The Excellence in Cardiovascular Sciences (EICS) program is an opportunity for underrepresented minorities to gain research experience during the summer months. The program includes research training in the cardiovascular sciences with mentoring by medical school faculty.
EICS is sponsored by Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Undergraduate students with an interest in earning their PhD in the biomedical sciences for a research career are encouraged to apply. EICS sponsorship includes travel, housing and a stipend that requires a full-time, 40-hour work week (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) commitment for the 8 to 9 weeks of the summer program.
Program Goals
The EICS program seeks to provide students with intensive research experiences in the field of cardiovascular sciences and to help prepare them for future research efforts.
Our Curriculum
The curriculum includes hands-on laboratory research, a lecture series with presentations by faculty and guest speakers and a symposium at which students present their research findings.
EICS trainees have the opportunity to partner with a member of the faculty in their desired field of research. Faculty serving as research mentors are from the Hypertension & Vascular Research Center; the Section of Comparative Medicine in Pathology; the Programs in Molecular Medicine, Neuroscience, Perinatal Biology and Molecular Pathology; the Departments of Radiation Oncology, Biomedical Engineering, Cancer Biology, Physiology & Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Neurobiology & Anatomy and Internal Medicine; the Division of Surgery; the Offices of Multicultural Affairs; the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at the School of Medicine.
Program Eligibility
- Underrepresented minorities (i.e., African American, Alaskan Native, Native American, Asian-Pacific Islander or Hispanic), students with disabilities or students from disadvantaged backgrounds (urban/rural areas, first-generation college students, etc.)
- U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.
- Undergraduate students in good academic standing