Pathway to Discovery in Molecular Medicine
Projects and Legacies
The experiential activity for medical students is a fifth year in which the student will undertake an appropriately designed, year-long laboratory research experience after year three and before year four of the core medical school curriculum. Examples of projects include:
Use of Site-directed Mutagenesis to Explore the Role of ARF1 in Membrane Traffic and Organelle Structure
Modeling Myocardial Development Using Engineered Human Embryonic Stem Cells
The Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor, Alpha Gene Variation in a Hispanic Kindred Ascertained for Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia
Heme Regulation in Traumatic Brian Injury: The Role of Heme Oxygenase-2
Each student will be assigned an advisor at UCSF who will work with the student to identify three or more research mentors, chosen from the list of approved mentors in the MMP, with whom the student should interview. The advisor cannot be the research mentor. The list of approved research mentors, who may be faculty from any of the UCSF schools, will be developed by the MMP Executive Committee, based on the mentors' qualifications and interests in providing one-year research experiences for health professions students. The student will explore potential research projects with the mentors and report back to the advisor with what he/she has learned. The advisor will help the student in picking the research laboratory in which the most appropriate, best-designed year-long project is available. Each advisor will report to the Director of the MMP on the student's decision and that the student and research mentor have discussed and signed a required "memorandum of understanding" that outlines student and mentor responsibilities and expectations for the research project.
Successful completion of the program will result in graduation with an M.D. with Thesis and Certificate in Molecular Medicine.
Project abstracts and posters are available online to UCSF learners with Galen IDs. Undergraduate Professional School learners can use the link below. Other UCSF learners who wish to access this material can contact Pathways to Discovery Coordinator, Renee Courey.
Undergraduate Professional School Learners
