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The Program is designed to be the first step in a research program that will be sustained throughout the student's four years as a veterinary student. To that end, the Program will offer course credit for research experiences pursued by the veterinary students beyond the summer program and students will be encouraged to continue their research, insofar as possible, during the year, as well as in subsequent summers.
The Veterinary Investigator Program is pleased to announce that because the program is now on a firm footing, we are expanding the program to include students from colleges of veterinary medicine other than Cornell. Two positions will be reserved for this purpose. These students will add to the diversity of the program by contributing different sets of scientific and personal skills. In addition, we expect that they will benefit significantly from the research opportunities available at the CVM, as well as from the other educational and social activities associated with the program. Before applying, first and second-year veterinary students from other institutions are encouraged to contact Janna Lamey (jsl62@cornell.edu) for more information.
In addition to the objectives listed above, the Cornell Veterinary Investigator Program will develop a cohort of veterinary students that will serve as role models for other veterinary students interested in research. After completion of the Program, participants will be able to apply research principles to the DVM curriculum, further challenging themselves and other students. It is expected that this program will serve as a foundation for a cultural shift within the DVM curriculum, integrating research with a strong veterinary medicine curriculum and emphasizing the contributions that research can make to animal health and well being. This program is supported through Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine and the Merck-Merial Research Grants Program.
Program Description:
The Cornell Veterinary Investigator Program is designed to provide first- and second-year veterinary students with a focused experience in biomedical research. The fourth year of the program will commence on June 2, 2008 and end on August 8, 2008. Each student will be guided by a CVM faculty member who is a successful scientist and experienced mentor. Components of the program include:
- Laboratory Research Experience: The main objectives of the program are to provide veterinary students with a rigorous and rewarding exposure to biomedical research at the highest level of inquiry and to motivate students to pursue the study of research problems that are relevant to veterinary medicine, both during their years as a veterinary student and beyond. In addition to a hands-on research experience in their mentor's laboratory, it is expected that students will participate in all associated lab activities (i.e., work in progress presentations, weekly lab meetings, special seminars, department seminars, etc.). In addition, it is expected that the student's mentor will provide time for them to participate in the additional enrichment activities listed below.
- Research Mentor Selection: Each year, the VIP announces to the CVM faculty opportunities to apply for mentorship of a VIP summer student. Faculty complete an application and a match is made between the prospective student and faculty member. All CVM faculty have the option of participating in the VIP. Please see http://www.vet.cornell.edu/research/FacultyAll.htm for a complete overview of the various research projects ongoing among the CVM faculty.
- Research Labs:Previous VIP faculty mentors have included:
- Research Round Table: In order to provide a forum for students to develop critical reasoning skills, as applied to a research problem, two evening research round table discussions will be included in the program. The round tables will be led by the Program Director. Students will be presented at the first session with a research problem that already has been solved (unbeknownst to them). At that session, the students will work together as a team to develop relevant hypotheses, design experiments and project expected results. At the second session, the approach to the problem and the results obtained by the investigators that actually addressed the problem will be presented. The students will compare the results with their expectations and evaluate whether the approach used by the investigators was the best approach and whether their interpretation of the results is valid.
- Additional Enrichment Activities: There will be several additional enrichment activities for the participants. Specific sessions include the following:
- Weekly Lunch Seminars on Current and Emerging Research Techniques: Students will meet with the Program Director weekly for lunch to discuss specific techniques used in research. Expert faculty members will be invited to lead the discussions. A total of eight lunch seminars will be held. The techniques to be discussed include: molecular pathology (Dr. Bendicht Pauli), laboratory animal medicine (Dr. Michelle Bailey), microarrays (Dr. David Lin), bioimaging (Dr. Cornelia Farnum), special topics in toxicology (Dr. Andrew Yen), functional genomics (Dr. Rory Todhunter), and mouse genetics (Dr. John Schimenti).
- Dinner Seminars on Grant Writing and Scientific Ethics: Students will meet for two dinner sessions that will focus on grant writing and on ethical conduct of research. Experts in these areas will be invited to present and to facilitate discussions in a workshop format.
- Biomedical Research in Non-Academic Settings: Students will participate in two local field trips to showcase research in industry. The industries to be visited are Gene Network Sciences and Transonics, Inc. Lunch will be provided to students. In addition, a meeting with Dr. Corine Farewell, from the Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise and Commercialization will be organized to familiarize students with the issues and opportunities associated with collaborative research between academic faculty and industry.
- Merck-Merial Symposium: All students will be encouraged to attend the annual Merck-Merial symposium. We anticipate that travel support to attend the meeting will be provided through Merck-Merial, with additional support from CVM resources, as needed.
- Research Presentation: At the completion of the program, participants in the program will be required to prepare and deliver a 15 minute oral presentation. The focus of the presentations will be on the future plans for their projects, allowing students an opportunity to focus on the broader scope of the research conducted in their respective laboratories. Faculty will be present to offer suggestions and encouragement.
Application Information:
The Veterinary Investigator Program has teamed with the Leadership Program to streamline the application and admissions processes. Cornell veterinary students interested in either or both programs will complete a single application and applicants to both programs will be evaluated by a single committee chaired jointly by Dr. Robert Gilmour and Dr. Douglas McGregor. Veterinary students from other institutions will also apply to the program with the same application; applicants are highly encouraged to contact Janna Lamey for more information on applying. The deadline for receipt of the application is February 8, 2008. Please complete the application on http://www.vet.cornell.edu/OGE/leadership/forms/application1.VIPLeadership.doc.
Funding:
Stipend support of $5,000 will be provided. In addition, the faculty mentor's laboratory will receive $1,000 to defray costs associated with the project. Participation in the program requires a full-time commitment.
For More Information:
Questions regarding the Cornell Veterinary Investigator Program should be directed to Dr. Robert Gilmour (rfg2@cornell.edu or 253-4254).
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