The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Aging has awarded associate professor and principal investigator Thomas Nathaniel, PhD, FWSO, FAHA and the School of Medicine Greenville a five-year, $1.8 million NIH R25 Grantto provide research experience and academic enrichment as a way to prepare underrepresented students (URMs) for graduate programs in biomedical sciences. The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Research Education Program (REP) for underrepresented students (NIH R25 Grant).
 
This project provides a ten-week summer experience that will provide biomedical research opportunities under the guidance of expert faculty, professional development workshop training and science/journal club meetings in aging research, networking with other young scholars and researchers in the field of aging, and presenting at a research symposium with oral and poster presentations. REP students will receive a collaborative and empowering culture of scientific research, that allows them to exhibit high self-efficacy in biomedical research, while developing career goals as a result of participating in our biomedical science research summer REP. A newly added Program Coordinator role will support the grant.

Co-investigators for the grant are Renee Chosed, Richard Goodwin, Sergio Arce, Lauren Fowler, Mohammed Khalil and Brooks Mcphail.