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Research Experiences to Advance the Careers of HBCU Undergraduates at the University of Utah (REACH U2) in Health Disparities Research

The purpose of REACH U2 is to provide undergraduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in North Carolina with an intensive ten-week summer research experience under the mentorship of a University of Utah faculty member, with the goal of preparing participants for enrolling in competitive graduate programs. REACH U2 offers opportunities to gain hands-on research experience in disciplines at the intersection of health disparities and biomedical research, including cancer research, public health, and bioinformatics.

Co-funded by the School of Medicine (SoM) and Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), the program is led by Dr. Kola Okuyemi, Chair of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and HCI Executive Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and complements core research conducted by faculty in the SoM and cancer researchers at HCI. Dr. Okuyemi collaborates with a consortium of HBCUs led by Dr. Raymond Samuel, Professor at North Carolina A & T State University on recruitment and placement of student participants.

REACH U2 is partnered with the Office of Undergraduate Research and its Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR). SPUR is a nationally competitive opportunity that provides undergraduate students with an intensive 10-week summer research experience under the mentorship of a University of Utah faculty member. The program provides opportunities to gain research experience in a variety of disciplines.

The REACH U2 program runs from May 24 through August 3, 2023. The deadline to apply to REACH U2 is January 29, 2023. For questions, contact madeline.romney@utah.edu

Kolawole Okuyemi portrait

Kolawole S. Okuyemi, MD, MPH