No longer accepting applications
Applications for Summer 2022 are now closed. Thank you for your interest in this year's program. Selected applicants will be contacted soon.
Summer Scholars in Pediatric Clinical Research (SSPCR)
The Center for Pediatric Population Health (CPPH) is focused on training the next-generation of researchers and public health leaders. The Summer Scholars in Pediatric Clinical Research (SSPCR) provides undergraduate students an opportunity to work with leading researchers focused on pediatric and adolescent research. This program is designed to provide stage-specific competencies for undergraduates in science knowledge, research skill development, professionalism, and communication.
Summer Scholars will have a 10-week faculty mentor-guided research training experience with enrichment activities (e.g. didactic workshops, scientific seminar, role model seminar, mentoring workshops and ethics training) expected to provide a comprehensive introductory exposure to epidemiological and public health research. The program will take place from June 6-August 12, 2022 (tentative).
Seminar Topics
- Developing a Research Center Infrastructure
- The Role of the Family Environment on Adolescent Health Outcomes
- Finding for an Audience
- Twitter is Your Friend: Building a Network and Professional Identify Online
- Conducting Literature Reviews
- Overview of Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap)
- Research Data Management
- Additional seminar topics planned
Eligibility
- Currently enrolled undergraduate student at a US college or university
- In good academic standing
- Must be at least 18 years old as of June 6, 2022
- Must have proof of current health insurance
- Can participate remote, hybrid, or in-person at our Dallas location
Application
Applications for Summer 2022 are due by Monday, March 21, 2022.
Media Release
If you authorize UTHealth to use your name and photos in publications or promotional material, complete the media release form.
Faculty
 Sarah E. Messiah, PhD, MPH Professor and Director   
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Dr. Messiah is the director of the Center for Pediatric Population Health and a tenured Professor of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health. She is a perinatal/pediatric and life course epidemiologist whose research focuses on childhood obesity and cardiometabolic disease risk factors and the implementation of evidence-based practices into clinical and community-based settings to improve health outcomes. |
 Alejandra Fernandez, PhD Assistant Professor
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Dr. Fernandez’s research generally focuses on the health of Hispanic adolescents and their families. Her research is centered around improving family functioning between Hispanic adolescents and their family members in order to prevent and reduce adverse health outcomes, including substance use behaviors, sexual risk behaviors, adverse mental health outcomes, and obesity related outcomes. The mechanism primarily used in Dr. Fernandez’s research to improve health outcomes is the development and testing of family-based interventions. |
 Gregory Knell, PhD, MS Assistant Professor
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Dr. Knell’s research broadly focuses on the distribution, determinants, and health outcomes associated with physical activity and other physical behaviors (sleep and sedentary behaviors). This includes understanding what factors make people more physically active, and the health implications of being physically active or inactive. Dr. Knell’s research is population-based; therefore he takes an epidemiological approach to answering these questions. |
 Jenil Patel, MBBS, MPH, PhD Assistant Professor
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Dr. Patel conduct research on congenital heart defects, along with designing new studies to create optimal occupational exposure assessment techniques in order to draw implications to reduce overall burden of birth defects. Additionally, he also works on conducting new epidemiological studies to identify environmental and occupational risk factors for pediatric asthma in North Texas. |
 Sharice M. Preston, PhD, CHES Assistant Professor
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Dr. Preston's research involves the use of evidence-based, mixed research methods to improve provider and patient communications among underserved populations. She is interested in health disparity elimination and the impact of racism and implicit bias, particularly on adolescent health in the clinical setting. |
Contact Us
For more information about SSPCR contact the program manager, Elhaam Bandali. Learn more about the research conducted at the Center for Pediatric Population Health.