Project STRIDE (Students Training in Research Involving Disparity Elimination)

In response to the critical shortage of minorities in biomedical research and the health professions, the overarching goal of Project STRIDE is to increase the number of underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students in the pipeline who are committed to research careers in the health sciences. Increasing the nation’s cadre of minority clinicians and researchers is a crucial component to eliminating health disparities, especially given that minority researchers and physicians are more likely to work in minority communities than their nonminority counterparts. STRIDE aims to increase the diversity and quality of the research workforce specifically in regard to the ongoing nationwide effort to better understand the complex health-related needs of low-income, medically underserved populations and thereby, ultimately, to reduce disparities in health care accessibility, quality, and outcomes. Project STRIDE also provides an in-depth health science immersion experience to underrepresented high school students; program enrollees are primarily from King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, Health Sciences Academy and other high schools in the Watts community of South Los Angeles. 

The STRIDE education and training experience encompasses exposure to critical methodologies and principles of biomedical and clinical research in disease areas identified by Healthy People 2020 as disproportionately prevalent among underserved minority and low-income communities. This ten-week clinical research program requires the student to work full-time with an assigned mentor on a research project of their interest. Students write an abstract on the project, create a poster and give a presentation at a Research Day. Participants receive a stipend for their involvement.

Project STRIDE II is a program for students who have previously completed the high school Project STRIDE program. The undergraduate students will have the opportunity to expand their research knowledge and capabilities. They will be exposed to a many complex research techniques and produce a community relevant translational project. The project will aim to also produce a meaningful publication, manuscript or submission of abstracts to national conferences.

For more information, please visit the Project STRIDE website. 

Last updated
December 22, 2023