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School of MedicineHome /Student Affairs /Student Resources /Research Opportunities

Student Affairs -- Research Opportunities

How Do I Get Involved in Research?

TUSOM students have plenty of opportunities available for getting involved in research. Finding a project to match your interests and the time which you can commit may take some initial legwork, but once you find a project which intrigues you, the rewards are many. Use the resources below and along the side of this page to learn about what research is currently happening at Tulane, and who to contact to become involved.

 
Select Recent Tulane University School of Medicine Student Publications

  • Carney, M.J., Matatov, T., Freeman, M., Miller, J., Vemula, R., Schuster, J., Dancisak, M., Lindsey, J., & Rae, G. Clinical, biomechanical, and anatomic investigations of colles fascia and pubic ramus periosteum for use during medial thighplasty. Annals of Plastic Surgery, 2017;78, Supplement 5: S305-S310.
  • Wu, E.L., Riley, C.A.., Hsieh, M-C, Marino, M.J., Wu, X-C, & McCoul, E.D. Chronic sinonasal tract inflammation as a precursor to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and sinonasal malignancy in the United States. International Forum of Allergy, 2017; 7: 786-793. PMID: 28741841
  • Anaissie J, Hellstrom WJ. Clinical use of alprostadil topical cream in patients with erectile dysfunction: a review. Research and Reports in Urology. 2016;8:123-131. doi:10.2147/RRU.S68560.
  • Anaissie J, Yafi FA. A review of surgical strategies for penile prosthesis implantation in patients with Peyronie’s disease. Translational Andrology and Urology. 2016;5(3):342-350. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.04.04.
  • Anaissie, J.E., Powers M.K., & Hellstrom, W.J.. Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum for the pharmacological management of Peyronie’s disease. Drugs Today (Barc). 2015, Aug; 51(8): 457-468. PMID: 26380384.
  • Anaissie J, Yafi FA, Hellstrom WJG. Surgery is not indicated for the treatment of premature ejaculation. Translational Andrology and Urology. 2016;5(4):607-612. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.03.10.
  • Anaissie J, DeLay KJ, Wang W, Hatzichristodoulou G, Hellstrom WJ. Testosterone deficiency in adults and corresponding treatment patterns across the globe. Translational Andrology and Urology. 2017;6(2):183-191. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.11.16.
  • Anaissie, J.E., Monelzun, D.J., Siegler, J.E., Waring, E.D., Dowell, L.N., Samai, A.A., George, A.J., Kimbrough, T., Berthaud, J., & Martin-Schild, S.. Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator for wake-up stroke: a propensity score matched analysis. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease. 2016 Nov; 25(11): 2603-2609. PMID: 27476340.
  • Anaissie, J.E., Monlezun, D.J., Seelochan, A., Siegler, J.E., Chavez-Keatts, M., Tiu, J., Pineda, D., George, A., Shaban, A., Abi Rafeh, N., Martin-Schild, S., & El Khoury, R. Left atrial enlargement on transthoracic echocardiography predicts left atrial thrombus on transesophageal echocardiography in ischemic stroke patients. BioMed Research International. 2016; 2016: 7194676. PMID: 27822477.
  • Anaissie, J.E., Yafi, F.A., Traore, E.J., Sikka, S.C., & Hellstrom, W.J. Impact of number of cycles of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum on outcomes in patients with Peyronie’s Disease. Urology. 2017 Feb;100:125-130. PMID: 27816605.
  • Bateman ME, Strong AL, McLachlan JA, Burow ME, Bunnell BA. The Effects of Endocrine Disruptors on Adipogenesis and Osteogenesis in Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Review. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2016;7:171. doi:10.3389/fendo.2016.00171.
  • Bateman M.E, Strong A.L, Burow M.E, Wang G, Boue S.M, Bunnell B.A. Bone Formation: Roles of Genistein and Daidzein. In Yamaguchi M, ed. Daidzein and Genistein: Food Sources, Biological Activity, and Health Benefits. Nova Publishers; 2015: 111-168.
  • Bateman, M. E., Strong, A. L., McLachlan, J. , Burow, M. E. and Bunnell, B. A. (2016). The Effects of Endocrine Disruptors on Mesenchymal Stem Cells. In Stem Cells in Toxicology and Medicine, S. C. Sahu (Ed.). doi:10.1002/9781119135449.ch11
  • Edward JA, Pankey E.A, Jupiter R.C, Lasker G.F, Yoo D, Reddy V.G, Peak T.C, Chong I, Jones M.R, Feintech S.V, Lindsey S.H, Kadowitz P.J. Analysis of erectile responses to bradykinin in the anesthetized rat. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2015 Aug;309(3): H499-511.
  • Monlezun, D.J. To succor the sick: crossroads of U.S. healthcare’s future and Charity Hospital’s past. Journal of Medicine & the Person. 2014, Apr; 12(1): 28-30.
  • Monlezun, D.J., Tsai, P., Sarris, L., & Harlan, T.S. Recipe for cancer education: a novel integrated cooking and nutrition education curriculum for medical students and physicians in dietary preventive and supplemental treatment for pancreatic cancer. Journal of Medicine & the Person. 2014, Dec; 12(3): 125-128.
  • Monlezun, D.J., Bittner, E.A., Christopher, K.B., Camargo, C.A., & Quraishi, S.A. Vitamin D status and acute respiratory infection: cross sectional results from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2006. Nutrients. 2015, Mar; 7(3): 1933-1944. PMID: 25781219.
  • Monlezun, D.J., Leong, B., Joo, E., Birkhead, A.G., Sarris, L., & Harlan, T.S. Novel longitudinal and propensity-score matched analysis of hands-on cooking and nutrition education versus traditional clinical education among 627 medical students. Advances in Preventive Medicine. 2015, Sep; 2015(656780): 1-9. PMID: 26435851.
  • Monlezun, D.J. Getting (human) value-based payments right: neuroeconomic personalism in Thomistic-influenced human rights and duties-based global bioethics (THRD-GB). Journal of Medicine & the Person. 2015, Aug; 13(2): 135-136.
  • Monlezun, D.J., Kasprowicz, E., Tosh, K., Nix, J., Urday, P., Tice, D., Sarris, L., Harlan, T.S. Medical school-based teaching kitchen improves HbA1c, blood pressure, and cholesterol for patients with type 2 diabetes: results from a novel randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2015, Aug; 109(2): 420-426. PMID: 26002686.
  • Monlezun, D.J., Urday, P., Baranwal, P. et al. Cooking up better doctors as teachers globally: a novel integrated nutrition and cooking class curriculum for pediatric residents to boost their competencies and attitudes in patient counseling. J Med Pers (2015) 13: 125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12682-014-0199-9
  • Monlezun, D.J., Ly, D., Rolfsen, M. et al. Digital photography assessment of 1,750 elementary and middle school student lunch meals demonstrates improved nutrition with increased exposure to hands-on cooking and gardening classes. J Med Pers (2015) 13: 129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12682-014-0203-4
  • Monlezun, D.J., Matamoros, N., Huggins, C., Michaud, D., Sarris, L., & Harlan, T.S. Biting into integrated quality improvement: medical student and staff blinded taste test for sodium reduction improving medical education and care? Journal of Medicine & the Person. 2015, Aug; 13(2): 112-117.
  • Monlezun, D.J., Camargo, C.A., Mullen, J.T., Quraishi, S.A. Vitamin D status and the risk of anemia in community-dwelling adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2006. Medicine. 2015, Dec; 94(50): 1799. PMID: 26683908.
  • Sawyer D.M., Amenta P.S., Medel R., Dumont A.S. Inflammatory mediators in vascular disease: identifying promising targets for intracranial aneurysm research. Mediators Inflamm. 2015;2015:896283. doi: 10.1155/2015/896283. Epub 2015 Apr 1. Review. PMID: 25922566.
  • Sawyer DM, Pace LA, Pascale CL, et al. Lymphocytes influence intracranial aneurysm formation and rupture: role of extracellular matrix remodeling and phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2016;13:185. doi:10.1186/s12974-016-0654-z.
  • Bice JB, Leechawengwongs E, Montanaro A. Biologic Targeted Therapy in Allergic Asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2014; 112: 108-115.
  • Burkett BJ, Bennett AC, Castillo-Jorge S, Garza-Garcia L, Palacios E, Nguyen JB, Neitzschman HR. Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Bilateral Hyperintensities in the Globus Pallidi. Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society, 168: 68-70.
  • George AJ, Boehme AK, Siegler JE, et al. Hospital-Acquired Infection Underlies Poor Functional Outcome in Patients with Prolonged Length of Stay. ISRN stroke. 2013;2013:312348. doi:10.1155/2013/312348.
  • George AJ, Boehme AK, Dunn CR, et al. Trimming the fat in acute ischemic stroke: an assessment of 24-h CT scans in tPA patients. International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society. 2015;10(1):37-41. doi:10.1111/ijs.12293.
  • Scullen T, Monlezun DJ, Siegler JE, George AJ, Schwickrath M, El Khoury R, Cho MC, Martin-Schild S. Cryptogenic Stroke: Clinical Consideration of a Heterogeneous Ischemic Subtype. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 24(5): 993-999, 2015.
  • Göksenin AY, Zahurancik W, LeCompte KG, Taggart DJ, Suo Z, Pursell ZF. Human DNA Polymerase Epsilon is Able to Efficiently Extend from Multiple Consecutive Ribonucleotides. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287(51): 42675-84, 2012.
  • Hsu RC, Burak J, Tiwari S, Chakraborti C, Sander GE. Chagas Cardiomyopathy in New Orleans and the Southeastern United States. The Ochsner Journal. 2016;16(3):304-308.
  • Landefeld K, Saleh Q, Sander GE. Stress Cardiomyopathy in the Setting of COPD Exacerbation. Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports. 2015;3(4):2324709615612847. doi:10.1177/2324709615612847.
  • Ohlstein JF, Strong AL, McLachlan JA, Gimble JM, Burow ME, Bunnell BA. Bisphenol A Enhances Adipogenic Differentiation of Huma Adipose Stromal/Stem Cells. J Mol Endocrinol 53(3): 345-353, 2014.
  • O’Malley TJ, Fava GE, Zhang Y, Fonseca VA, Wu H. PROGRESSIVE CHANGE OF INTRA-ISLET GLP-1 PRODUCTION DURING DIABETES DEVELOPMENT. Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews. 2014;30(8):661-668. doi:10.1002/dmrr.2534.
  • Oronce CI, Shao H, Shi L. Disparities in 30-Day Readmissions After Total Hip Arthroplasty. Med Care 53(11): 924-930, 2015.
 
Basic/Bench Research

Students interested in basic/bench research should contact Dr. Diane Blake for more information.

More information on research conducted in these areas can be found here.

 
Clinical/Translational Research

Students interested in clinical/translational research should contact Dr. Vivian Fonseca for more information.

More information on research conducted in these areas can be found here.

 
DeBakey Scholars Program

Students interested in The DeBakey Scholar Program should contact Dr. Kenneth Mitchell for more information.

More information on this program can be found here.

 
Physician Scientist MD/PhD Program

Students interested in the Ph.D./MD program should contact Dr. James Robinson for more information.

More information on this program can be found here.

 
Population & Public Health Research

Students interested in population and public health research should contact Dr. Tonette Krousel-Wood for more information.

More information on research conducted in these areas can be found here.

 
Clinical Department Research Contacts

  • Anesthesiology – Contact primary researcher; see research page
  • Dermatology -- Opportunities for students to get involved in research are available, including clinical trails, research with residents, and student-initiated studies. Please contact the department for more information: Dr. Andrea Murina , Dr. Laura Williams, Dr. Brittany Stumpf
  • Emergency Medicine -- There are several different research opportunities, including basic science, clinical and social science research. Contact our Research Director, Dr. Lisa Moreno-Walton, for more information.
  • Family Medicine -- Contact either Dr. Rade Pejic or Dr. Kiernan Smith for information about current opportunities to get involved with research.
  • Internal Medicine -- We have over 100 faculty in the department of medicine, and there are research opportunities available in most areas. One way to find out about research in the department and to make some contacts is to attend our research conference. These are held the 3rd Monday of the month at noon in the 7th floor library (room 7001) of the School of Medicine building.
  • Neurology -- To learn about recent research conducted in neurology, click here . Please contact Dr. Roger Kelley for more information on how to get involved.
  • Neurosurgery -- There are laboratory opportunities with Dr. Dumont , working on an animal model of aneurysm formation and rupture. There are also various clinical projects ongoing at different times. Currently, there is a project evaluating different technologies for the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology -- Students are encouraged to directly email faculty with whom they would like to work.
  • Ophthalmology -- Please contact Dr. Delmar Caldwell for more information about research opportunities in ophthalmology.
  • Orthopaedics -- The Orthopaedics Department has numerous research opportunities, including in clinical, basic science, biomechanical, and education related studies. They hold research meetings about every six weeks and any students interested in orthopaedics are welcome to attend. Students can find out about dates through the Orthopaedics Interest Group. They are strongly encouraged to join, as this group will provide them with a lot of information about orthopaedics. Additionally, Erica Moore (Residency Coordinator) can share this information with students.
  • Otolaryngology -- The Department of Otolaryngology has research opportunities in health care disparities, health care delivery, rhinology and oncology available. Please contact Dr. Paul Friedlander for more information.
  • Pathology -- To learn more about research opportunities in pathology, contact Bea Delucca, Dr. Skrikanta Dash, Dr. Erik Flemington, Dr. Gilbert Morris, or Dr. Tong Wu .
  • Pediatrics -- For research opportunities, please contact the Vice Chair for Pediatric Research, Dr. Stacy Drury .
  • Psychiatry -- There are multiple areas of research occurring within the Department of Psychiatry including: Infant Mental Health – the effects from neglect and deprivation, Collaborative care models, Genetics – the effects on DNA from stress and trauma, Schizophrenia and outcomes with first-episode psychosis intervention, PTSD in children and the best treatment modalities, PTSD and family therapy. There is a research webpage where details on how to get involved can be accessed.
  • Radiology -- For research opportunities, please contact the Vice Chair for Education in Radiology, Dr. Jeremy Nguyen.
  • Surgery -- The Surgery Department focuses research on Minimally Invasive Surgery, Robotic Surgery, Surgical Education, Endocrinology, Oncology, Transplant, and Trauma. Call Tulane Surgery Education Department (504.988.7123) for more information.
  • Urology -- Our faculty is a very productive one – both in basic sciences and clinical research projects. Each faculty member can be approached individually, so as to filter out what would best suit one’s requirements and career goals
 
Calls for Student Researchers

This section contains contact information SPECIFICALLY seeking student researchers. If you are a faculty researcher who would like to advertise for a student researcher, please email Dr. Katrina D’Aquin.

  • McSwain Trauma Group: If you’re interested in getting involved in research, keep reading! I am looking for 3 students to help data collect for a project I am working on with the McSwain Trauma Group. The research pertains to sleep hygiene protocols in the ICU. The data collection will need to take place in person in the Tulane ICU. The goal will be to have 3 students rotating weekly for a few weeks, so the time commitment will be minimal. Also, we will show you everything you need to know about the data collection process and will get you access to Meditech. No experience necessary! We will start data collecting in the very near future as this project is already ongoing. Please email me if you would like to get involved or would like more information! This is a great way to get involved in research if you have been looking to do so! And the McSwain Trauma Research Group is a great group to be a part of. Contact Caitlin Cook.
  • OCP Use & Yeast Overgrowth: My name is Domnica Fotino, I am an internist at Tulane who also has an interest in integrative medicine (I have a private practice once a week), and am interested in conducting research on yeast overgrowth/candidiasis/systemic candidiasis/candida-related complex . Specifically, I’m interested in looking at OCP use and yeast overgrowth, or BMI and yeast overgrowth. Contact Dr. Domnica Fotino.
  • Mechanisms of Lung Disease Related to Environmental Exposures: I have an interest in a medical student joining my laboratory. My research interests are mechanisms of lung disease related to environmental exposures. More detailed information can be gathered from my website in the Pathology Department. Contact Dr. Gil Morris .
  • Tulane Center for Autism & Related Disorders :We constantly have the need for data entry assistance. We have an extremely large database that we need updating on a weekly basis, which holds the data form our diagnostic evaluations that are completed on patients coming to the center. We have 2 other projects that we have been trying to get off the ground, but have not finished the IRB submissions. One is on the benefits (health and social) of learning how to ride a bicycle in children/adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Bike riding is a skill that is significantly delayed if ever even learned in children with ASD, but there is some qualitative research that suggests bike riding increases overall functioning in activities of daily living, social, and health domains. The second is a comparison of improvement in speech/language skills in very young children depending on the setting of the intervention (i.e., home, school, clinic). Contact Dr. Lisa Settles .
 
Summer Opportunities

  • The AAMC maintains a database including both clinical and research experiences, which can last for the summer or throughout a year.
  • The National Institutes of Health offer a Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research , which allows students to spend a summer working at the NIH. Additionally, their Medical Research Scholars Program trains clinician-scientists in biomedical and health research.
  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital offers a Cancer Research Opportunity Summer 2019, which offers a unique opportunity for students preparing for careers in the biomedical sciences, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychology or public health to gain biomedical and oncology research experience.
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center offers a Medical Student Summer Fellowship Research Program which includes clinical and laboratory research experiences, as well as a paid stipend. Applications become available on Dec. 10, 2018 at 8 am CST and close January 8, 2019 at 4 pm CST.
  • Harvard-Longwood Short-Term Research Training in Vascular Surgery provides seven medical student research fellowships  for 10-12 weeks of summer research training in molecular and cell biology, biomechanics, coagulation and thrombosis, and angiogenesis, with a focus on clinically relevant problems such as atherogenesis, intimal hyperplasia, prosthetic/host interactions and thrombosis. Trainees will pursue a program of intense research activity for a minimum NIH mandatory requirement of 8 weeks and an additional week in the beginning for the onboarding process. This training program is designed to provide medical students with an initial exposure to vascular surgery research. See their website for  more details. Application deadline is January 15, 2019.
 
Funding Opportunities

The Reasearch and Mentorship Program (RAMP) Scholar Awards are designed to attract African-American and Latinx medical students who want to make a difference in their communities and contribute to the development of an effective HIV vaccine. This program provides funding for independent research projects in clinical, laboratory, or social-behavioral research, career mentoring, access to HIV vaccine research expertise, and much more. For details, see their brochure, visit the RAMP webpage or contact Jenna Udren via email. Deadline for initial contact with mentor is Dec. 7, 2018.

The Warren R. Bourgeois, III, MD and Usha Ramadhyani Bourgeois, MD Student Research Endowed Fund is a generous endowment which provides support each year to one or two first year medical students for a summer research experience in the Department of Physiology. The donation provides, but is not limited to, stipends, grants, and assistance with conference attendance, travel and other expenses related to the recipients’ research experience. This research experience for medical students brings to the student a potential dual career in research as well as medicine. It reveals to the student they can be involved both in the healing of a patient and in the process of finding cures. For more information, please contact Dr. L. Gabriel Navar, Professor and Chairman, Department of Physiology, SL-8639, 504.988.5251.

The Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship is designed to foster the development of the next generation of medical researchers. First, second and third year medical students from schools with active AOA chapters are eligible for this award, unless the medical student already has a Ph.D. For information on applying for this highly competitive award, please go to The Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship webpage.

The DeBakey Scholars Program offers medical students the opportunity to pursue and complete a longitudinal structured, closely supervised research experience culminating in a capstone presentation prior to graduation. Limited summer funding is available for projects and students who qualify. More information on this program can be found here.

Many professional societies provide competitive grant funding for research. The links below should take you directly to the grant pages for the societies listed:

 
Tulane Opportunities and Resources