Short-Term Aging-Related Research Program (STAR)

The Medical Student Short-Term Aging-Related (STAR) Research Program offers first-year medical students opportunities to participate in aging-related research and training through the Pritzker Summer Research Program. STAR is directed by Drs. David Meltzer, Vineet Arora, Stacie Levine, and Sam Sisodia.

First-year medical students engage in a mentored research experience and didactic training in aging throughout the summer. They also participate in the Scholar in Translational Aging Research Training Course (START), a statistics analysis course, and weekly group meetings with other faculty mentors and peers. STAR trains these future physician leaders to apply basic, clinical, and social science concepts and methods to the study and care of older persons. At the end of the course, students present their research at the annual Pritzker Summer Research Forum.

For more information, please see the Pritzker Summer Research Program site.

Recent Mentors

Jayant Pinto, MD

Department of Surgery
jpinto@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu

Neda Laiteerapong, MD, 
Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine
nlaiteerapong@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu 

Valerie Press, MD, MPH
Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine
vpress@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

Stacie Levine, MD
Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics
slevine@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

David Meltzer, MD, PhD
Department of Medicine, Section of Hospital Medicine
Harris School of Public Policy Studies
Department of Economics
dmeltzer@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

Vineet Arora, MD, MA
Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine
varora@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu 

Eligibility

As part of the Pritzker Summer Research Program, STAR is available to all first-year medical students. Each student receives a stipend for their complete participation.

How to Apply

Application information is automatically sent to all Pritzker first-year medical students. For more information or to download the Summer Research Program Intent to Participate form, visit the Summer Research Program website.

Program Leadership 

David Meltzer, MD, PhD
Department of Medicine, Section of Hospital Medicine
Harris School of Public Policy Studies
Department of Economics
dmeltzer@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

Vineet Arora, MD, MA
Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine
varora@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu 

Stacie Levine, MD
Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics
slevine@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

Sangram Sisodia, PhD
Department of Neuroscience
ssisodia@drugs.bsd.uchicago.edu

Support

STAR is supported by the National Institute on Aging, grant award T35 AG 029795.