Research conducted by medical students has been an important tradition at UT Southwestern for over five decades. One of the important avenues by which Southwestern has risen to its present level of success has been the recognition of talented students within its student body and their cultivation as clinician-researchers. An important component of this process has been the summer research program.

The summer research program has been existence for over 40 years. The basic premise of this program is that short-term research experiences play an important role in the training of outstanding physicians. This can occur in at least four different contexts. In some instances, these experiences teach a measure of scientific awareness and rigor that extends and reinforces the experiences that are taught in the classroom. In these instances, the participants may complete their clinical training and may be engaged in only clinical practice, but their experiences as researchers continue to influence the way in which these physicians practice medicine. In other instances, these experiences serve as the first exposure to the realm of scientific investigation. In these circumstances, forays in the arena of research may serve to influence the type of practice that the physician pursues. In the third instance, a student has an interest in research, but has not had the ability to translate this interest into a meaningful research experience. In these circumstances - assuming a productive and fulfilling research experience - the innate tendencies to acquire additional training is reinforced, and the individual continues on a path that is consistent with an academic focus. Finally, a smaller number of individuals come to the program with a clear desire to conduct meaningful research and obtain significant research experience. In the case of this latter group of individuals as well, such short-term training experiences serve to permit the establishment of contacts and areas of interest that have lasting impact on the subsequent choices that students make and the types of research careers that can result.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funds research in specific areas related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases, and sleep disorders conducted in its own laboratories and by scientific institutions and individuals supported by research grants and contracts. Researchers supported by the NHLBI are among the most prolific and prominent on the UT Southwestern faculty.

The UT Southwestern R.L. Kirschstein T-35 to Support NHLBI-focused Short-term Predoctoral Training is designed to support outstanding students to conduct research in areas of NHLBI focus. Funds are provided to underwrite stipend support. additional funds may be available to underwrite the presentation of work at national or international meetings.