A well recognized limitation of conventional medicine is its longstanding specialization, which often results in a view of the body as a collection of separate body parts or systems. Integrative medicine research seeks to understand connections across physiological systems (e.g. Does breathing influence the digestive system? Do body movements influence the immune system?). In addition, integrative medicine research emphasizes integration of research approaches “from cells to animal models to patients.” For example, we know that mechanical forces have profound effects on cells in a culture dish, but how does this translate to physiological processes in a whole animal or human?
The Osher Center funds pre-doctoral fellowships in Integrative Medicine research. The fellowship program is open to Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) graduate students and provides $10,000/year to cover part of the student’s costs (to include stipend and/or supplies), as well as a $2,000 travel stipend; the fellowship is renewable for three years.
The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine is now accepting applications for the Pre-Doctoral Fellowships in Integrative Medicine.
Projects are required to:
- Include relevance to cross-system and translational integration;
- Add a new collaboration (new to the lab) between the student’s parent lab and another lab or research group, with preference for adding a translational component into an animal model or human model (if appropriate).
Note: The yearly $10,000 goes to the lab that is paying the student’s stipend and tuition. The principal investigator (PI) of the collaborating lab will not be required to be a co-mentor or be part of the student’s thesis committee.
However, the collaborating PIs are required to meet quarterly with the student, and the student is required to submit a report of these meetings, as well as a yearly progress report to the Osher Center. Renewal of the fellowship will be contingent upon satisfactory completion of these requirements.
The Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Program is led by Drs. Helene Langevin, Osher Center Director, and Peter Wayne, Osher Center Research Director. These individuals and other faculty and staff comprise the Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Steering Committee. All members of the Steering Committee work closely together in the areas of student selection and evaluation of research projects. The Steering Committee meets at least twice annually to review student recruitment, select applicants, and review and evaluate the research mentorship and progress of the trainees. Management and staff of the Osher Center provide financial and operational management and support to the Program.
Download the Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Overview
Application Cycles: Up to two fellowships can be awarded each academic year, with one applicant selected after each cycle deadline:
1st Cycle Application Deadline: January 16, 2019. Awardees will be notified by March 1, 2019.
2nd Cycle Application Deadline: June 12, 2019. Awardees will be notified by August 1, 2019.
To Apply: If eligible¹, please send the following items to our program manager, Aterah Nusrat at [email protected]:
- Proposal (download application form here)
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three letters of Recommendation
Questions:
For questions about the program, please contact Aterah Nusrat: (617) 525-8737 | E-mail: [email protected]
1 This program is open to all HILS graduate students, with the exception of those students in the Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine Program.