About the Medical Student Research Office

The long-term goal of medical research is to be able to prevent the onset of disease, diagnose disease earlier and to provide more successful therapies. This requires a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease onset and progression.

The Icahn School of Medicine is home to investigators involved in cutting-edge research on all levels. Many serve as mentors to medical students by teaching them how to formulate a hypothesis, develop a research proposal and carry out a research project. Strength in this area is evident in our NIH ranking - which stands at 17th among all medical schools in terms of funding, our impressive recruitment of renowned researchers and scientists, our strong mentorship across all our programs and our scientists' rank among the top five in the nation on an individual basis to compete for NIH funding.

The faculty and staff of the Medical Student Research Office (MSRO) at the Icahn School of Medicine are committed to helping students identify an interesting area of research and locate a supportive mentor to supervise their work.

Student Participation in Research

Students may participate in basic science, clinical or translational research in a wide variety of fields. What is learned in the classroom or on clinical rotations is only the beginning of the discovery evolution. Our faculty is trained to view the patient as a whole, analyze his/her condition or disease and develop a research project to answer critical "why" and "how" questions.

The MSRO is located in Annenberg Building, 13th Fl., Rm., 13-30. The office is available not only to students who have had previous research experience, but also to those who have not. Research projects can be carried out during the school year, the summer break between M1 and M2 Summer Research Programs, as part of INSPIRE during M4 or during a full-year following M2 or M3 as part of a Scholarly Year. A wealth of information is available in the MSRO to assist students in preparing abstracts, research proposals, and posters. In addition, training sessions in these important research skills are scheduled at various times during the school year.

Karen Zier, PhD
Associate Dean for Medical Student Research