“I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the E.E. Just Scholars program at Columbia University and develop a long-term mentorship from a notable physician and researcher in Erica Fallon, MD. I was able to start one of my lifetime goals of finding novel treatment options for Wilms tumor, the same pediatric cancer I once had, which has been a huge driver of my interest in practicing medicine and research. It also provided numerous opportunities to develop research skills that I would not have had access to otherwise.”
—Erron Collins
E.E. Just Scholar
Doctor of Medicine Candidate, Morehouse School of Medicine Class of ’24
“It was an honor to be an E.E. Just Scholar under the leadership of Dr. Kevin Gardner. Working with the Gardner lab was a riveting experience that provided clarity to my career aspirations to become a molecular epidemiologist. The program was intellectually enlightening and broadened my viewpoints in multiple disciplines of medical science.”
—Sediqua Bufford
E.E. Just Scholar
Master of Science in Biotechnology, Morehouse School of Medicine Class of ’21
“Columbia University is an international powerhouse and leader in science and the humanities in one of the most diverse cities in the world. However, this level of diversity is not reflected within its walls. The E.E. Just Scholars program will cultivate a new generation of scientists, educators, and scholars that will embrace diversity and equity in the practice, delivery, and teaching of the biomedical and behavioral sciences.”
—Kevin Gardner, MD, PhD
E.E. Just mentor, Senior Vice Chair of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
“As a life scientist, I know first-hand how important it is for students to have these wonderful opportunities where they can participate in cutting-edge research activities in laboratories led by top-notch scientists at places like Columbia University. Working with investigators like Dr. Kevin Gardner, for instance, provides a great opportunity for our students to gain critical research skills and abilities that will help them matriculate through their respective academic programs, subsequent graduate studies and, ultimately, careers in the life sciences.”
—Chad Womack, PhD
Senior Director of STEM Programs and Initiatives at the UNCF
Founder, Ernest E. Just Life Science Society
“The Ernest E. Just Scholars Program is an opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships. The most innovative research comes when scientists from all backgrounds are represented and have a voice.”
—Anil K. Rustgi, MD
Interim Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Director, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Driving Diversity in Science
New scholars program links HBCUs and Columbia University
Driving Diversity in Science
New scholars program links HBCUs and Columbia University
Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) have created the Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars @ Columbia, a groundbreaking program that will provide college and graduate students at historically Black colleges, universities, and medical schools (HBCUs) with research opportunities and access to mentors at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and the HICCC. In turn, faculty at CUIMC will have access to a diverse and talented cohort of students to mentor, and faculty will collaborate on research projects ranging from epidemiological studies to new ideas for cancer therapy.
The program aims to increase the number of Black researchers in tenure-track positions at Columbia and other top-tier biomedical research institutions in the country by providing a critical link between young scientists in the pipeline at HBCUs and established researchers at Columbia University.
The Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars @ Columbia program developed from discussions about how students at HBCUs can connect with scientists at top-tier research institutions such as CUIMC. The program began this past summer with 12 students from Morehouse School of Medicine who were paired with a faculty researcher at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mailman School of Public Health, or School of Nursing depending on the student’s research interests. Students were selected by UNCF and Morehouse School of Medicine and conducted their research with CUIMC faculty remotely in this initial cycle. The program is anticipated to expand next year to students at other HBCU medical schools and undergraduate institutions.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) have created the Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars @ Columbia, a groundbreaking program that will provide college and graduate students at historically Black colleges, universities, and medical schools (HBCUs) with research opportunities and access to mentors at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and the HICCC. In turn, faculty at CUIMC will have access to a diverse and talented cohort of students to mentor, and faculty will collaborate on research projects ranging from epidemiological studies to new ideas for cancer therapy.
The program aims to increase the number of Black researchers in tenure-track positions at Columbia and other top-tier biomedical research institutions in the country by providing a critical link between young scientists in the pipeline at HBCUs and established researchers at Columbia University.
The Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars @ Columbia program developed from discussions about how students at HBCUs can connect with scientists at top-tier research institutions such as CUIMC. The program began this past summer with 12 students from Morehouse School of Medicine who were paired with a faculty researcher at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mailman School of Public Health, or School of Nursing depending on the student’s research interests. Students were selected by UNCF and Morehouse School of Medicine and conducted their research with CUIMC faculty remotely in this initial cycle. The program is anticipated to expand next year to students at other HBCU medical schools and undergraduate institutions.
Erron Collins
Sediqua Bufford
Kevin Gardner, MD, PhD
Chad Womack, PhD
Anil Rustgi, MD
“The Ernest E. Just Scholars Program is an opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships. The most innovative research comes when scientists from all backgrounds are represented and have a voice.”
—Anil K. Rustgi, MD
Interim Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of
Health Sciences and Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Director, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
“As a life scientist, I know first-hand how important it is for students to have these wonderful opportunities where they can participate in cutting-edge research activities in laboratories led by top-notch scientists at places like Columbia University. Working with investigators like Dr. Kevin Gardner, for instance, provides a great opportunity for our students to gain critical research skills and abilities that will help them matriculate through their respective academic programs, subsequent graduate studies and, ultimately, careers in the life sciences.”
—Chad Womack, PhD
Senior Director of STEM Programs and Initiatives at the UNCF
Founder, Ernest E. Just Life Science Society
“It was an honor to be an E.E. Just Scholar under the leadership of Dr. Kevin Gardner. Working with the Gardner lab was a riveting experience that provided clarity to my career aspirations to become a molecular epidemiologist. The program was intellectually enlightening and broadened my viewpoints in multiple disciplines of medical science.”
—Sediqua Bufford
E.E. Just Scholar
Master of Science in Biotechnology, Morehouse School of Medicine Class of ’21
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the E.E. Just Scholars program at Columbia University and develop a long-term mentorship from a notable physician and researcher in Erica Fallon, MD. I was able to start one of my lifetime goals of finding novel treatment options for Wilms tumor, the same pediatric cancer I once had, which has been a huge driver of my interest in practicing medicine and research. It also provided numerous opportunities to develop research skills that I would not have had access to otherwise.”
—Erron Collins
E.E. Just Scholar
Doctor of Medicine Candidate, Morehouse School of Medicine Class of ’24
“Columbia University is an international powerhouse and leader in science and the humanities in one of the most diverse cities in the world. However, this level of diversity is not reflected within its walls. The E.E. Just Scholars program will cultivate a new generation of scientists, educators, and scholars that will embrace diversity and equity in the practice, delivery, and teaching of the biomedical and behavioral sciences.”
—Kevin Gardner, MD, PhD
E.E. Just mentor, Senior Vice Chair of Pathology and Cell Biology,
Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Sediqua Bufford
Chad Womack, PhD
“The Ernest E. Just Scholars Program is an opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships. The most innovative research comes when scientists from all backgrounds are represented and have a voice.”
—Anil K. Rustgi, MD
Interim Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of
Health Sciences and Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Director, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
“As a life scientist, I know first-hand how important it is for students to have these wonderful opportunities where they can participate in cutting-edge research activities in laboratories led by top-notch scientists at places like Columbia University. Working with investigators like Dr. Kevin Gardner, for instance, provides a great opportunity for our students to gain critical research skills and abilities that will help them matriculate through their respective academic programs, subsequent graduate studies and, ultimately, careers in the life sciences.”
—Chad Womack, PhD
Senior Director of STEM Programs and Initiatives at the UNCF
Founder, Ernest E. Just Life Science Society
“It was an honor to be an E.E. Just Scholar under the leadership of Dr. Kevin Gardner. Working with the Gardner lab was a riveting experience that provided clarity to my career aspirations to become a molecular epidemiologist. The program was intellectually enlightening and broadened my viewpoints in multiple disciplines of medical science.”
—Sediqua Bufford
E.E. Just Scholar
Master of Science in Biotechnology, Morehouse School of Medicine Class of ’21
“Columbia University is an international powerhouse and leader in science and the humanities in one of the most diverse cities in the world. However, this level of diversity is not reflected within its walls. The E.E. Just Scholars program will cultivate a new generation of scientists, educators, and scholars that will embrace diversity and equity in the practice, delivery, and teaching of the biomedical and behavioral sciences.”
—Kevin Gardner, MD, PhD
Senior Vice Chair of Pathology and Cell Biology,
Columbia Vagelos Physicians and Surgeons
Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, HICCC
Sediqua Bufford
Anil Rustgi, MD
Kevin Gardner, MD, PhD