The Summer Training in Academic Research (STAR) Program, led by Pediatrics faculty members Drs. Kanecia Zimmerman and Danny Benjamin has for many years offered summer research experiences for local high school and undergraduate students. Former participants have been deeply engaged in biomedical research at Duke and nearly all have become co-authors on scientific papers.
This year, through generous support from the Biogen Foundation, P&N faculty members Drs. Nancy Zucker and Gregory Samanez-Larkin will assist Dr. Zimmerman in a neuroscience expansion and extension to STAR. The core STAR program will be expanded to include neuroscience content and a new neuroscience extension will bring STAR program alumni into Duke neuroscience labs during the academic year.
This new neuroscience extension to STAR will also engage doctoral students in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience to serve as mentors for STAR program participants. P&N graduate students who would like to be considered as a Biogen Doctoral Fellow should email Drs. Zucker and Samanez-Larkin with a brief letter outlining their interests in mentoring high school and undergraduate students in neuroscience research projects. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2021.
Duke undergraduates who might be interested in participating in the STAR program can find more information HERE. The website will be updated when applications open for the summer of 2021.