BRI-SURE Summer

BRI-SURE Summer

The UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI) hosted its first Virtual Undergraduate Summer Research Program in 2020. Undergraduate students enrolled in Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCU) and in the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) programs, participated in this 8-week virtual program consisting of career development workshop, research journal clubs, coding classes, writing skills workshop, all while conducting neuroscience research virtually under the mentorship of UCLA investigators. Video: Vidya Saravanapandian Music: from bensound.com

Our 2023 BRI Undergraduate Summer Research Poster Fair was on August 10, 2023.

The UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI) sponsors a summer undergraduate research experience (BRI-SURE) pathway program for students currently participating in the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) and other honors research programs whose goal is to increase diversity. This program solicits applications from students from universities and colleges across the nation. BRI-SURE Pathway is an 8-week, intensive summer research- training program for exceptional students interested in pursuing research careers in Neuroscience or Physiology. The program is designed to provide a rigorous, in-depth research experience to prepare participants for top-quality Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. graduate programs. BRI-SURE participants will:

  • Conduct independent research with outstanding training program faculty mentors work in a cutting edge science and technology environment
  • Gain exposure to some of the nation’s finest biomedical investigators and an extensive variety of research topics
  • Receive individualized career counseling and develop career interests
  • Participate in workshops, seminars, and journal clubs
  • Build a social network with student peers and faculty
  • Prepare to apply to the best Ph.D. neuroscience and physiology programs.

BRI-SURE Pathway selects participants based on academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to diversity. BRI-SURE Pathway seeks students from either underrepresented or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We will host a comprehensive virtual environment for the 2021 BRI-SURE summer research program. We will take advantage of virtual tools to engineer a robust and rewarding research experience. These research activities include, but are not limited to; analysis of data from ongoing experiments, modeling of biological or behavioral systems, computerized coding, and a variety of other analysis tools and methods that are available in the virtual environment. During the summer research experience, host labs will train Neuroscience Pathways fellows to conduct a rigorous research project. The research program will culminate in a poster competition. Apart from conducting research, students will also be involved in activities that will enrich their summer experience. These include: writing a research paper, exploring the MD/Ph.D. career path, learning about applying to the Ph.D. program and funding opportunities, participating in research journal clubs, seminars, and career panels, preparing abstracts and posters, and virtual visits to cultural centers in Los Angeles (e.g. California African American Museum, the California Science -Center, or the Hammer Museum/Getty Center). The program is under the administration of the UCLA SPUR (summer programs in undergraduate research) umbrella and participates in many of their campus-wide summer activities culminating in a final summer poster day.

Application requirements:

  • Be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0;
  • Complete UCLA SPUR Online application form
  • Academic transcript
  • Personal statement (limit to 1000 words) that describes your past, present, or future leadership in and commitment to research and diversity in science
  • Summary of prior research, if any (limit to 1000 words)
  • Two letters of recommendation from the science faculty
  • Paragraph (500 words or less) summarizing your interest in neuroscience or physiology;
  • In a separate file, applicants need to rank in order of preference, the top three research training areas: Neuroendocrinology, Sex Differences, and Reproduction; Neural Repair; Neural Microcircuits; Neurobehavioral Genetics; Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology; or Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology.
  • 8-week program (June 17 – August 10, 2024)
  • The application deadline is December 15, 2023, 11:59 pm PT. Please send all additional application material to BRI-SURE (Brisure@ucla.edu)
    • Use “BRI-SURE Application Materials (First Name, Last Name)” in the subject line for tracking purposes.
    • BRI-SURE Application Materials are due by January 19, 2024, 11:59 pm PT.

Applications are due by December 15, 2023, 11:59 pm PT. For application instructions, go to:  https://grad.ucla.edu/admissions/diversity/summer-programs-for-undergraduate-research-spur/how-to-apply/ and for more details about SPUR go to: https://grad.ucla.edu/admissions/diversity/summer-programs-for-undergraduate-research-spur

To submit additional application materials or for more information email: brisure@ucla.edu

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Matthew Anderson

Matthew Anderson

2021 BRI-SURE
Tim Andrade

Tim Andrade

2022 BRI-SURE
Raelahna Bennett

Raelahna Bennett

2022 BRI-SURE
Matthew Caliz

Matthew Caliz

2020 BRI-SURE
Marissa Coppin

Marissa Coppin

2021 BRI-SURE
Abdullah Hassan

Abdullah Hassan

2021 BRI-SURE
Faith Lockhart

Faith Lockhart

2022 BRI-SURE
Tania Lugo

Tania Lugo

2020 BRI-SURE
Nazaret Montejan

Nazaret Montejan

2020 BRI-SURE
Barry Nguyen

Barry Nguyen

2022 BRI-SURE
Elicia Osigwe

Elicia Osigwe

2022 BRI-SURE
Kendra Parker

Kendra Parker

2020 BRI-SURE
Gabriel Rojas-Bowe

Gabriel Rojas-Bowe

2020 BRI-SURE
Isabell Sagar

Isabell Sagar

2021 BRI-SURE