Internal Collaborators

Faculty

KCU faculty on both campuses engage in various research pursuits across all academic programs. 

• Kansas City faculty researchers 
• Joplin faculty researchers

Research Hub

This public channel on the Thrive application serves as a virtual meeting place for both students and faculty to advertise their need for assistance with a research project or to request involvement in research. To learn more, click here. 

Graduate Medical Education

KCU serves as the academic sponsor for several different residency programs throughout the country. The Graduate Medical Education Department keeps track of the various research projects performed by these residents. If you would like to inquire if any of these projects are available for KCU student involvement, please email [email protected].

Fellow Projects

Both Anatomy Fellows and OMM Fellows at KCU participate in research projects during their fellowship year. Students can reach out to these fellows (contact information listed below) to determine if they need assistance with their project(s).

• KC Anatomy Fellows
• Joplin Anatomy Fellows
• KC OMM Fellows
• Joplin OMM Fellows

External Collaborators

Students may elect to explore research opportunities outside of KCU. Locally, academic medical centers such as the University of Kansas (KU) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) engage in various research projects in which KCU students could potentially participate. Additionally, the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) has a Missouri section with possible research collaborations.

• KU
• UMKC
• KU CSTI (Frontiers)
• AADOCR Missouri Section

In addition to the above institutions, students can perform an online search for additional opportunities throughout the country, including potential summer research positions between their first and second year of medical school. 

Summer Research Opportunities for First-Year Medical Students

NOTE: This list is not all-encompassing, so we encourage you to look at other resources as well.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Pediatric Oncology Student Training - The POST program is designed for graduate and undergraduate medical students who have an interest in pediatric oncology research and would like to experience the field firsthand. Students train with a pediatric oncology research mentor. 

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Summer Medical Student Fellowships (AACAP) - The AACAP Summer Medical Student Fellowships offer an opportunity for medical students to explore a career in child and adolescent psychiatry, gain valuable work experience and meet leaders in the child and adolescent psychiatry field. 

American Association for Thoracic Surgery Summer Scholarships in Cardiothoracic Surgery (AATS) - The AATS Summer Intern Scholarship program introduces the field of cardiothoracic surgery to first- and second-year medical students from North American medical institutions. The summer intern scholarship provides medical students with insight into the scientific investigation and study of cardiothoracic surgery.

American Brain Tumor Association Medical Student Summer Fellowship Program - The Medical Student Summer Fellowships are awarded to current medical students wishing to spend a summer conducting brain tumor research with esteemed scientist-mentors. The intent of this program is to motivate talented medical students to pursue a career in neuro-oncology research. 

American Society of Hematology Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP) - The MMSAP is an 8-12 week summer research experience for underrepresented minority students in their first or second years of medical school.

Arnold P. Gold Foundation Student Summer Fellowships - The Gold Foundation offers fellowships that provide medical students the opportunity to complete a research or service project related to community health. 

ASTRO Medical Student Fellowship Award - The purpose of the ASTRO Medical Student Fellowship Award award is to introduce students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine to the discipline of radiation oncology early in their medical education. The experience is designed to expose students to clinical, basic and translational research questions in radiation oncology. 

Campagna Scholarship in Neurological Surgery - The scholarship supports a 10-week summer semester of research under the supervision of a neurosurgical mentor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and residence expenses in Portland, Oregon.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Summer Oncology Research Fellowship Program -This program is intended to provide the highest quality experience for first-year medical students pursuing interests in oncology research.

Children's Mercy Hospital Summer Scholar Program - Children's Mercy Hospital's Orthopedic Summer Scholar Program provides scholarships for students to do research with orthopedic staff and faculty. The purpose of this program is to address important questions that affect the health of Children's Mercy patients and to introduce promising students to the fields of pediatric orthopedics and pediatric rehabilitation.

The David E. Rogers Student Fellowship Award for Medical and Dental Students - The program, through the New York Academy of Medicine, offers fellowships to support summer projects for first-year medical students. 

Endocrine Society Research Experiences for Graduate and Medical Students (REGMS) Program - The Endocrine Society offers research experiences to encourage promising undergraduate students, medical students and students entering graduate school to pursue careers in endocrinology. 

FAERS Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship (MSARF) - The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowships provide students with a challenging and rewarding experience that exposes them to the opportunities within the medical field of anesthesiology and research. 

Harvard Catalyst Visiting Research Internship Program (VRIP) - This summer research program is designed to enrich medical students' interest in research and health-related careers. In addition to a mentored clinical/translational research experience, VRIP students will participate in weekly seminars with Harvard faculty focusing on topics such as research, methodology, health disparities, ethics and career paths. 

Harvard-Longwood Research Training in Vascular Surgery - Harvard Medical School offers student summer research fellowships in vascular surgery, including research training in molecular and cell biology, biomechanics, coagulation and thrombosis, and angiogenesis, with a focus on clinically relevant problems such as atherogenesis, intimal hyperplasia, prosthetic/host interactions and thrombosis.

Heart, Lung and Blood (HLB) Summer Research Program - The Heart, Lung and Blood Summer Research Program through Case Western Reserve University is designed to engage undergraduates and medical students in state-of-the-art biomedical research in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematological and sleep disorders research. 

National Student Injury Research Training Program - The Center for Injury Research and Policy in the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital hosts a summer training program that focuses on research training to future physician-investigators while introducing them to the field of injury research and prevention.

Johns Hopkins On-Campus Summer Programs Employment - Johns Hopkins University recruits qualified medical students to work in their summer program. Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth provides academically talented young students ages 8-16 the opportunity to take rigorous summer courses in mathematics, science, computer science, humanities and writing. Medical students during the summer between their first and second years are needed for the position of health assistant. 

KU Cancer Center Jewell Summer Research Training Program - The University of Kansas Cancer Center sponsors a Student Summer Research Training Program for college undergraduate, graduate or medical students. Students must submit an application and a minimum of one letter of recommendation, preferably from a mentor or other teacher. Mentors must be a current cancer center member and must submit a research project for consideration. It is advisable that a mentor and student interested in working together submit their project descriptions and student applications at the same time. Students interested in the summer program should email Susan Harp to obtain an application.

Mayo Clinic Summer Research Fellowship - The Summer Research Fellowship was created to address the need for clinical investigators from diverse backgrounds. The health needs of U.S. minority populations have been studied inadequately, due in part to the shortage of clinical investigators belonging to underrepresented groups. Members of groups that the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine considers underrepresented are eligible to apply.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center CATALYST Summer Training Programs - The 10-week program provides interested students with an opportunity to participate in biomedical research experiences related to oncology and to be introduced to the clinical problems presented by cancer patients. At the end of their summer experience, students will submit their research data in journal article format. 

Medical Student Summer Clinical Experience (MSSCE) -The Medical Student Summer Clinical Experience (MSSCE) program has been developed for medical students with a strong desire for clinical experience in the field of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) and who are eagerly seeking opportunities to see patients. This program aims to provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient clinical exposure and to allow students to explore the human side of patient care and the psychosocial environments their patients face.

Medical Student Training in Aging (MSTAR) Research Program - Administered by AFAR and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the MSTAR Program provides medical students with an enriching experience in aging-related research and geriatrics, with the mentorship of top experts in the field. This program introduces students to research and academic experiences early in their training that they might not otherwise have during medical school.

Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) Summer Research Program - MIR Summer Research Program at Washington University School of Medicine offers undergraduate and medical students an excellent introduction to current radiological sciences research. You can start this 10-week program, which is based on approximately 40 hours per week, any time between May 24 and June 1.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP) - Summer programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide an opportunity to spend a summer working at the NIH side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Summer Externship - The six-week Summer Externship is sponsored by the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and held at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in downtown Chicago. This program offers unique and early clinical exposure related to the care of those with acute and chronic disabilities for comprehensive rehabilitation. Primarily, students will assist in the clinical management of patients admitted to the AbilityLab. In addition, students will participate in a research project in a rehabilitation related field. There will be ongoing didactic and in-service efforts directed at the first- and second-year medical student level.

Rehabilitation Research Experience for Medical Students (RREMS) - The Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) and the Foundation for PM&R offer the annual Rehabilitation Research Experience for Medical Students. This program has been developed for first-year medical students with strong research interests.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute Summer Oncology Research Program - Expand your horizons in the care and treatment of cancer patients by participating in state-of-the-art clinical research. Special emphasis is placed on cancer prevention through lectures and practical experiences. 

Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital - Siteman Cancer Center invites undergraduate, graduate and medical students to participate in the Leah Menshouse Springer Summer Opportunities Program. This program is designed to provide participants with hands-on cancer research experience. Opportunities range from basic science research to clinical research to prevention/control and population research.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - NIH/NCI-funded Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program - The Pediatric Oncology program offers a unique opportunity for students preparing for careers in medicine to gain biomedical and oncology research experience. Medical students will work in clinical research with physicians and staff in areas such as chart review, record screening and examination, data collection and entry and may also apply to attend clinics and observe procedures. 

The Academy for Emerging Leaders in Patient Safety (AELPS) - Travel to the Rocky Mountains for a week of education and discussion on patient safety and quality. Formerly known as the Telluride Science Research Center (TSRC), the AELPS has been home to patient safety education summer camps for over 10 years and continues to provide excellent lodging resources and a classroom environment conducive to relaxed learning that allows for both the creativity and openness that stimulates real change.

Vanderbilt Medical Student Research Training Program - The Vanderbilt Medical Student Research Training Program (SRTP) is sponsored by the National Institute of Health and allows medical students to conduct research under the direction of an established scientist in the areas of diabetes, obesity, kidney disease or digestive disease at Vanderbilt during the summer between first and second year or second and third year of medical school.