Meet Our Past Fellows

2020
Gordon Smilnak, M.D.
Internal medicine residency, University of Virginia
"The NIEHS Medical Student Research Fellowship provided an excellent opportunity to conduct biomedical research that meaningfully supplemented my medical school education."

Gordon Smilnak, M.D.

The NIEHS Medical Student Research Fellowships program is a one-year research training opportunity for medical students who have completed at least some clinical rotations and will be available for the academic year. The trainees will work full time in a research group for one year, beginning in late summer/early fall. Several fellowships are awarded each year.

Details on the program can be found below. Interested students should email the Program Director, Janet E. Hall, M.D., M.S., with inquiries about potential projects and mentors.

Why Does the Division of Intramural Research Provide this Program to Medical Students Interested in Research?

The division provides this program to help meet the goals of the NIEHS Strategic Plan, which aims to develop and retain a sustainable pipeline of environmental health professionals across a range of related disciplines, including fundamental science, exposure science, clinical and translational research, policy, and outreach, through efforts in education, training, and career development, and raise the level of environmental health literacy of the general population and all other NIEHS stakeholders.

What Is This Program?

The program is a one-year research fellowship for medical students to train at NIEHS. The trainees will work full time in a research group for the year, beginning in late summer/early fall. Several fellowships are awarded each year.

Am I Eligible to Apply?

Interested full-time medical students pursuing an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. may apply. Only students who are enrolled full time and in good standing at their institution are eligible. Typically, most applicants apply during the winter of their second year, with the intention of spending the third year in this fellowship. Nonclinical trainees, such as Ph.D. candidates, part-time participants, or those interested in less than a full-year commitment are not eligible.

Where Will I Train?

Most NIEHS intramural research takes place at our main campus at 111 T.W. Alexander Drive in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. If the mentor is located on the main NIH campus, the research will take place there (9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland).

How Do I Apply?

There are a few steps required to apply for a NIEHS Medical Student Research Fellowships. We have the steps detailed to help you apply for a fellowship tailored to your area of study allowing you to find potential projects and mentors at NIEHS.