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Multidisciplinary Engineering and Renal Research for Innovation of Technology Fellowship

CERTIFICATE & PATHWAY PROGRAMS

Through the Multidisciplinary Engineering and Renal Research for Innovation of Technology (MERRIT) Fellowship, our goal is to create solutions for people who suffer from kidney disease by connecting engineering students to the top talent in the field of nephrology, effectively preparing them with the knowledge to make meaningful treatment contributions.

Supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in the National Institutes of Health, this fellowship opportunity brings together nephrology researchers and engineering educators to teach skills needed to eradicate kidney disease. These skills are gained working alongside researchers who are addressing leading-edge problems in the field.

Kidney disease affects one in seven Americans, and its treatment accounts for an outsize portion of the national health budget. While dialysis is a crucial form of therapy, life expectancy on it remains less than ten years. Our fellowship aims to bring bioengineering innovation back into nephrology by training the next generation of conscientious engineers to create new forms of treatment for this widespread disease.

In collaboration with The Cooper Union, our 10-week, paid summer research program pairs undergraduate or master’s engineering students with one of the 17 kidney research labs within the Division of Nephrology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Our fellowship serves as a research and education pipeline for engineering students to study the development of new technologies for nephrology, and to encourage the pursuit of academic careers in kidney research. Our aim is to continually foster a collaborative, supportive learning environment for all fellows that demonstrates our deep commitment to diversity, excellence, and biomedical innovation.

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Our fellowship, which features training in an array of nephrology research labs, allows for pursuit of a variety of foci in your research area of interest. We offer:

  • Mentorship to patient-centered design teams
  • Fully funded individual summer research projects
  • Digital educational content

Division of Nephrology labs supply research concentrations that range from immunology to tissue engineering. Some labs focus on specific diseases (e.g., polycystic kidney disease) while others are more clinical (e.g., development of an artificial intelligence pipeline to process renal pathology images) or translational (e.g., discovery of new urinary biomarkers). Prior accomplishments of our fellows include invention of a novel functional sensor array, translational research highlighting racial disparities in care, and discovery of new tissue engineering models of kidney disease.

Our curriculum includes one formal class on Responsible Conduct of Research, along with several didactic programs, some of which are jointly administered with other summer research programs at the Icahn School. These include advanced technological seminars, training on research conduct and communication, networking, research presentations, and journal clubs, where the latest papers are discussed.

At the close of the fellowship, each student will participate in the MERRIT Research Symposium, where they will present their findings to Department of Medicine faculty, as well as external collaborators.

The 2024 stipend for the 10-week fellowship is $6,000. MERRIT Fellowship also includes a generous student housing allowance near the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, for the entire duration of the program. The program is full-time, from 9 am to 5 pm.

Our Fellowship FAQs are designed to answer your most common questions.

To apply to the MERRIT Fellowship, you must be an undergraduate engineering student with a declared major, or a master’s engineering student, currently enrolled within an accredited program. Students from diverse backgrounds and all engineering sub-disciplines are welcome.

Selection for the engineering program is competitive. We accept three to six students each year. Online applications are due February 21.

You can apply through the Mount Sinai Application Portal

Our Leadership

Evren Azeloglu headshot
Evren Azeloglu, PhD

Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Meet the Director
Kirk Campbell headshot
Kirk Campbell, MD

Professor of Medicine and Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Meet the Director
Eric Lima headshot
Eric Lima, PhD

Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Cooper Union

Meet the Director
Schidza Cine headshot

Schidza Cine, 2022 Fellow

I was able to extend my knowledge on kidney diseases and immunology in a supportive environment, where my mentor Dr. Fribourg and his students not only guided me throughout the project, but also fostered my enthusiasm for pursuing a graduate career in scientific research. This experience solidified my commitment to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering, and to continue engaging in scientific research.

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Schidza Cine, 2022 Fellow

I was able to extend my knowledge on kidney diseases and immunology in a supportive environment, where my mentor Dr. Fribourg and his students not only guided me throughout the project, but also fostered my enthusiasm for pursuing a graduate career in scientific research. This experience solidified my commitment to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering, and to continue engaging in scientific research.

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Tess Fallon, 2021 Fellow

I am so grateful for my time as a MERRIT fellow at Mount Sinai. Evren Azeloglu, PhD, and his lab welcomed me and were generous with their time. I had the opportunity to work on my own independent project, which gave me access to unique experiences like presenting my work at a conference and writing my own papers. I also visited the dialysis unit at Mount Sinai, which underscored the clinical need for engineering in nephrology. During my senior year, Dr. Azeloglu helped me apply to graduate school, and next year I am starting a PhD in biomedical engineering at MIT. I would not have achieved that dream without the MERRIT fellowship.

Schidza Cine headshot

Schidza Cine, 2022 Fellow

I was able to extend my knowledge on kidney diseases and immunology in a supportive environment, where my mentor Dr. Fribourg and his students not only guided me throughout the project, but also fostered my enthusiasm for pursuing a graduate career in scientific research. This experience solidified my commitment to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering, and to continue engaging in scientific research.

Tess Fallon headshot

Tess Fallon, 2021 Fellow

I am so grateful for my time as a MERRIT fellow at Mount Sinai. Evren Azeloglu, PhD, and his lab welcomed me and were generous with their time. I had the opportunity to work on my own independent project, which gave me access to unique experiences like presenting my work at a conference and writing my own papers. I also visited the dialysis unit at Mount Sinai, which underscored the clinical need for engineering in nephrology. During my senior year, Dr. Azeloglu helped me apply to graduate school, and next year I am starting a PhD in biomedical engineering at MIT. I would not have achieved that dream without the MERRIT fellowship.

Jaselin Rodriguez headshot

Jaselin Rodriguez, 2022 Fellow

This program has given me valuable insight into pursuing a career as a physician-scientist. By virtue of MERRIT, I was mentored by and worked closely with Kristin Meliambro, MD, a skilled physician-scientist. It was very inspiring seeing an accomplished physician-scientist navigate academia and significantly contribute to the field of nephrology. It made me very hopeful about my career and gave me great motivation to see my passions through.

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Our Labs and Learning Environments

Each summer, our fellows expand and share their knowledge—both within and beyond the classroom.

Resources For You

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Kidney Research Labs
Division of Nephrology
Diversity at the Icahn School
Research at Mount Sinai
Levy Library