# IMSD at Rush University

> **NIH NIH T32** · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $326,473

## Abstract

Project summary/abstract: National data on career choices of emerging scientists indicate that less than 25%
pursue a traditional independent pathway in an academic environment. This grim reality is even worse for
underrepresented minorities (URM), who represent 39% of college age individuals yet only 13% of PhDs in life
sciences. In 2015, we were awarded a NIGM R25 Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (Rush-IMSD).
Rush R25-IMSD was charged with training pre-doctoral URMs in biological sciences at Rush University in
Chicago, IL. Although Rush R25-IMSD was a budding program, we achieved an impressive track record in our
first 5 years of training and retaining of PhD URMs students, some of whom received F31s and/or research
supplement awards. This formal structure dedicated to URM PhD training, a first at Rush, was instrumental in
building alliances to promote URM education within and outside of our university. Specifically, Rush R25-IMSD
is a documented success aligned with institutional commitment for diversity and inclusion.
 With the recognition that minorities continue to be underrepresented in PhD life science programs, and
consequently the biomedical workforce does not reflect the diversity of our nation, we propose a new program
for training of URM PhD students at Rush University under a T32 mechanism (as NIGM is phasing out R25
IMSDs). The pillars of T32 IMSD-Rush is a triad of rigorous mentoring, education, and research training of pre-
doctoral URM students through harnessing the expertise of nationally recognized mentors and program faculty
across several departments. Three students per year will be selected to participate in T32 IMSD-Rush and
supported for the first three years of matriculation (an additional participant will be under institutional support).
Together, we expect a cohort of 20 students over five years. The overarching goal of T32 IMSD-Rush will be
attained through two interrelated specific aims:
 1) Train emerging URM scientists in technical and operational basis of discipline-based research:
T32 IMSD-Rush will be inter-and multidisciplinary program for training of URM PhD students in one of several
disciplines (immunology/microbiology, physiology and biophysics, cell and molecular medicine, neurologic
sciences, orthopedics/bioengineering). Participants will select a discipline and be matched with a primary mentor
who along with nationally recognized leaders will guide the research development of the participant from idea
conception to successful execution (e.g., the operational phase of training include knowledge acquisition,
rigorous experimental design and data interpretation). Participants will also be trained in highly innovative and
cutting-edge technology that can be used across disciplines to address impactful scientific questions and
discoveries through designated workshops in imaging (live cell imaging, CT scans, confocal microscopy), small
animal models (animal care, humanized mice, transgenic rats),...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10337199
- **Project number:** 5T32GM139785-02
- **Recipient organization:** RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Lena Al-Harthi
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $326,473
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-02-01 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10337199

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10337199, IMSD at Rush University (5T32GM139785-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10337199. Licensed CC0.

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