# Stanford Undergraduate URM Summer Cardiovascular Research Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $102,430

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The goal of this R25 program is to increase the numbers of underrepresented minorities (URMs) pursuing
careers in cardiovascular research by providing URM undergraduate students with a short-term mentored
research experience in the laboratories of members of Stanford Medicine’s Cardiovascular Institute (CVI).
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the US. However, these diseases do
not affect all US subpopulations equally. African Americans and Latino/Hispanic Americans experience a
significantly higher risk of death or disability from heart disease or stroke. African Americans, Latino/Hispanic
Americans, Native Americans, and some Asian sub-populations also experience increased risk of developing
type 2 diabetes, which is itself a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. These groups, which constitute a growing
fraction of the US population, have historically been medically underserved by both clinics and medical research.
Due to problems with both the recruitment and retention, African Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans and
Native Americans are significantly underrepresented in the medical and basic cardiovascular research
workforce. This shortage of African, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American medical and research professionals
contributes to the scarcity of medical care for at risk minority populations because people are more likely to seek
out care from individuals that are members of their own ethnic group. In terms of cardiovascular research,
minority researchers are more likely to focus on and be aware of environmental, genetic, and behavioral
variations between groups that can affect diagnosis and treatment. It has been shown that participation in
mentored research increases the degree to which undergraduate URM students identify as scientists and persist
in academic and medical research career. However, because there are more undergraduates seeking research
experiences than there are available positions, many undergraduate students, particularly URMs, lack the
opportunity to perform independent research in an academic lab.
This R25 will: 1) provide undergraduate URMs with technical training and experience in cardiovascular
research; 2) provide URMs with cardiovascular researcher mentors and role models; and 3) build
relationships between Stanford Medicine and local & national minority-serving institutions. Stanford
Medicine in general and the CVI in particular are known for excellence in cardiovascular research. The Program
Directors (Wu, de Jesus Perez, and Red-Horse) and Program Faculty involved in this R25, many of whom are
themselves URMs, have state-of-the-art research programs spanning population outcome, clinical and
translational, and basic cardiovascular research, and welcome the opportunity to mentor R25 trainees. Together
they have the mentoring expertise and the resources to support R25 trainees though in this program.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10021034
- **Project number:** 5R25HL147666-02
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** VINICIO A DE JESUS PEREZ
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $102,430
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-19 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10021034

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10021034, Stanford Undergraduate URM Summer Cardiovascular Research Program (5R25HL147666-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10021034. Licensed CC0.

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