More than 200 high school and college students, most from groups historically underrepresented in science and medicine, spent this past summer at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where they gained hands-on research training in cancer, HIV, and other chronic diseases, shadowed physicians, and became more aware of the need to address health disparities.

The six- and eight-week summer pathway programs were geared to students from the Bronx, with one open to young people nationwide. Mentored by Einstein faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and M.D. and Ph.D. students, program participants attended scientific and medical lectures, career development sessions, lab or clinical skills workshops, and networking events.

Students participating in Bronx-CHAMPS, one of several summer pathway programs at Einstein.

“The support in my program not only helped all of us succeed but also prepared us for the challenges that lie ahead in medical school,” said Raisa Brissett, a Fordham University senior and Bronx resident. “This experience gave me confidence in my ability to handle rigorous schedules and reinforced my commitment to pursuing a career in medicine. It has shown me that I can truly do this.”

Pathways to Success

For more than three decades, Einstein has hosted pathway programs intended to improve access to educational support and prepare students for college and beyond while inspiring them to pursue careers in science and medicine. The number and scope of these programs have expanded over the years. This summer, about 50 faculty members served as mentors and guest speakers, many of them visiting more than one of the College of Medicine’s 12 pathway programs to present lectures and provide guidance.

“Einstein’s commitment to equity and social justice is in its DNA,” said Yaron Tomer, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein and chief academic officer at Montefiore Einstein. “Our faculty, students, postdocs, and staff are totally committed to all our summer students and to doing what we can to increase opportunity and, ultimately, improve the diversity of the medical field and health equity.”

Lynne Holden, M.D., senior associate dean for diversity and inclusion and professor of emergency medicine at Einstein, has founded pathway programs and benefitted from them herself. “Einstein’s summer pathway programs give students time to explore their interests in science and medicine and learn from world-class researchers,” she said. “We have so many great opportunities and we are building a pathway program hub to feature all our robust—and growing— experiential learning opportunities. These programs will help students from middle school and beyond become ready for, apply to, and succeed in medical and graduate school.”

Two New Programs Debut

Twenty students participated in two new summer initiatives: Bronx-CHAMP (Community HIV AMbassadors Program) and Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center’s (MECCC) Undergraduate Summer Research Program.

Adrian Yrrizarry presenting Bronx-CHAMP research

Bronx-CHAMP matched 11 Bronx high school and college students interested in HIV research with mentors from five labs (four at Einstein and one at Lehman College). The group gathered for weekly in-person sessions led by Hector Perez, M.D., and Jonathan Ross, M.D., M.S., both associate professors of medicine at Einstein and internists at Montefiore, and spent the rest of the week in labs or clinical research settings.

Bronx-CHAMP presentations at the end of the six-week session touched on a variety of topics, including college students’ perceptions about PrEP medication, HIV replication, HIV latency and host-virus interactions, and social media techniques to improve awareness of and access to sexual health services.

Adrian Yrrizarry, now a high school senior at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx, said Bronx-CHAMP inspired him to pursue M.D. and Ph.D. degrees after he finishes college.

“The program taught me that the steps to intervention, treatment, and action start with devoted researchers, all working hard to bring that into clinical settings,” said Mr. Yrrizarry. “Bronx-CHAMP surrounded me with doctors and researchers who contributed to the growth of my interest in science, medicine, and research.”

Diana Plaza presenting research in the MECCC Summer Research Undergraduate Program

Six students from City University of New York colleges and three from Fordham University were in the inaugural class of the MECCC Undergraduate Summer Research Program. They attended twice-weekly lectures, conducted cancer research, and presented posters at the American Museum of Natural History and at Einstein. Their work included studies on DNA methylation in leukemia, the analysis of hematopoietic stem cells, and chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer.

“Everyone at Einstein was so welcoming,” said Diana Plaza, a Fordham University sophomore who participated in an Einstein pathway program three years ago and returned this year to join MECCC’s summer program.

In the lab of Hayley McDaid, Ph.D., and surrounded by other pathway program students and Einstein mentors, Ms. Plaza researched the effects of particulate matter on lung cells. She now hopes to oversee her own lab in the future, thanks to the inspiration and mentorship she received at Einstein.

“Lab time was my favorite part of the program,” said Ms. Plaza. “It was intense, but I liked being active and learning the techniques that helped me gain a greater understanding of my project. Having access to these opportunities is really important for Bronx students.”

BEYOND ALBERT Grows and SUMP Returns

In its third year, a program dedicated to high school cancer researchers more than doubled in size, welcoming 15 students from nearly a dozen Bronx schools. The BEYOND ALBERT (Bronx Einstein Youth Oncology Network Dedicated to Academic Learning, Biomedical Education and Research Training) students joined those in the MECCC undergraduate program in “Know Your Science” workshops, social activities, and professional development sessions. In late August they gave 10-minute high-level presentations to a crowd of more than 100 family, friends, mentors, and faculty members in Einstein’s LeFrak Auditorium.

This year also marked the return of the Summer Undergraduate Mentorship Program, or SUMP, directed by Elizabeth Lee-Rey, M.D., an attending physician at Montefiore, and led by Yuliana Dominguez Paez, a second-year Einstein medical student who participated in the program in 2019. The program had operated virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic and was not offered last year.

Students participating in SUMP in 2024

Thanks to a generous gift, SUMP and a similar pathway program at Montefiore, the Montefiore Health Opportunities Program or MonteHOP, are expected to thrive. Earlier this year, Alvin ‘Hal’ Strelnick, M.D., professor of family and social medicine, assistant professor of epidemiology & population health, associate dean for community engagement, and chief of the division of community health, and his wife, Deb Ellis, donated $500,000 for an endowment to fund the programs in perpetuity. To show its gratitude, the office of diversity enhancement celebrated the inaugural Dr. Hal Strelnick Day: A Celebration of Learning, in August. More than 130 summer pathway program students attended, and nearly 40 presented research posters.

Ms. Dominguez Paez said SUMP helped her understand that she had a place in medicine—and that there were programs that could help her achieve her goals.

“As a first-generation Latinx immigrant, being part of the 2019 SUMP cohort provided me with the resources, mentorship, and knowledge that I needed to continue to push forward and reach the milestone of being accepted into medicine,” said Ms. Dominguez Paez, who praised this summer’s SUMP students for their growth during the program. “Seeing how comfortable they became with each other, their curiosity, and their dedication to learning reminded me not only of where I came from but just how far I know each of them will go.”