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 2025-2026 academic year. We collaborate with the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) at Emory for the application process.

The application involves two steps:

  1. Create a College Connect account with Emory College of Arts and Sciences
  2. Then, apply using this link and make sure to select the application for INSPIRE.

Applicants will be asked to provide a CV, transcript, reference letter, personal statement, and career goals statement. Please apply by January 20, 2025.

If you have any questions about the application, please reach out to Amandine Zoonekyndt at aballa3@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