Student Research Opportunities
We emphasize a practical approach to learning. Our students engage in individual and group projects using real-world data. In addition to master’s program capstone project and the doctoral dissertation, selected students can participate in the NIH R25 scholars summer research program. Several students have also participated in external programs like the Novartis “Beacon of Hope” Fellowship.
Celebrating student research success
In 2025, our students published work in 17 journals and delivered 21 conference and 23 poster presentations. Collectively, they were featured in a journal, conference or poster 120 times.
Funded Research Opportunities
Students can apply for research assistant positions where they will gain valuable experience work closely with faculty on a project. You can learn more by reading about the research interests of SACS faculty in included on their profile page and our multidisciplinary research labs. Students can simply contact the faculty member whose work interests them to discuss potential opportunities.
NIH R25 Scholars Award
The NIH R25 scholars award is a prestigious opportunity for students to participate in 10 weeks of summer training and research in biomedical data science. Participants enjoy access to NIH resources, faculty mentorship and joint training with Fisk University School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Novartis "Beacon of Hope" Fellowship
The Novartis “Beacon of Hope” Fellowship is an opportunity for students from Historically Black Medical Schools to learn drug discovery, data analytics and clinical research practices. Several SACS students have been accepted to the fellowship, spending 10 weeks during the summer conducting an independent research project under the guidance of a Novartis Biomedical Research scientist.
Student Capstone Projects
The capstone is the culminating project for each student in a SACS Master of Science program. The comprehensive, real-life industry-type projects are oriented toward the student’s domain of interest.
Student Research Stories
Caption (from left): Broderick Bellard, Judith Dike, Sade Graves, Megan Leak, Ariana Martin, Mian Pan, Brian Strong and Kweku White We are proud to announce the 2025 NIH R25 Scholars, an exceptional group of students selected for their dedication to biomedical data science and bioinformatics. This prestigious program, supported by […]
LaChiara Landrum, a graduate student and rising researcher in cybersecurity, is making waves with her most recent collaborative research paper, “Blockchain-Enabled Communication Framework for Secure and Scalable Healthcare Data Processing,” which has been officially accepted for presentation at IEEE SoutheastCon 2025. The prestigious conference, known for showcasing innovation in computing […]