Medical students can opt to get involved in a wide variety of research during their time in medical school. Research can prepare students to practice evidence-based medicine, deepen understanding of medical concepts, make contributions to scientific knowledge, and are great opportunities for career advancement, research skill-building, and professional growth. There are multiple programs that are available to support students in gaining meaningful experiences in research at Brown and affiliated institutions.
Medical Education
Student Research
Medical students may pursue research under the mentorship of a large array of faculty mentors.
Student Research
Medical students may pursue research under the mentorship of a large array of faculty mentors.
Guide to Medical Student Research
Attention Students: All research resources have migrated to the Guide to Medical Student Research - a living compendium for Brown medical students! Note: only currently enrolled students have access. Use your @brown.edu google account to login.
Content includes:
- Research handbook
- Conference directory, poster templates, and funding information
- Summer research programs
- Academic symposium information and highlights
- Research opportunities
- Statistical support
Research Opportunities
Programs
Students may pursue intensive summer projects under the mentorship of a Brown faculty member.
The H-EIDS program is designed to inspire, train, support, and retain students as a community of scholars to become leaders in research and treatment of emerging infectious diseases with a broad focus on HIV.
The Basic and Translational Research (BTR) Program is a longitudinal experience that includes didactic training and a mentored research experience.
The Primary Care-Population Medicine (PC-PM) program is an innovative 4-year curriculum focused on students interested in a future career in primary care. As part of this program, students are required to perform scholarly work and write a thesis project.
The Global Health Initiative (GHI) and the Emerging Infectious Disease and HIV Scholars Program (HEIDS) offer a research mentor-mentee matching process that will connect students in the Division of Biology and Medicine to faculty mentors and faculty-mentored research projects in the areas of global health and/or infectious disease.
Training the next generation of physician-scientists who will advance translational research. Physician-scientists are uniquely positioned to take insights gleaned from their clinical work with patients into the lab, where they can pursue research directions that will have the greatest impact on human health.
Warren Alpert Medical School Fall Academic Symposium
- Every November, the medical school hosts its annual Academic Symposium which showcases student research conducted over the past summer.
- The 20th Academic Symposium will be held on November 11, 2026 from 12-3pm (222 Richmond Street, Providence, RI).
- All 2nd-year medical students are encouraged to present research they have been working on at the symposium. All awardees of an SRA, H-EIDS, or BTR award are required to present their summer research at the symposium.
- Highlights include summer research projects, a distinguished keynote speaker, and awards are given to students in the following categories: Clinical Research, Basic Science, Health Policy, Medical Education, Medical Humanities
- Check out these articles on the past academic symposium, in the Brown Daily Herald!
- See a full list of past projects in the Brown Digital Repository.