Sims-Lucas, Celedón Receive NIH R25 Grant to Expand Summer Internship Program

Sunder Sims-Lucas, PhDPitt Pediatrics congratulates Sunder Sims-Lucas, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Nephrology, and Juan C. Celedón, MD, DrPH, professor and director of the Division of Pulmonology, on their receipt of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R25 grant to expand and diversify the Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP) at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh offering summer research experiences to underrepresented minority students in the fields of heart, lung and blood research.

SRIP is an annual summer internship for undergraduate college students to obtain experience in research laboratories. Participants learn the rationale, design strategies, methods and other aspects of biomedical research as research interns. Training is provided under the direct supervision of University of Pittsburgh faculty and research personnel within the Department of Pediatrics and several affiliated School of Medicine programs in Oakland. Weekly career development and research seminars are also offered to participants, alongside "rounding" for those interested in clinical medicine.

Juan C. Celedón, MD, PhD

The training program concludes with a required poster presentation where student interns discuss results of their research with faculty, physicians, and staff at Pitt Pediatrics and Children's Hospital.

Sims-Lucas and Celedón will use this new R25 grant to offer additional paid internship positions specifically to URM students to participate in heart, lung and blood pediatric subspecialities. 

For more information about SRIP, visit their website.

(Photo credit: UPMC Creative Services)