10 scholars attended an inaugural Summer Program from May to July, 2023, launched by GWSPH’s Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and the Institute for Brain Health & Dementia and Boston University’s Framingham Heart Study-Brain Aging Program. The Expanding the Pipeline to Graduate Research in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (EPGRAD) scholars spent half their training experience at GW from May 22 to June 16 and the other half at Boston University from June 19 to July 14.
The EPGRAD Program is a fully funded intensive two-month summer training experience for undergraduates from diverse and underrepresented communities that encourages and prepares them to pursue graduate studies. Ultimately the program’s purpose is for these students to go on to careers in research on aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, and related dementias – with the goal of increasing diversity and inclusivity of the research workforce in these areas. With a duration of five years, the program is entirely supported by the National Institute on Aging.
During the four weeks at GW, these young scholars engaged in rigorous activities of research, training, independent study, lectures, labs and seminars on a spectrum of Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) topics from both epidemiological and biostatistical perspectives. They collaborated with GWSPH faculty to seek academic and career mentorship and also met with GWSPH admissions to explore graduate school and careers. GWSPH faculty included Dr. Adam Ciarleglio (DBB), Dr. Melinda Power (DEPI), Dr. Meg Ulfers (DEPI), Loretta DiPietro (DENS), and Dr. Emma K. Stapp (DEPI). More information is available here.
Beyond the classroom, these students visited the Capitol to meet with DC Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and also toured the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda. These field trips enabled them to understand the distinct responsibilities of both policymakers and researchers in influencing ADRD research. They also sought to unwind during leisurely excursions to the Washington Nationals baseball game and a National Symphony Orchestra concert to view a performance of “Romeo and Juliet” at the Kennedy Center.
