The CVRC Undergraduate Student Summer Fellowship training program targets undergraduate junior or senior level college students with the goal to perform cardiovascular research. Cutting-edge therapies require modern technology as well as dedicated and innovative researchers. Sponsored by the UW-Madison Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC), the program requires mentors to be CVRC members who are experts in a cardiovascular field and have a demonstrated interest in mentoring successful scientists.
Collaboratively, we will provide a 10-week training experience for undergraduate trainees in laboratories that address diseases including:
- cardiac arrhythmia
- heart failure
- myocardial regeneration
- peripheral vascular disease
- valvular disease
On the last day of the training period, we will celebrate trainees’ completion of the program with a “mini symposium.” All student trainees, their sponsors, and the graduate students and/or postdocs who mentored student trainees will gather to recognize trainees’ achievement through their presentations.
Key program information
- Application deadline: March 15, 2025
- Program dates: June 4, 2025 – August 6, 2025
Support and benefits
- $6,000 stipend
(Stipends will be disbursed in accordance with UW-Madison payment guidelines and will be included in year-end reporting documentation.)
- 10 week research experience
- There will be funds to participate in a conference. Travel to be coordinated through the CVRC
Strongly encouraged to apply
- Individuals with disabilities. Accommodations are available. For more information please visit the McBurney Disability Resource Center website.
- Individuals from low-income backgrounds OR who are the first in their family to attend college.
- Students who attend small institutions without broad research facilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Eligibility Requirements
- To be eligible for this program, an undergraduate student must be classified at the junior or senior academic status at the time of award activation, or may complete the fellowship immediately following graduation.
- Student must have been enrolled full-time in the previous Spring semester and/or a recent graduate of an undergraduate degree program at a four-year college or university.
- At the time of application, student must be a United States citizen, or a foreign national holding a student, exchange or permanent resident visa, including an F-1, H1, H1B, J1, PR, TC or TN visa.
Application Requirements
- General application form Application 2025
- Letter of Recommendation – if you have prior research experience, it will be helpful to have a letter from your research mentor
- College transcript; unofficial transcripts are acceptable
- Resume/CV
- Three short personal essays (3900 character maximum per essay)
- Future goals and career plans: Describe how your participation in a summer research program at UW-Madison will contribute to your future goals and career plans.
- Research area(s) and experience: Which area(s) of research are of interest to you and why? Include your reasons for applying to the UW-Madison summer program; you may include specific UW-Madison faculty members, programs, facilities or resources. Although previous research experience is not required to be considered for participation in our summer program, please describe any past research experience. This may include research as part of a course if you do not have other research experiences.
- How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges motivated your decision to pursue a research opportunity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison?
Please email application materials by March 15, 2025 to Katie Randall
APPLICATION PROCESS IS CLOSED
Contact us
For more information email: CVRC Summer Program
Leadership team
- Dr. Hector Valdivia, MD, PhD, Program Director
- Eric Schafer, BA, Administrator
- Katie Randall, BS, Administrative Specialist
SUMMER 2025 COHORT
Kate Bjorklund
Kate is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Neurobiology and Psychology with a certificate in Athletic Healthcare. Her current research specifically focuses on the effects of post-translational modifications (S-glutathionylation) on cardiac myosin binding protein-C and the general influences this has on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Lucas De Carvalho
Lucas de Carvalho is an incoming senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Neurobiology and Psychology. Since joining Robertson Lab in May of 2024, he has helped investigate the biogenesis of heteromeric hERG1a/1b ion channels, which he intends to continue to characterize.
Vin Nikolai
My name is Vin Nikolai and I’m originally from Waupaca, WI. I’m currently a senior at UW-Madison studying Kinesiology on a pre-medical track. I enjoy playing and watching sports, exercising, and being outdoors. My research this summer is in the Schrage Lab with a focus on sex differences in cerebral blood flow.
Mackenzie Sloan
Mackenzie is an incoming junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison working towards a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. She joined the Cardiovascular Fluid Dynamics Lab in the fall of 2024 with a focus on the development of hemodynamic metrics using 4D Flow MRI. This summer she plans to continue her work analyzing the clinical scans of patients who undergo the Ross procedure in the hopes of identifying metrics for successful candidacy.
Achal Gowda
I’m originally from Peshtigo, WI. I just graduated in May from UW-Madison with a B.S in Biology. I joined the Alvarado lab in October 2023. My main focus is investigating the role of ryanodine receptor phosphorylation in the adrenergic response. I do this by recording transient calcium release in isolated cardiomyocytes from knock-in mouse models. I’m looking forward to continuing my work and learning new techniques during the CVRC Summer Research Fellowship.