BSCD Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Bioimaging for Oncology and Related Disciplines (SURFBOARD) - 2024

BSCD Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Bioimaging for Oncology and Related Disciplines (SURFBOARD)

We run an interdisciplinary summer research program in biomedical imaging. A total of four undergraduate fellows will take part in this initiative (ideally two students majoring in the biological sciences and two students majoring in the physical/mathematical sciences or IME). Fellows will be trained in the quantitative and computational methods needed for acquiring, managing, and analyzing large image datasets. These image datasets are used to diagnose, monitor, and guide treatment of diseases ranging from cancer to vascular disease. Potential techniques range from high-intensity focused ultrasound to deep learning for artificial-intelligence driven interpretation of medical images. The development of the skills acquired in this fellowship will serve students well in a variety of subsequent research or career paths.

The fellowship consists of three components: (1) a series of weekly lectures on the basic scientific underpinnings of biomedical imaging technology; (2) a mentored research experience pairing fellows with a faculty mentor; (3) development of a final research report and research presentation with encouragement to submit the research results as abstracts to national meetings. Funding will be available to travel to and attend such meetings.

During the course of the summer, we will try to arrange “field trips” to observe clinical areas of the radiology department, such as the interventional radiology suite and the cyclotron facility, to gain an understanding of the clinical side of biomedical imaging.

The Fellowship covers a $5500 stipend for the summer research period.

We are strongly committed to recruiting a diverse student population into all of our programs.

Potential projects:

Armato: Development of computerized methods to identify pathologic change over time in chest radiographic images

Bader: Assessment of liquefaction of tissue with therapeutic ultrasound through shear wave elastography 

Chen: Molecular imaging and theranostics for early detection and improved treatment of major diseases

Giger: Advancing machine learning in quantitative medical image analysis for precision medicine

La Riviere: Development of microscopy acquisition and analysis methods for neurodevelopment

Job Title and Work Location

Title: Undergraduate research fellow

Location: University of Chicago medical center

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The SURFBOARD fellows will spend 37.5 hours per week in the summer quarter participating in the program. In addition to time spent on research, the fellows are expected to attend all weekly lectures, mentored group research meetings, and the lab meetings of the faculty mentor with whom they are working. Developing scientific communication skills will be a critical part of the program. As such, we will expect each student to write a short final report in the format of a scientific paper with abstract, introduction, methods, results, and conclusions. We will encourage the students to submit versions of these reports as abstracts to national meetings or even journal papers and letters if the research progress merits. We will also require an oral presentation at a final research symposium.

Requirements

Requirements will vary based on project. Some familiarity with computer programming (especially Python and Matlab) will be useful for many of the projects but is not strictly necessary.

Class Level Eligibility

All classes are eligible. Some projects may benefit from experience with more advanced coursework in biological or physical sciences.

Required Materials

Applications should include the following: 

·               Statement of Interest or Cover Letter: Approx. 250 words. Please state here your interest in biomedical imaging and any quantitative and computational skills you have.

·               Resume or CV

·               Unofficial Transcript

Please submit all materials as PDF files.  

Please Note: If you are applying to multiple BSCD Fellowship Grants, please fill out the following BSCD Preference Form - https://careeradvancement.wufoo.com/forms/bscd-research-2024/

Expiration Date

April 1st, 2024