Student Research Training Program

The Vanderbilt Medical Research Student Research Training Program (SRTP) is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and allows medical students to conduct research under the direction of an established scientist in the areas of diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, or digestive disease at Vanderbilt during the summer between the first and second year or second and third year of medical school.

SRTP offers three areas of emphasis: 
  • Diabetes and Obesity
    Research areas include pancreatic islets/insulin secretion, neuroscience related to obesity and diabetes, carbohydrate physiology, hormone action/signal transduction, immunology related to diabetes, complications of diabetes, exercise physiology, and patient education or behavior related to diabetes. Click here for more information.
     

  • Kidney Disease
    Research areas include diabetic nephropathy, immune-mediated kidney disease, kidney fibrosis, hypoxia and cellular signaling, metabolism and inflammation in acute and chronic kidney disease, and psychosocial aspects of kidney disease. (Students selected for this program will participate in the Vanderbilt Center for Kidney Disease Student Research Training Program in Kidney Disease.) Click here for more information.
     
  • Digestive Disease
    Research areas include epithelial integrity, gastrointestinal development and function, gastrointestinal physiology, inflammatory bowel disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, and GI-related cancer. 

Participation Dates

Students must participate for a minimum of two calendar months between June and August and participate in the research symposium at Vanderbilt on Wednesday, July 28th and Thursday, July 29th.

Program staff will assist students in selecting an appropriate research project and preceptor. Prior research experience is not required. In addition to working on his/her own research project, each student attends a series of seminars addressing various clinical and research aspects of diabetes mellitus and its complications, kidney disease, and digestive disease.

Each student receives a stipend of approximately $2,100 per month.

Students spend 2-3 months at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The Vanderbilt Medical Student Research Training Program (SRTP) Summer 2021 application is now available via the link below.

SRTP 2021 Application 

Application deadline: January 18th, 2021, 11:59 PM Central


Contact Information 

Student Research Training Program (SRTP)
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
2213 Garland Avenue
7465 MRB IV
Nashville, TN 37232
Phone: (615) 875-6072
E-mail: stu.res@vumc.org


The Vanderbilt Medical Student Research Training Program is supported by the Vanderbilt Short Term Research Training Program for Medical Students (NIH grant DK007383), Vanderbilt Research Training in Diabetes and Endocrinology (NIH grant T32 DK007061), and the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (NIH grant DK20593).