UIC PREP program paves the way for doctoral candidates
The odds of being accepted into a PhD program in the U.S. are approximately 1 in 5, according to 2023 data from the Council of Graduate Schools. Undergraduate research experience is often the key to admittance into a biomedical sciences PhD program, yet that crucial experience is often inaccessible for undergraduate students.
To address that challenge, the UIC Portal to Biomedical Research Careers PREP (PBRC-PREP) prepares scholars to enter biomedical research careers by organizing intensive research experiences, mentorship and opportunities to improve their critical thinking and communication skills.
Initiated by Karen Colley, William Walden and Bernie Santarsiero, the yearlong program was founded in 2017, and it was recently renewed by the National Institutes of Health for another five years, ensuring students at UIC will continue to have pathways to science education.
“Access to these experiences or to additional training is definitely important for students considering research in science and certainly in biomedical fields,” said Aixa Alfonso, an associate professor of biological sciences at UIC and co-director of the program. “Many of our students come only exposed to the idea that they can be physicians or pharmacists or dentists. They don’t have sufficient rigorous, meaningful research experiences, so they are at a disadvantage when applying to graduate school.”
“Getting into the program and the research opportunities opened my eyes to what’s possible,” said Earon Grinage, a program alum in his third year of UIC’s MD/PhD program. “They take you where you are rather than where you arbitrarily should be because there are disparities that cause us all to be at different places.”
Scholars in the program participate in a summer bootcamp where they are assigned research faculty mentors and work in their labs. They attend group meetings and departmental seminars and prepare oral presentations of manuscripts. Once the academic year begins, they work on a specific research project for the remainder of the program, attend group meetings and departmental seminars, give presentations of their research project and connect with other biomedical researchers. Each aspect of the program is designed to show scholars what it will be like in graduate school.
Also during the academic year, scholars work in their selected research labs, attend relevant courses and professional development panels and meet regularly with their program team to build their applications for PhD programs. In the last cycle, 84% of participants were accepted into PhD or dual-degree programs.
“It was great because the year before, I hadn’t gotten into any programs,” said Paula Bazzino, an alum of the program who is in the final semester of her doctorate in neuroscience at UIC. “Through PREP, I applied to five programs and got into four out of the five. It was very effective.”
The program is open to scholars from every area of science, giving them the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines. For many students, it’s a chance to decide what they want in a future career and if research is the right fit.
“PBRC-PREP allowed me to continue improving as a student and scientist,” said Destiny Ogbu, who is working toward a doctorate in neuroscience at UIC. “The program led to the realization that I enjoyed research and ultimately wanted a career in it.”
The program broadens participation in research fields by providing educational pathways for students who may otherwise struggle to be accepted into PhD programs. In turn, it helps build an innovative scientific workforce that reflects the communities their research will ultimately serve.
“Good science incorporates ideas from every different aspect and perspective,” said Michael Federle, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UIC and co-director of the program. “Our scientific community should reflect what our society looks like. PBRC-PREP gives opportunities to people who do not have the same access; it brings in new perspectives, new backgrounds.”
Applications for the 2025 Portal to Biomedical Research Careers PREP are now open. Students interested in learning more and applying can visit the program’s website.
— Story by Rebecca Clair
