculty, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
• Adjunct Faculty, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology
• Psychology Department Graduate Faculty
• Faculty Advisor, Neuroscience Student Association

Research Agenda Behavioral Neuroscience | Developmental Psychobiology | Learning & Memory | Quantitative Neuroanatomy My research involves studying rodent models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. My lab uses behavioral tests that assess cognitive function and neuroanatomical techniques that measure brain changes. Altogether, I incorporate methodological approaches that may provide better understanding of brain-behavior relationships (i.e., behavioral neuroscience).

• In one line of research, I study fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), which includes fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other maternal alcohol-related deficits. Currently, I am examining whether early alcohol exposure in rodents leads to learning deficits as measured by eyeblink classical conditioning, the most well-studied form of associative learning in mammalian neuroscience. I also use the Morris water maze task to assess spatial and non-spatial learning/memory. To determine whether the early alcohol insult also results in brain dysfunction that correlates with the behavioral deficits, I use a variety of histological, histochemical, and morphometric techniques. It is hoped that answers about alcohol’s impact on brain-behavior relationships can be better understood in animals, and in turn guide research that examines chemical or behavioral therapies that minimize or prevent such a deplorable condition in humans.
• In another line of research, I examine rodent models of neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. I am examining behavioral and cognitive deficits in triple-transgenic (3xTg-AD) mice that bear the PS1-M146V, APP-Swe, and tauP301L mutations – mutations that lead to hallmark pathologies in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Similar to my work on FASDs, I use eyeblink classical conditioning and Morris maze testing to assess cognitive function in these mice. In collaboration with Dr. Qun Lu at the Brody School of Medicine, we hope to test the feasibility of experimental therapeutic agents that have gained much interest as of late in minimizing the impact of AD.
• In collaboration with Dr. Stefan Clemens at the Brody School of Medicine, we are examining cognitive disruptions in a rodent model of restless legs syndrome (RLS). While RLS itself is not widely known for producing cognitive deficits per se, we hypothesize that it is the lack of sleep caused by restlessness that exhausts mental resources to perform learning and memory tasks adequately.

Current Undergraduate Research Assistants

• Liz Harris, ECU Class of 2023
• Luke Jackson, ECU Class of 2024
• Esha Shah, ECU Class of 2026
• Jennette Antinore, ECU Class of 2026

Education and Post-Graduate Training

• BS, Regis University, Denver, CO
• MA, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, Experimental Psychology – Behavioral Neuroscience
• PhD, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, Experimental Psychology – Behavioral Neuroscience
• Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Associate, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis

Memory Lane

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Maybe you have already mapped your path, or maybe you’re taking life one step at a time. Whatever your situation, East Carolina University provides you with options. With the widest range of academic programs in North Carolina, you will soon discover that there is truly something for everyone at ECU. More importantly, you will find the academic support you need to make the most of your time here.

More than 5,000 faculty members and staff serve our nearly 27,000 students daily inside and outside the classroom. You will learn from expert faculty in top-rated programs that will challenge you to reach your ambitious goals.

Find Your Future

With so much to offer, East Carolina University has developed an online tool to help you explore the more than 175 degrees offered at the university, including undergraduate and graduate degrees. Degree Explorer provides you with quick access to useful information to help you find your future at ECU.

Degree Explorer >

Colleges and Schools

At ECU, you will be immersed in a vibrant and intellectually diverse community built around twelve colleges and schools, including eight that offer undergraduate degree programs..

Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences

From understanding the human condition, preserving the past or unlocking the future, Harriot College offers an amazing range of outstanding programs in the sciences and humanities.

College of Allied Health Sciences

The largest of its kind in North Carolina, the College of Allied Health Sciences prepares students for many careers in health care, including work in physical therapy, audiology and clinical lab science.

College of Business

As the largest College of Business in North Carolina, ECU offers future business leaders an outstanding opportunity for education and networking. The college has been accredited since 1967. Included within the college are the Miller School of Entrepreneurship and the School of Hospitality Leadership.

College of Education

The oldest college at ECU, the College of Education is the top provider of educators for North Carolina schools. Many of the state’s top teachers, counselors and principals started their educational careers at ECU.

College of Engineering and Technology

Over 40% of ECU students are in a STEM-related program, many of them in the College of Engineering and Technology. With an emphasis on “hands-on” education and student success, our engineering and technology graduates enjoy high demand by employers.

College of Fine Arts and Communication

The School of Art and Design, School of Communication, School of Music, and School of Theatre and Dance make up ECU’s nationally ranked and highly regarded College of Fine Arts and Communication.

College of Health and Human Performance

A leader in research and education, the College of Health and Human Performance empowers individuals and communities to maximize the great potential in human life.  The College is also home to our outstanding Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC programs.

College of Nursing

ECU’s outstanding College of Nursing produces more new nurses than any other four-year university in North Carolina. The college is consistently recognized as a national leader.

• Honors College

An outstanding opportunity for outstanding students, the ECU Honors College is a connected community with special opportunities for research, service and professional development.

In addition to these colleges, ECU is also home to many nationally-ranked and highly regarded graduate programs offered through the Graduate School , the Brody School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine .

Integrated Coastal Programs

As a leader in coastal and marine research, ECU’s Outer Banks Campus offers undergraduate students unique research and engagement opportunities. The program spans the natural and social sciences and includes faculty with expertise in geology, biology, ecology, economics, engineering, hydrology, geochemistry, human dimensions, anthropology, and maritime archaeology.

• Coastal Studies Institute
• Outer Banks Campus
• Department of Coastal Studies
• Semester Experience at the Coast

Outstanding Opportunities

Through numerous scholarships and special programs, ECU encourages and rewards your commitment to academic excellence.

• Brinkley Lane Scholars
• Early Assurance Programs
• Study Abroad
• Undergraduate Research
• 4-Year College of Education Scholarships

Discover more scholarship opportunities through the Office of University Scholarships .

Student Success

Your success as a student is our focus. We are committed to supporting your excellence and expanding your opportunities.

• Academic Advising
• Pirate Academic Success Center
• University Writing Center
• Center for Communication Excellence
• Career Services

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Dr. Anne Bunnell selected as a recipient of the Board of Governor’s Distinguished Professor of Teaching Award

• ECU Biology

The Department of Biology is very proud to share the news that Dr. Anne Bunnell, Teaching Assistant Professor, was selected to be a recipient of the Board of Governor’s Distinguished Professor of Teaching Award for 2023/2024 academic year. During Dr. Bunnell’s time at ECU, she has been a critical member of our faculty and has literally been responsible for the instruction of many thousands of students.

Dr. Bunnell’s background involves undergraduate and graduate training in biology and the instruction of biology, and she had already earned many years of valuable teaching experience at middle and high schools before coming to teach at ECU. Her depth of knowledge on matters related to general biology and environmental biology are incredibly strong but what makes her an exceptional teacher is her ability to both convey that knowledge in a way that students understand and help students develop a better understanding of the process of scientific investigation as it pertains to biology.

Aside from knowing the subject matter, some additional reasons why she has such positive impacts on her students include her significant empathy for students, her ability to help students see the connections between the biology she teaches and the everyday life of the student, and her passion for biology and learning.

By instilling a better sense of appreciation for the subject, Dr. Bunnell launches students along a path where they are more open minded to ideas presented to them via the media and have a basis for making informed decisions on matters that can impact their lives based on new information presented to them by the media, politicians, or advocacy groups. Dr. Bunnell can instill this sense of appreciation in her students by not only sharing her excitement about the topic but also by taking the time to get to know students, learning what they like, and putting in extra time to help them learn. Such empathy makes her students want to do better because they see the effort she puts into getting to know them and to teach them.

Instead of taking the easy way out and just lecturing to students and asking them multiple choice questions, she incorporates weekly discussion boards, quizzes, and assignments. This takes substantial effort to both deliver content and perform assessments so regularly and in such a variety of modes on so many students. Dr. Bunnell sees such effort as a critical means to help students learn so she invests in these approaches for the benefit of the students despite the large effort that it requires. Dr. Bunnell is not afraid to take risks and look for new ways to teach when it would help students to learn.

We congratulate Dr. Bunnell on her well-deserved recognition and celebrate her outstanding contributions to our university.

Dr. Anne Bunnell, recipient of the Board of Governor’s Distinguished Professor of Teaching Award for 2023/2024 academic year

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SURGERY RESEARCH INSIGHT

Summer 2023.

• Department of Surgery
• Division of Surgical Research

   East Carolina F ire A rm I njury R esearch

Fair alliance  .

Meeting with Sheriff Paula Dance – Pictured left to right: William Irish PhD, Chief Deputy Chauncey Congleton, Sheriff Paula Dance, Eric Toschlog MD., Reba Bullard

The recently created FAIR Alliance, a coalition of stakeholders in North Carolina formed under the direction of Dr. Eric Toschlog and the Divisions of Trauma and Acute Care and Surgical Research, is committed to supporting research and the evaluation of evidence-based practices to prevent firearm-related injury. 

The Group’s objective is to collaboratively and proactively address firearm injury prevention in North Carolina through rigorous research and evidence-based practices. By fostering interdisciplinary partnerships and transdisciplinary approaches, we aim to advance knowledge and understanding in this critical area, seeking data driven and innovative solutions to mitigate firearm-related injury both intentional and unintentional ranging from primary prevention to public policy. This team recognizes that firearm violence is an intricate public health crisis in which we aim to utilize a unique complex system science analysis of firearm injury data to understand how these social determinants of health and co-morbidities affect firearm violence. 

The FAIR Alliance Group is committed to establishing firearm injury prevention as a paramount priority in North Carolina, promoting the implementation of effective strategies, and supporting the next generation of researchers and practitioners dedicated to this cause. We strive to create a safer environment for our communities by increasing awareness, engaging with the public, and driving policy advancements based on our research findings and evidence-driven practices.

Within the first two months, the group has produced a submitted abstract entitled Gun Laws Matter: The Impact of Varying Legislation on Unintentional Firearm Hospitalizations, submitted to the 2023 National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms, November 1-3, 2023 in Chicago, IL, organized by the Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms.

Also, to note the significance of the moment on this specific topic, the most recent The North Carolina Medical Journal, featured firearm injury and violence prevention.

As a part of this feature, ECU trauma surgeon Dr. Eric A.Toschlog speaks with injury prevention epidemiologist Stephen W. Marshall about the role of clinicians and policymakers in deterring firearm injury and death in North Carolina and nationwide.

From January to September 2022, there were 2590 firearm-related emergency department (ED) visits in North Carolina, 1  with the northeastern part of the state experiencing the highest firearm-related ED visits over the previous 12 months. 2  Seeing what a firearm can do to the body has made Toschlog an advocate for consensus-driven, evidence-based policy to prevent firearm injuries and deaths in North Carolina and beyond.

In an interview with co-guest editor Stephen W. Marshall, director of UNC’s Injury Prevention Research Center, Toschlog argues for a shift in perspective among clinicians, policymakers, and firearm owners to view the gun injury and death crisis in a similar way to the opioid crisis.

Marshall S. “We Can Make Ownership Safer” – A Conversation with ECU Trauma Surgeon Eric Toschlog About Preventing Firearm Injury and Death.  North Carolina Medical Journal . 2023;84(4).  doi:10.18043/001c.81271

At the upcoming ECU Health Trauma Symposium 2023 this issue will again be front and center as our Guest Faculty Speaker, Dr. Brendan T. Campbell, will be discussing  Firearm Injury: From Primary Prevention to Public Policy. Dr. Campbell has spoken at multiple institutions across the country and nationally including CNN.

2023 marks the 20th year of this annual symposium. Trauma clinicians will be able to update their knowledge of current evidence-based practices related to a wide variety of commonly occurring emergency conditions and responses. This symposium will address the identification, management and resuscitation strategies to manage adult and pediatric trauma in rural eastern North Carolina.

The program will conclude with an interactive panel of experts discussing special cases and responding to questions from the audience.

First PCORI Submitted for Division of Surgical Research

“research done differently”.

Based upon a merit review process, our inter-departmental collaboration with the Department of Surgery and the Department of Health Services Information Management, Drs. Irish, Wong, and Burch were invited to apply to the PCORI Engagement Award Cycle 1. The primary long-term goal of this project is to improve treatment access for individuals with early-stage cancer that is potentially curative with surgery by (1) fostering collaboration between academic researchers and healthcare stakeholders to support the patient community in contributing innovative approaches to future patient-centered outcomes research and clinical comparative effectiveness research (PCOR/CER), (2) increasing the understanding of the importance of the patient community engagement to ensure research goals and dissemination of PCOR/CERresults are prioritized to those that are important to patients, and (3)enabling stakeholders to collaborate with researchers to incorporate their knowledge and experience directly in the design, implementation, and analysis of PCOR/CER.

Research funded by PCORI concentrates on healthcare challenges that confront families every day, including cancer, diabetes, maternal mortality, opioid addiction, mental health, and equitable access to care, among many others. Patients deserve to know whether some approaches work better than others for certain populations, and caregivers, clinicians, and all stakeholders also benefit from better information about different care options. With health, information is power and PCORI funds research that allows all patients to become more empowered decision-makers. Since its authorization by Congress in 2010, PCORI has awarded more than $3 billion to fund nearly 2,000 research and related projects.

PCORI’s holistic approach to generating and promoting the use of patient-centered evidence. There are four essential elements to this approach:

• Funding of patient-centered CER —to address questions important to patients and other stakeholders and to generate meaningful evidence that will allow them to make better informed health and healthcare decisions.
• Engagement —involving patients and all key health decision makers across the continuum of PCORI’s work, from research topic selection to dissemination and implementation of results, to produce research findings that are useful, relevant, and trustworthy to those we serve.
• Dissemination and Implementation —to ensure that the results of PCORI-funded studies are easily accessible and can be used by those who need them to make better informed decisions on health and healthcare.
• Research Infrastructure —including enhancing the ability of PCORnet ® to improve capacity to conduct clinical research more efficiently, improving the science and methods of CER, and supporting the continuing development of the health research workforce.

Three Abstracts Accepted at ATC 2023

Dr. David Leeser attended American Transplant  Congress, June 3-7 in San Diego, CA, representing the three East Carolina University co-authored abstracts accepted.

Clinical Utility of TruGraf Gene Expression Profile and TRAC dd-cfDNA in Immunosuppressant Adjustments: An Interim Report of the TRULO Study

C. Kew 1 , J. Fleming 2 , A. Frank 2 , A. Kawano 2 , J. Hickey 2 , L. Stach 2 , J. Weems 2 , J. Holman 2 , I. Agboli 2 , W. Irish 3 , S. Bunnapradist 4 ,  1 Univ of Alabama @Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 2 Transplant Genomics, Inc, Framingham, MA, 3 East Carolina University, Raleigh, NC, 4 David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

Impact of OmniGraf Results on Renal Function Changes Over a Year : An Interim Report of the Trulo Study

N. Leca 1 , C. Kew 2 , S. Westphal 3 , M. Karim 4 , S. Bunnapradist 5 , D. Leeser 6 , T. Alhamad 7 , J. Von Visger 8 , J. Fleming 9 , J. Holman 9 , J. Weems 9 , I. Agboli 9 , W. Irish 10 , F. Shihab 11 ,  1 University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2 Univ of Alabama @Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 3 University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 4 University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 5 David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, 6 East Carolina Univ Sch of Med, Greenville, NC, 7 Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, 8 Erie County Medical Center, Buffalo, NY, 9 Transplant Genomics, Inc, Framingham, MA, 10 East Carolina University, Raleigh, NC, 11 University of Utah Sch of Med, Salt Lake City, UT

Lack of Concordance Between TruGraf Gene Expression Profile and TRAC dd-cfDNA Results: An Interim Report of the TRULO Study

D. B. Leeser 1 , J. Fleming 2 , A. Frank 2 , J. Hickey 2 , A. Kawano 2 , D. Lazear 2 , J. Holman 2 , J. Weems 2 , I. Agboli 2 , W. Irish 3 , T. Alhamad 4 ,  1 East Carolina Univ Sch of Med, Greenville, NC, 2 Transplant Genomics, Inc, Framingham, MA, 3 East Carolina University, Raleigh, NC, 4 Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO

Division of Surgical Research Attended

Wcg magi east clinical research conference, sunday, may 21 – wednesday, may 24, 2023.

To summarize, the WCG MAGI Clinical Research Conference is a unique 3.5-day event that connects more than 700 clinical research professionals who share a deep commitment to ensuring the quality, compliance, and efficiency of clinical research that is needed to advance the delivery of therapies and devices that impact patients’ lives. Attendees include representatives from sites, pharma, biotech, CROs, academia, government, regulators, and vendors. Conferences are twice a year to discuss best practices for clinical operations, business, and regulatory compliance, advance innovation, and network.

The comprehensive educational program offers varied learning formats including, panel discussions, lectures, topical solution roundtables, the WCG MAGI Innovation Theater, and pre-conference workshops focused on innovative solutions for day-to-day problems, best practices, career development, and current hot topics.

Attendees also have the opportunity to earn continuing education contact hours.  Click here  for more information. 

 Presence at ASMBS, Las Vegas on June 25 – 29, 2023

Members of the Division of Surgical Reseach and Department of Surgery gave two talks and two poster presentations in Las Vegas on June 25 – 29, 2023 at The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the largest society in the world for the fields of metabolic and bariatric surgery. 

Understanding Disparities in Access to Bariatric Surgery

Wong JH, Pories WJ. Burch AE, Irish WD

Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for sustained weight loss, and resolution of diabetes and other co-morbid conditions.  Even so, utilization rates of bariatric surgery are low, especially in certain segments of the obese population.  We sought to understand how health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic environment, as well as physical environment, contribute to disparities in access.  Utilizing Wake as the reference county due to its ranking the highest in terms of health outcomes, we developed the Surgical Equity Index (SEI) as a measure to compare the observed vs the expected outcomes, that ranged from 0.15 to 0.95 (mean 0.47, SD 0.17) and was statistically significantly different in the 89 counties.  Utilizing a hierarchical multivariable modeling approach, our results suggest that rurality is the most powerful predictor of disparities in access to bariatric surgery in North Carolina.

Fasting Lactate: A Marker for Early Metabolic Syndrome

Pories, WJ, Broskey, N, Jones, T, DeMaria, E, Ali, A, Houmard, J, Dohm, GL

Elevated lactate levels, indicators of mitochondrial inefficiency in the processing of glucose, are widely used in acute care as indicatof severity of injury and predictors of high mortality rates. Because lactate levels are also increased in the metabolic syndrome, we explored the concept that these might serve as early markers and as an approach to staging the syndrome.

We studied 57 healthy, athletic students, (24m/33f; BMI 27.0±2.31 kb/m 2 ) enrolled in programs for training coaches. Fasting plasma lactate was 0.9 ± 0.3 mmol/L. Lactate was positively associated with visceral adiposity, triglycerides, HDL, HOMA-IR and systolic blood pressure, suggesting that lactate may be a biomarker for early metabolic syndrome.

Effect of Bariatric Surgery on the Chronic Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Patients with traumatic brain injuries frequently progress to obesity, T2D and the other expressions of the metabolic syndrome. Multiple reports, including our three-part review of the literature document that bariatric surgery improves mentation, brain function reflected by changes in functional MRI examinations and an increase in the volume of gray matter. The potential explanations include improved mitochondrial processing of glucose, the main fuel of the brain, improved mobility due to the loss of weight, correction of sleep apnea and, with the remission of the metabolic syndrome, a reduction in medications. Dr. DeMaria discussed the need for a prospective controlled study and our initial steps to develop such a trial.

Metabolic Surgery and Its Effects on the Metabolic Syndrome

The reasoning behind the broad effects of metabolic surgery with a reduction in severe obesity and T2D have yet to be explained.

Based on a review of the literature, as well as our studies in human subjects and cultures of striated muscle, the presentation proposed a hypothesis that the metabolic syndrome is due to dysmetabolic signaling from the foregut. Primarily identified from the gastric fundus, that interferes with the processing of glucose and fatty acids by mitochondria and metabolic surgery. By removing or bypassing the fundus, there was a reduction in most of the signal. Identification of the signal and the pursuit of evidence are urgently needed to combat the obesity and T2D epidemics.

Dr. Honaker Establishes a Research International Collaboration

Dr. drew honaker joins with international collaborators on several multi-institutional studies involving colon cancer..

• Dr. Drew Honaker- Department of Surgery, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
• Dr. Anas Taha and Dr. Vincent Ochs – Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Allschwill, Switzerland.
• Dr. Anas Taha – Department of Surgery, GZO Hospital, Wetzikon, Switzerland.
• Dr. Stephanie Taha-Mehlitz – Clarunis, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Dr. Honaker describes the various current collaborations with the group:

Dr. Taha initially reached out to the institution to collaborate on a multi-institutional, international project looking at patients that undergo bowel resection and associated mental health disorders. The goal of this study is to examine the impact of psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders, focusing on the patients undergoing small and large bowel surgery; as well as explore predictive modeling techniques to assess risk factors for higher morbidity.

As of today, among all institutions, there are over 7,000 patients entered into the database.

To date, we have published two manuscripts and submitted a third:

A project looking at the quality of information on robotic colorectal surgery using a machine learning algorithm called Web Scraping was recently accepted for publication in Computer Assisted Surgery (PMID 36905397). The second publication was aimed at developing and validating a prediction model for the cost of colon surgery. This was published in Frontiers in Surgery (PMID 36420401). The two submitted papers looked at the incidence of second primary tumors in patients that developed papillary thyroid cancer after the Chernobyl accident as this data has recently become publicly available for study.

In addition, we are currently working with machine learning algorithms to identify the quality of information on colon cancer that patients see when they use search engines such as google. The goal of this project is to make the medical community that cares for patients with colon cancer aware of the likely low and incomplete quality of information that they may see when they search the internet. Additionally, it will provide patients with specific resources that include quality information on diagnosis, work-up, surgical and non-surgical treatments. Dr. Jhang has recently agreed to start collaborative work in bariatrics with Dr. Taha.

Kathryn Verbanac, PhD.

Dr.  Kathryn Verbanac , professor in East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, has been named Interim Director of ECU’s Brody School of Medicine Center for Health Disparities . She joined ECU after earning a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Iowa, following her five years in biotechnology research. Verbanac’s focus on translational biomedical research has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications and over $5 million in extramural funding as PI/Co-PI, including a current award from the American Cancer Society. Her teaching responsibilities included medical and graduate courses via her adjunct appointment in microbiology and immunology. Verbanac has been consistently engaged as a research advisor and mentor for dozens of undergraduate and graduate students as well as medical residents, fellows and junior faculty.

Verbanac served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for research development and Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs from 2014-2022. In that role, she fostered faculty development and facilitated interdisciplinary research bridging ECU campuses. Verbanac also co-authored and advised grant proposals for programs to increase the access of students and faculty from underrepresented groups in biomedical careers. Her research includes projects to identify and address barriers and disparities in breast cancer education, screening, treatment and outcome in eastern North Carolina. Verbanac has served on the Internal Advisory Board of the Center since 2018.

Shawn Moore, PhD.

Jane Ellen Blackerby

J ane Ellen Blackerby, from New Bern, NC, graduated from East Carolina University in 2021 with a BS in Public Health and a concentration in Community Health. Jane Ellen completed her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at ECU in the 2023 summer. She joined our team this summer and took the role of Social Clinical Research Specialist and is excited to further her career and experience in Greenville, NC.

Two new ecuBIC Reports

ORIC and REDE IT staff have been working hard to create two new ecuBIC reports intended to aid with identifying individuals who have submitted a Project Specific Disclosure (PSD) for a sponsored project. We hope these reports will be helpful and we look forward to hearing your feedback.” Both reports are available  here   and include: 

• This report lists all individuals who have submitted project-specific conflict of interest (COI) disclosures in COI Risk Manager for a particular sponsored project using the eTRACS proposal number as the search input. Report results are delayed by one calendar day. Any active EHRA, SHRA, or CSS employee may access this report.  
• NOTE : The report does not reconcile records submitted in COI Risk Manager with those individuals listed on an eTRACS proposal.  This will still need to be done manually. 
• This report lists all eTRACS proposal numbers for which the  user executing the report  has submitted project-specific COI disclosures in COI Risk Manager. Report results are delayed by one calendar day. Any user with ecuBIC access may access this report, but only users who have submitted a COI-PSD will receive results. 

Please direct questions or comments to  [email protected]

Faculty can Receive Support to Publish Open Access Through: Open Access Phishing Support Fund

The Open Access Publishing Support Fund (OAPSF), sponsored by ECU Libraries, is available to help with article processing and open access charges for open access publishing. We welcome applications from current faculty, staff, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars or resident physicians.  

For more information about the OAPSF and to apply, please visit:   go.ecu.edu/openaccess .

For additional information and support for open access publishing, visit our Sustainable Scholarship website:   https://sustainablescholarship.ecu.edu/ .

QUESTIONS? Please contact us at   [email protected]   with any questions.

Office of Clinical Research (ORC)

The ECU Clinical Trials Office (CTO) and the ECU Health Center for Research and Grants (CRG) have integrated to become the Office of Clinical Research (OCR). As such, there will be changes in the coming months related to clinical research study startup, operations, and finance. Please feel free to reach out to  Cierra Buckman ( [email protected] ) if you have any questions. Below are a few immediate changes that have taken place:

• Ancillary Review  – For studies that utilize health system services (lab, pathology, pharmacy, etc.), we will no longer have pre-ancillary protocol breakdown meetings or ancillary workgroup meetings. Aligning with ECU ancillary processes, ancillary reviewers will manage responses in epirate as it hits their queue. We highly encourage research teams to engage the ancillary departments for studies that might require more nuanced services. Cierra is working to compile both a rubric and directory of ancillary reviewers, so please be patient as the process evolves this summer.
• Data Requests – EMR data requests will no longer require the paper form to be filled out and submitted to [email protected] . This inbox is being disabled and we will be routing all data requests (inpatient and ambulatory) through this  link .  If you have questions about this process, please email  Jason Buskirk , VP of Enterprise Data and Analytics at  [email protected] . 

NOTE: If you have EPIC access, you should be able to log in with your EPIC credentials. If you do not have access to EPIC, you can call the Help Desk at 252-847-5111 and they can put in a data request for you, or help you with getting EPIC access if needed. We will notify everyone if additional login options become available for ECU-only affiliates in the future. 

• eTracs Budget Changes for Contracts that route through the Office of Clinical Research 

For studies that would route through the Office of Clinical Research (the integrated team that was previously Clinical Trials Office and Center for Research and Grants), we are making the following changes to budgets and eTracs applications:  

• For studies where the total amount of the award  is unknown , such as studies that are paid based on enrollments, we will no longer require an internal budget . The final sponsor budget will still need to be added to the application. On the budget screen, you will enter a $0 budget rather than estimating a budget. 
• For studies where the total amount of the award  is known , such as grants or studies that are contingent on milestones, you will add all the details of the budget to the budget screen and upload a budget justification within the budget tab. You will not need to do an internal budget for these studies either. 
• For studies that will utilize ECU Health billable services , please upload a signed copy and excel copy of the final Services Review Form under the “Pre-Review Route & Attachments” tab. We will use this to generate work orders. 

       Note : for proposals routing through ORA, please continue to follow their office’s guidance. 

• CRG Pricing Process Going forward, please send pricing requests to  [email protected]  and Teresa VanHeukelom ( [email protected] ) rather than Abner and the ancillary email address. The rest of the process will stay the same. If your study will involve the health system for services, procedures, and/or treatment, please email the above contacts while preparing your IRB application once you have your SRF drafted.  Please also attach a copy of the study protocol using the following template email:  

Subject:  New Study Pricing Request [UMCIRB #]

Body of message :

Study Title:  [Short title is fine]

UMC IRB #:  [Should match ePirate]

PI:  [Full name and Department]

Where will the study take place:  [Outpatient, Inpatient, or Mix (for studies where patient may receive treatment in ECU Health Day Hospitals)]

                If “Inpatient” or “Mix” – a protocol breakdown will be scheduled.

                If “Inpatient” or “Mix” – please provide target MM/YY of SIV (if industry) or first enrollment (if not industry)

ECU Health Engagement:  [Vendor for Labs / Imagining, Treatment (Hospital Pharmacy would be responsible for drug/device), or Other]

                Please list any unusual tests / procedures in email.  Please also consult the CPT code book on the  CTO intranet  when finalizing your SRF to ensure you are using a code that hospital has in their system.

Type of Study:  [Industry sponsored, Federally Funded (medicare rates would apply), Cooperative Group, or Other]

• Compliance Reviews for Clinical Trials Changing Effective 6/28/23 

All ECUP clinical trial reviews  (new and ongoing studies) that were previously reviewed by the Office of Institutional Integrity  will be transitioned to ECU Health Compliance starting July 1 st .  As of 6/28/23, any CTPLs OII receives will be forwarded to  Carla McKeithan ( [email protected] ) .  Moving forward, please remove OII staff names (Paula Brown and Lisa Heath) from your CTPL documents, and use the updated CTPL form (attached & available on the CTO intranet ).  

Questions email Cierra Buckman ( [email protected] )

Mandatory Reseach Training for New Faculty in Clinical Departments

A new mandatory research training for new faculty hires in clinical departments provided by Cierra Buckman, MHS and Dr. Tumin, PhD has recently been announced. This will apply for faculty hires with 0.50 FTE or greater appointments July 1 st forward, though we welcome any new faculty 0.50 FTE and below or faculty (full-time or part-time) that were brought on last fiscal year as well. This training will introduce important research topics and systems at the institution and orient faculty to resources available to support their research efforts. We will offer the training session once a quarter. All sessions will be held in-person. Below is the schedule for fiscal year 2024:

• July 27 th from 9 am to 11 am
• October 26 th from 9 am to 11 am
• February 8 th from 9 am to 11 am
• April 25 th from 9 am to 11 am

All new hires need to attend a session within their first year at the institution. To schedule, please email Cierra Buckman and Dr. Tumin the faculty’s name, a copy of their CV, and which session they will be attending at least one week prior to the session date. A reminder email will be sent out two weeks before each session.

Acute Care Surgery

In July, ECU Department of Surgery’s two Acute Care Surgery Fellows will be advancing their surgical careers! Thank you for your outstanding service!

Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine Residency: East Carolina University/ECU Health Medical Center, Greenville, NC

What’s next? Lee Health Trauma in Ft Myer’s Florida

Greatest accomplishment while at ECU Health: “ Becoming a Trauma Mama! I’ve learned how to successfully balance my commitment to my patients and still be present for my family.”

Surgical Research Areas of Interest: Pediatric Trauma Prevention

Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Residency: University of Louisville School of Medicine

What’s next? Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, WA with former ECU fellow Dr. Mike Parmely.

Greatest accomplishment while at ECU Health: “ I was most proud of being trusted to operate on a staff member. Everything went well!”

Surgical Research Areas of Interest: Quality Improvement Initiatives

CONGRATULATIONS to our 2023 Research Residents on their abstract submissions, presentations, education advancements and awards accomplished in their Research Year!

Greatest research accomplishment this year: POEM study completion.

Research areas/projects that I will continue: “I would like to continue foregut research with thoracic surgery and plastic surgery research.”

Greatest research accomplishment this year: “It’s tough to start and finish projects in only a year! That being said, the project I presented at the American Venous Forum in Feb 2023 is the best accomplishment this year. Although, I believe my Endologix paper will be exciting when we submit it to JVS. Outside of the actual projects, learning how to construct an IRB from start to finish in addition to becoming efficient at data collection/analyzing is an accomplishment I’m proud of.”

Research areas/projects that I will continue: Through ECU I will continue to be part of the Trauma, Glyburide and Papaverine projects. I’m also still working with Dr. Fleming and Dr. Yamaguchi on vascular surgery project ideas. Through UNC I will continue to work on my Endologix project.

Greatest research accomplishment this year: “Presenting our research at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the subsequent publication of our CABG AKI manuscript in JTCVS”

Research areas/projects that I will continue: “ Several projects in both cardiac and thoracic surgery are ongoing and I will continue to work on them over the next couple years of residency. The project I am most excited about currently is a cost analysis of the non-narcotic protocol being used on our thoracic surgery service that we hope to present at a national meeting later this year.”

Greatest research accomplishment this year: “Winning the GME research week award.”

Research areas/projects that I will continue:

“I hope to continue my ongoing research in cancers of the colon, appendix and pancreas.”

Scholarships, Awards & Achievements:

June 2023: Congrats to Dr. Jesse O Mendes for completing his MBA from East Carolina University during his research year!

June 2023: Resident Awards Day:

Webex meeting recording: Surgical Grand Rounds 6.21.23-Resident Awards

Password: ZgFPYx*2

Recording link: https://ecu.webex.com/ecu/ldr.php?RCID=5890e1ac25c1f38cce17a6ec217b264b

Dept of Surgery Residents –  GME Research Week award winners

Oral Presentations

Best Oral Presentation: Outcomes in Cardiac Valvular Surgery in Patients with Substance Use Disorder in a Rural Tertiary Medical Center

• Dr. Jacob Owen (General Surgery)

Clinical and Basic Science Research 

Best Poster: Implementation of a Multimodal Pain Management Protocol Does Not Increase Hospitalization Cost After Thoracic

• Dr. Tia Sutton  (General Surgery)

Honorable Mention Poster: Infectious Complications After Modified Purse-String Stomal Closure

• Dr. Scarlett Hao (General Surgery)

Brody Scholars:

Brooke Allen

Amanda Landry

Brody Med Students:

Arvind Mallikarjunan – Transplantation                                                                                  

Kegan Cox – Trauma 

My name is Kegan Cox and I am an M2 at Brody School of Medicine. I am originally from Wilmington, NC and obtained my B.S. in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Medical Anthropology at UNC Chapel hill. Prior to my matriculation to medical school, I worked as a clinical research coordinator for the Trauma/ ACS Department at CMC Main in Charlotte, NC. Here I cultivated a love for both research and surgery. I am thankful for the opportunity to continue pursuing research while in medical school!” 

Campbell University, DO Students:

Rachel Grant

David Cole Mueller

MPH Students:

Efosa Iyore – MPH 

Emilyn  Free – MPH 

My name is Emilyn Free and I am currently in the MPH program here at East Carolina University with a concentration in Epidemiology .I am from Salisbury, NC but received my undergraduate degree in Medical Studies from Lenoir-Rhyne University. In my free time I enjoy hiking and listening to music. I look forward to spending the summer in this department.

Medical Students interested in surgical research

The mission of the Division of Surgical Research is to improve patient care, provide education in the pursuit of clinical and basic science investigations and health services research, and offer support to faculty, residents and students in the conduct, analysis and reporting of scientific inquiry.

If you are interested in getting involved in surgical research, contact [email protected] to provide a brief orientation and review of your research interest/s.

Surgical Research Clinical Trials

Currently enrolling studies, (january 2023 – june 2023).

• Anastasios T Mitsakos, Eftechios Xanthoudakis, William Irish , Walter C Robey 3 rd , Rebecca M Gilbird, Jessica Cringan, Carl E Haisch . The Resource Costs of Maintaining Learner Utilization of Simulation Center During the COVID-19 Am Surg. 2023 May. doi: 10.1177/00031348211058637
• Fallon Ngo, Richard D Urman, Wayne English, Shanu Kothari , Eric DeMaria , Anupama Wadhwa. An analysis of enhanced recovery pathways for bariatric surgery-preoperative fasting, carbohydrate loading, and aspiration risk: a position statement from the International Society for the Perioperative Care of Patients with Obesity. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2023 doi:10.1016/j.soard.2022.12.030
• Anastasios T Mitsakos, William Irish , Eric J DeMaria, Walter J Pories , Maria S Body mass index and risk of mortality in patients undergoing bariatric surgery . Surg Endosc. 2020 February. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09651-7
• Matthew J Martin, Karen J Brasel, Carlos V R Brown, Jennifer L Hartwell, Marc de Moya, Kenji Inaba, Eric J Ley, Ernest E Moore, Kimberely A Peck, Anne G Rizzo, Nelson G Rosen, Jordan A Weinberg, Raul Coimbra, Marie Crandall, Kaushik Mukherjee, Romeo Ignacio, Shannon Longshore , Katherine T Flynn- O’Brien, Grace Ng, Leigh Selesner, Mubeen Jafri. Pediatric Emergency Resuscitative Thoracotomy: A Western Trauma Association, Pediatric Trauma Association for the Surgery of Trauma Collaborative Critical Decisions Algorithm . J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2023 doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004055
• Veronica Urbik, Zahra Mohseni, Dmitry Tumin, Shannon Longshore . In-Person school attendance and adolescent exposure to injury-related risk behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Prev Med. 2023 June. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107502
• Anas Taha, Stephanie Taha-Mehlitz, Niklas Ortlieb, Vincent Ochs, Michael Drew Honaker , Robert Rosenberg, Johan F Lock, Martin Bolli, Phillippe C Cattin. Machine learning in pancreas surgery, what is new? Literature review . Front Surg. 2023 June. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2023.1142585
• Brandon Peine, Kieran J Ved, Tyler Fleming, Ying Sun, Michael D Honaker . Syphilitic proctitis presenting as locally advanced rectal cancer: A case report . Int J Surg Case Rep. 2023 June. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108358
• Michael D Honaker , William Irish, Alexander A Parikh, Rebecca A Snyder. ASO Author Reflections: Rural- Urban Disparities in Colon Cancer Care: Trying to Close the Gap . Ann Surg Onc. 2023  doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-13381-y
• Michael D Honaker , William Irish, Alexander A Parikh, Rebecca A Snyder. ASO Visual Abstract: Association of Rural Residence and Receipt of Guideline Concordant Care for Locoregional Colon Cancer . Ann Surg Onc. 2023 June. doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-13403
• Michael D Honaker , William Irish, Alexander A Parikh, Rebecca A Snyder. Association of Rural Residence and Receipt of Guideline- Concordant Care for Locoregional Colon Cancer . Ann Surg Onc. 2023 June. doi: 1245/s10434-023-13340-7
• Scarlett Hao, David Meyer, Charles Klose, William Irish , Michael D Honaker . Association of distance traveled on receipt of surgery in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer . Int J Colorectal 2023 Jan. doi: 10.1007/s00384-022-04300-w
• Joshua R Aldridge, Seth A Quinn, Brandon S Peine, William D Irish , Eric A Toschlog . A Statewide Analysis of Predictors of Trauma Center Transfer. The Burden of Non-Clinical Factors. Am Surg . 2023 May. doi: 1177/00031348231173938
• Seth A Quinn, Stephen E Gregg, Nicole Garcia, Yuanyuan Fu , William Irish , Eric A Toschlog . Patterns of Platelet Mapping Thromboelastography Abnormalities in Trauma . Am Surg. 2023 March. doi: 1177/00031348231161668
• Christina M. Regelsberger-Alvarez , Christopher Pfeifer. Richter Hernia . 2023 Bookshelf ID: NBK537227
• Scott Friedberg, David Choi, Thomas Hunold, Natalie K Choi, Nicole M Garcia , Emma Picker, Nathaniel A Cohen, Russel D Cohen, Sushila R Dalal, Joel Pekow, Atsushi Sakuraba, Noa Krugliak, Cleveland, David T Rubin. Upadacitinib Is Effective and Safe in Both Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease: Prospective Real- World Experience . Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023 Jul. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2023.03.001
• Brandon Peine, Yuanyuan Fu , SaeRam Oh, Seth Quinn, J Preston Bethea, O Jesse Mendes, Linda Kindell, William Irish , Shahab A Akhter. Impact of Timing of Urgent Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Following Coronary Angiography on Acute Kidney Injury . J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023 June. doi: 1016/j.jtcvs.2023.05.042
• Joshua E McGee, Kate S Early, Anna C Huff, Marie C Clunan, Nicole R Hursey, Briceida Osborne, Colleen Bucher, Charles Tanner, Savannah B Brewer, Patricia M Brophy, Angela Clark, Walter J Pories , Laura E Matarese, Joseph A Houmard, David Collier, Linda E May, Joseph M McClung, Conrad P Earnest, Damon L Swift. Effects of weight loss and weight loss maintenance on cardiac autonomic function in obesity: a randomized controlled trial . Appl Physiol Nutri Metab. 2023 May. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2023-0025
• A M Ali, E J DeMaria , Walter J Pories . Comment on: The role of preoperative toxicology screening in patients undergoing bariatric surgery . Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2023 March. doi: 10.1016/j.soard.2022.12.009
• Damon L Swift, Joshua E McGee, Emily E Grammer, Anna C Huff, Marie C Clunan, Nicole Hursey, Taylor T Brown, Briceida G Osborne, Joseph A Houmard, Robert A Carels, Walter J Pories , Laura E Matarese. The effect of exercise training level on arterial stiffness after clinically significant weight loss . Clin Obes. 2023 February. doi: 10.1111/cob.12584
• Kylie N Nowicki, Walter J Pories . Bacteria with potential: Improving outcomes through probiotic use following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass . Clin Obese. 2023 February. doi: 10.1111/cob.12552
• Helen M Johnson, Anas Mohamed, Muhammed M Hassan, Joseph Geradts, Lauren Geisel, Nasreen A Vohra, Jan H Wong . Race-Related Differences in the Clinical Presentation and Histopathologic Features of Phyllodes Tumor . Am Surg. 2023 March. doi: 10.1177/00031348211029841

We could all use a little good news, so share yours with the Surgical Research Team!

We are looking for you to share any grants, abstracts, manuscripts and/or research related activity.

Send your good news (and photos) to our division email ( [email protected] ) to be included in the next SURE Monthly Insider or Biannual Insight Newsletter.  

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Overview and Introduction

The U-M Beckman Scholars Program is a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional transfer students who intend to graduate with honors in Chemistry or Biology. We are looking for students who intend to pursue graduate studies and a research career in one of these fields or biomedical sciences. Beckman Scholars will be matched with top faculty researchers in Chemistry or Biology and will receive a student stipend of $18,200, a student scientific supply and travel stipend of $2,800, and a $5,000 stipend for the student's mentor. This is to support their research over two summers plus one academic year (fall and winter semesters). Scholars will participate in supplemental professional development opportunities and receive one-on-one coaching to support their applications to graduate programs and major funding opportunities such as the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the  Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation .

Application Deadlines

Applications Open: Final Monday of January (1/29/24) OPEN AN APPLICATION HERE.

Application Deadline: Monday, March 4th at noon (3/4/24)

Selection Notification: mid-March.

Eligibility

Eligibility:.

Transfer Student Status: A transfer student is defined as one who began their undergraduate career as a degree-seeking student at another 2-year or 4-year institution. Students who took dual enrollment or non-degree courses in high school do not qualify as transfer-status for the purpose of this scholarship.

Citizenship: US citizenship or permanent resident status is an eligibility requirement for our funding source for this program, the Beckman Foundation.

Intended Graduation Date: Scholars must be able to commit to the full 15-month experience, including two full-time summers of research at U-M. Applicants must plan to graduate no sooner than December 2025.

Intended Major: As a condition of the scholarship, scholars must graduate with honors from one of the majors offered by Chemistry or Program in Biology. (These include Chemistry; Biochemistry; Biomolecular Science; Interdisciplinary Chemical Sciences; Biology; Biology, Health, and Society; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; Cellular and Molecular Biomedical Science; Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity; Microbiology; Plant Biology; or Neuroscience.) To graduate with honors, a scholar must complete an approved senior thesis in one of these majors. Scholars do not need to be current members of the LSA Honors Program to apply. You will join the Honors Program by declaring an honors major in your department as part of the Beckman Scholars Program.

Research Career: Scholars must have a good faith intention to apply to a PhD program or MD-PhD program in chemistry, biology, or biomedical sciences and pursue a research career in academia, industry, or government labs such as the NIH, CDC, etc.

Application Instructions

Application instructions:.

Advising: Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to  set up an advising appointment  with ONSF to discuss their interest in the program.

Create Your Application: Please click the " OPEN AN APPLICATION " link here or above to begin. You can return to this application at any time by clicking on this same link.

Recommenders: Your first task will be to select at least one and no more than two faculty recommenders. The letters should come from faculty research mentors and/or instructors of STEM courses. Letter writers can be from U-M, from your previous institution, or from external STEM research opportunities. Instructors or mentors from non-STEM courses or research experiences are not preferred, but will be accepted. The recommendations should speak to your ability to flourish in a 15-month research experience at U-M and potential for the career aspirations discussed in this application. If you have questions about potential letter writers, please reach out to [email protected] to request an appointment. You should discuss the letter ahead of time with your potential recommender, either by email or in person. Once they have agreed to write, go to your Beckman Scholars Application, scroll to the bottom of the page and enter the contact information for your recommenders. This will send them an automated email inviting them to upload their letters. You can then save a draft of your application to return later. Ideally, you should request letters at least three weeks before the deadline. So, as soon as you’ve decided to apply, ask for the letters and then work on the application itself.

Application Questions: The Beckman Scholars application contains several short essay questions regarding your future career goals and specific interest in the program. You should plan to discuss these with ONSF or with a trusted mentor. You are not expected to have concrete and specific plans at this point. A benefit of the application process, and ultimately the Beckman Scholars Program itself, is the opportunity to explore and develop your plans for the future.

Potential Research Mentors: As part of the application, you will be asked to identify three potential research mentors with whom you’d like to work. A list of potential Beckman Scholars Faculty Mentors can be found below. You should spend some time looking through the biographies and research interests of these faculty members on the  Chemistry ,  EEB , and  MCDB  Departmental websites as well as their individual lab websites.

Beckman Scholars Faculty Mentors:  Bart Bartlett  (Chem),  Ken Cadigan  (MCDB),  Matthew Chapman  (MCDB),  Vincent Denef  (EEB),  Ursula Jakob  (MCDB),  Tim James  (EEB),  Adam Matzger  (Chem),  Anne McNeil  (Chem),  Ann Miller  (MCDB),  Melanie Sanford  (C),  Nathaniel Szymczak  (Chem),  Patricia Wittkopp  (EEB),  John Wolfe  (Chem).

Resume and Transcripts: To complete the application, you will need to upload PDFs of your resume, UM transcript, and transcripts from your previous institutions. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. Your resume should highlight any previous research experience, as well as other curricular and co-curricular activities.

Submitting Your Application: When you have completed all the questions and uploaded your documents, scroll to the bottom of the application and hit Submit. This will lock your application. However, you do not need to wait for your recommenders to submit their letters before submitting. You must submit your application by 12 noon on the first Monday of March. Late applications will not be accepted. However, we will continue to accept letters after the deadline. As long as you’ve submitted your application on time, it will be considered even if a letter writer fails to submit before the deadline.

Interviews: The final step in the application is a brief interview with a committee composed of a few  faculty mentors from our list. You’ll be asked to discuss your future research plans, any previous research experience, your interest in the program, and your reasons for selecting the specific research mentors named in your application. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive more specific information and advice from ONSF.

This application process has been designed not only to provide the selection committee with the information they need to select out Beckman Scholars, but also to help you reflect upon your future research goals. If at any time you have questions, please reach out to  [email protected]  for guidance.

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