Enhancing Virology Training Summer Research Program

A student researcher pours a liquid into a sample dish.

The overall goal of “Enhancing Virology Training (ENVIT) through Summer Research” is to prepare and increase the number of underrepresented minority (URM) students in virology-focused careers through didactic, hands-on, mentored, and career-development training.

  1. Provide students with a 10-week virology research training that include didactic lectures in fundamentals of virology and career-development topics for a virology-focused research and education career.

  2. Promote evidence-based education in virology by training the students on the methods in fundamental virology research and specialized research techniques in a laboratory setting.

  3. Engage each student with leading virology researchers (faculty mentor, students, postdoctoral fellows and staff) to stimulate their interest to consider further education and training in the area of virology.

  4. Develop oral and poster presentation skills of students through scientific presentations of their research internally at MMC Virology Summer Symposium and externally at one national conference.

  1. Fully Paid Summer Research Experience in cutting edge virology focused research.

  2. Obtain didactic and hands-on training in basic, translational and/or clinical research.

  3. Mentored research training in the laboratory of highly accomplished investigators.

  4. Participate in weekly research seminar series in virology

  5. Participate in small-group learning sessions in virology

  6. Improve interview and oral presentation skills

  7. Training in critical and independent thinking

  8. Interact with faculty and students at Meharry and Vanderbilt

  9. Present and participate in local and national meetings on virology focused research

Chandravanu Dash, Ph.D.
MMC

Research Interests:
Retroviral Replication, Antiviral Drug Target
Website >

Chris Aiken, Ph.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
Molecular Biology of Retroviruses
Website >

Vladimir Berthaud, M.D.
MMC

Research Interests:
Clinical Virology, Clinical Immunology
Website >

James Crowe, M.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
Vaccines, Viral Immunology
Website >

Mark Denison, M.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
Viral Replication, Antiviral Drug Development
Website >

Xinhong Dong, Ph.D.
MMC

Research Interests:
Virus Assembly, Budding and Release
Website >

Iveline Georgiev, Ph.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
Vaccines, Viral Immunology
Website >

David Haas, M.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
HIV Pharmacogenomics and Clinical Trials
Website >

Spyros Kalams, M.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
Vaccines, Viral Immunology
Website >

John Karijolich, Ph.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
Virus Replication
Website >

John Koethe, M.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
Clinical Virology, Immunology and Clinical Trials
Website >

Bindong Liu, Ph.D.
MMC

Research Interests:
Retroviral Replication
Website >

Simon Mallal, MBBS
VUMC

Research Interests:
Clinical Immunology and Clinical Pathology
Website >

Kristen M. Ogden, Ph.D.
VUMC

Research Interests:
RNA Virus Replication
Website >

Jui Pandhare, Ph.D.
MMC

Research Interests:
HIV-associated Neuronal Dysfunction
Website >

Waldemar Popik, Ph.D.
MMC

Research Interests:
Molecular Virology
Website >

Byeongwoon Song, Ph.D.
MMC

Research Interests:
Viral Replication and Host Factors
Website >

Hua Xie, Ph.D.
MMC

Research Interests:
Viruses and Oral Biology
Website >

Leadership

Dr. Chandravanu Dash_0697SQ

Chandravanu “CV” Dash, Ph.D.

Program Director

LStewart HeadshotSQ

LaMonica Stewart, Ph.D.

Associate Program Director

Dr. Jui Pandhare_0701SQ

Jui Pandhare, Ph.D.

Virology Mini-Course Director

Dr. Muthu photo

Muthukumar Balasubramaniam, Ph.D.

Virology Research Laboratory Training Director

Evangeline Motley-Johnson

Evangeline Motley-Johnson, Ph.D.

Chair of the Program Advisory Committee (PAC)

Application

Learn a little more about applying to the program.

 

 

 

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Eligibility

Students must be US citizens or permanent residents

 

Currently enrolled in medical school, dental school, or a PhD graduate program

 

Have an interest in pursuing biomedical research

 

Have a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0

Key Dates

February 5th: Application Deadline

 

March – April: Notification of acceptance into program

 

Mid May – July: ENVIT Program

A black woman researcher looks at a computer screen. A black male researcher does the same in the background.

Meet our Scholars

[coming soon]

FAQ

An admissions and selection committee will be responsible for choosing the students who will participate in the summer program based on the application, letters of recommendation, academic performance (GPA), and potential interest in an academic research career.

Students will be asked to rank their top four labs (or research areas) in order of interest on their application form. This information will be used by the admissions and selection committee to match applicants with an appropriate mentor.

Fully Paid Training Program. Travel to and from Nashville, Housing, Subsistence (participants can use to cover cost of transportation, meals, etc.)

Program Email:
MeharryENVIT@mmc.edu

Chandravanu “CV” Dash, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology

Phone: 615.327. 6996
Email: cdash@mmc.edu

LaMonica Stewart, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology

Phone: 615.327.6749
Email: lstewart@mmc.edu