# Summer Undergraduate and Postbacc Experiences in Genomic Medicine (SUPER-GM)

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2024 · $271,841

## Abstract

Realizing the promise of genomic medicine to improve disease diagnosis, predict outcomes, and guide
treatment for the entire population depends on engaging and educating individuals from underrepresented and
diverse backgrounds. This need is especially applicable to Alabama and the surrounding region, where a large
proportion of the population experiences health care disparities, where there is a large African American
population, and where many students—from both advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds—pursue
undergraduate education in the state university system or in Historically Black Colleges or Universities
(HBCUs) in the region. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is committed to furthering the national
goal of increasing the diversity of the biomedical workforce and is ideally positioned to do so in the field of
genomic medicine. UAB ranks among the top 5% of U.S. universities based on all federal research and
development expenditures and in the top 1% of all public, private, and international organizations funded by
the National Institutes of Health. UAB is internationally recognized for its diversity and education programs.
UAB has an outstanding record of successful training for undergraduate, graduate, and other professional
school students from diverse backgrounds and has established several programs to aid undergraduate and
post-baccalaureate (postbacc) students from underserved groups who aspire to doctoral and other
professional careers (e.g., UAB PREP Scholars Program). This R25 renewal proposes to leverage and build
on the environment and expertise at UAB to develop the Summer Undergraduate and Postbacc Experiences in
Research in Genomic Medicine (SUPER-GM), built off of the foundation from our prior Summer Undergraduate
Research Experiences in Genomic Medicine (SURE-GM) program. The current SURE-GM program has had
46 scholars from nine HBCUs successfully participate. SUPER-GM is SURE-GM reimagined as a summer
program with a year-long possible postbacc extension tailored for HBCU undergraduate students that will
provide more scholars with the necessary skills, exposure, and experiences to succeed in graduate and/or
professional training in genomic medicine. To do so, we propose to expand the SUPER-GM summer research
and professional development experience for rising undergraduate seniors (Aim 1), establish a SUPER-GM
postbacc research and professional development experience for selected individuals who have completed the
SUPER-GM summer experience and graduated with a STEM degree (Aim 2), and grow the SUPER-GM
recruitment and engagement program with our HBCU partners (Aim 3). Implementation of these Aims, coupled
with the robust assessment and review process we established during SURE-GM, will lead to greater
participation of underrepresented students in the biomedical workforce, a greater diversity of scientists and
physician-scientists engaged in biomedical research, and a greater appreciation of the roles and poten...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10987510
- **Project number:** 2R25HG010028-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Brittany Nicole Lasseigne
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $271,841
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2018-09-24 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10987510

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10987510, Summer Undergraduate and Postbacc Experiences in Genomic Medicine (SUPER-GM) (2R25HG010028-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-14 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10987510. Licensed CC0.

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