# Summer Environmental Health Sciences Training Program

> **NIH NIH T35** · UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE · 2021 · $49,738

## Abstract

Abstract:
This proposal is a competing renewal application for a T35 short term medical student summer training
program in environmental health science research that has been funded by NIEHS for 15 years. The Specific
Aims are: 1) To provide hands-on training in basic and clinical environmental health-based research to medical
students in a structured, mentored environment; 2) To provide an interactive, educational experience that
introduces medical students to the fundamental skills necessary for basic, translational, and clinical
Environmental Health Sciences-based research. The Distinction in Research Track (DIR), a feature added in
the previous award period, enhances training for our students to function as environmental health sciences
specialists in an academic health center setting. This NIEHS T35 training program encourages students to
participate in the DIR for a continued longitudinal research experience in the 2nd – 4th years of medical training,
allowing them to develop research-oriented skills to complete a clinical or translational research project in the
third/fourth years. Publication of peer-reviewed articles, as some trainees have achieved, as well as the
strength of residency training and first permanent position as physician-scientists are tracked as outcomes.
The program will support training of 8 second year medical students in environmental health sciences research
topics related to chemical exposure induced chronic diseases including diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver
disease, obesity, cancer and hormonal regulation of metabolism. UofL medical students in the top half of the
first year class choose from research projects submitted by 23 mentors in the Schools of Medicine and Public
Health (ranking them 1-5 for interest). Trainees to be appointed to the T35 training grant are selected after in-
person meetings between trainees and mentors to assure `fit'. A successful effort has been made to recruit
students from underrepresented minorities and disadvantaged backgrounds. During the 11-week summer
training, students work with mentors on their research project in clinical or laboratory settings and complete
training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (topics include: reproducibility, fabrication and falsification of
data, plagiarism, managing scientific data, publication practices, mentorship, responsible authorship,
stewardship, conflict of interest). Trainees working with human subjects complete human subject and IRB
training prior to beginning their research. Trainees who use vertebrate animals in mentors' labs complete and
pass IACUC training courses. All trainees will attend a weekly “Environmental Health Sciences Conference”
designed to introduce clinical and translational research in environmental health sciences to T35 trainees. The
conference culminates with each Trainee presenting his/her research project to peers and mentors. Trainees
also present the results of their research as posters with peers at a School...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10205784
- **Project number:** 2T35ES014559-16
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
- **Principal Investigator:** Matthew C Cave
- **Activity code:** T35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $49,738
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2021-08-13 → 2027-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10205784

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10205784, Summer Environmental Health Sciences Training Program (2T35ES014559-16). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10205784. Licensed CC0.

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