INSPIRE

INfectious Diseases Summer Program Integrating Research at Emory

The objective of INSPIRE is to prepare 48  undergraduate students from throughout the country for a career in infectious diseases (ID) research by implementing a 10-week summer research experience, delivering courses for professional and research skills development, and establishing a mentorship program. At the same time and in preparation, the program will strengthen the mentoring capacity of the institution by conducting workshops in mentoring and facilitation for post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty and faculty who are research mentors. 

Aims

  1. Implementing an in-person summer research experience at Emory University.
  2. Instill skills in professional development and research by delivering in-person and online career guidance to how to enter medical and graduate school and pursue a path in research and healthcare.
  3. Support trainees in their ID research career by creating a welcoming research environment and providing mentors who have been trained in research mentorship.

Approach

In Aim 1, undergraduate students will be matched with a research mentor and a laboratory or clinical field site for a 10-week in-person summer research experience that will result in an abstract and poster presentation at a research symposium conducted at the end of the period. In Aim 2, we will deliver in-person and online courses on: a) career guidance to enter medical and/or graduate school; b) biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research topics related to the NIAID mission. In Aim 3, we will: a) conduct Mentoring Up workshops for 75 post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty; and b) provide workshops on mentoring and facilitation for 87 faculty members who are research mentors.  

  • Anita Corbett
  • Zanthia Wiley
  • Michael H. Chung

  • Chris Beck
  • Annelys Roque Gardner
  • Tracey Henry
  • Cora MacBeth
  • Paulina Rebolledo

  • Emory University

How to Apply

INSPIRE is now accepting applications from Emory and non-Emory undergraduates who will be juniors or seniors in the 2026-2027 academic year. The summer research experience portion of the program will run May 26 – July 31, 2026.

The Application has Two Paths:

  • Current Sophomores or Juniors in Emory College of Arts and Sciences:
    • Apply through the CollegeConnect Portal by clicking this link and selecting the Application Center in the navigation menu.
  • All Other Sophomores or Juniors:

Applicants will be asked to provide a CV, transcript, reference letter, personal statement, and career goals statement. Please apply by January 23, 2026.

If you have any questions about the application, please reach out to Kristen Walden at kawalde@emory.edu.

Funding

INSPIRE is funded through a US National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) grant: R25 AI175048.

INSPIRE Participants and their Emory Research Mentors

  • Mya Osibogun (University of Miami) - Nadine Rouphael, MD (Research Mentor); Melody Palmore, MD (Identity Mentor)
  • Sasha Forniss (Xavier University) - Colleen Kelley, MD (Research Mentor); Boghuma K. Titanji, MD (Identity Mentor)
  • Yasha Joseph (Emory University) - Zanthia Wiley, MD (Research Mentor); Nadine Harris, MD (Identity Mentor)
  • Simone Lester (Howard University) - Erin Scherer, PhD (Research Mentor); Sophia Hussen, MD (Identity Mentor)
  • Alejandro Chavarria (Broome Community College) - Sohail Khoshnevis, PhD (Research Mentor); Paulina Rebolledo, MD (Identity Mentor)

  • Brandon Artis, North Carolina A&T University

    • Research mentor: Cheryl Day, associate professor, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University Department of Microbiology and Immunology
    • Identity mentor: Zanthia Wiley, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases 

    Nkemka Chukwumerije, Wesleyan University

    • Research mentor: Anandi Sheth, professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
    • Identity mentor: Igho Ofotokun, professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

    Bella Grace Parker, Stetson University

    • Research mentor: Marcin Grabowicz, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
    • Identity mentor: Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

    Daelyn Pena, Columbia University

    • Research mentor: Sohail Khoshnevis, assistant professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry
    • Identity mentor: Paulina Rebolledo, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

    Taylor Richardson, Spelman College

    • Research mentor: Stephanie Pouch, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
    • Identity mentor: Melody Palmore, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

    Angel Santos, University of Puerto Rico

    • Research mentor: Gonzalo Vasquez Prokopec, associate professor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Winship Distinguished Research Professor in Environmental Sciences
    • Identity mentor: Annelys Roque Gardner, assistant professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases