Assessing an Undergraduate Diabetes Research Training Program at the University of Virginia

Diabetes is one of the largest global epidemics, necessitating training for a new generation of scientists and physicians to work on the disease. Undergraduate research experiences can build an educational pipeline for talent in these professions. A NIH-sponsored summer diabetes research internship at the University of Virginia provided undergraduates with opportunities to engage in basic sciences/clinically focused projects mentored by faculty, in areas such as diabetes-related epidemiology, genetics, complications, cell therapy, bioengineering, and artificial pancreas. Lectures, laboratory skills workshops, clinical shadowing, professional development seminars, and a journal club supplemented the intern experience. The post-program survey indicated high satisfaction. Future activities will focus on expanded publicity and recruitment, as well as identification of faculty mentors who can serve as role models for underrepresented individuals in the sciences.