Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Research Opportunities- Summer 2025

First and Last Name

Current Program or Institution

Are you an HMS year 1 student interested in summer research?

If you are, or have been part of, a BIDMC Volunteer or Workforce Development Program, please select the program(s) you are or have been part of

What is your phone number?

What is your email address?

Academic Level

Current Major (if high school, please state N/A)

Psychiatry Research Internship: Building Bridges toward Equity in Psychosis Intervention and Careers (2B-EPIC)

Note: to be considered for this opportunity, you must select "yes" on this application, and apply directly to the program following the steps on the 2B-EPIC webpage: https://www.responsetorisk.org/2b-epic

The 2B-EPIC initiative, part of the Response to Risk Research Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Department of Psychiatry (www.responsetorisk.org), offers a 20-40 hour/week internship for motivated Black and Latinx college students. This program provides hands-on experience in research, treatment, outreach, and prevention strategies for youth at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). It's ideal for students interested in advancing equity and culturally responsive care while exploring careers in psychology, social work, counseling, nursing, or psychiatry.

With a 20+ year history of training mental health professionals, our department partners with programs like MAPNET (www.mapnet.org) and the SAMHSA-funded M3P initiative to expand evidence-based care for early psychosis. 2B-EPIC builds a more racially and culturally diverse workforce by offering paid mentorship and training opportunities for Black and Latinx students to specialize in early psychosis care.

Internship Details
Hours: 15-40 hours/week (40 hours required for summer-only projects).
Work Modality: Combination of in-person (Boston) and remote activities.
Compensation: Unpaid

Key Activities:

Research Coordination-
Data entry, management, and compliance with BIDMC IRB.
Organizing study materials, maintaining databases, and scoring assessments.

Program Support (MAPNET/M3P)-
Attend meetings, assist with data management, and develop community training materials.

Community Outreach-
Plan and organize outreach events for schools, youth agencies, and healthcare providers.
Design materials, manage communications, and enhance the program's social media presence.

Diversity and Equity Initiatives-
Collaborate with DEI initiatives and advisory boards to increase equity and access to care and to create culturally informed interventions.

Mentorship-
Guide high school interns on college and career planning.
Support stigma-reduction campaigns focused on psychosis and mental health.

Conference Planning-
Assist with organizing continuing education events and provide technical support.

Clinical Exposure-
Attend clinic meetings, research evaluations, and clinical assessments.

Scholarly Project
Work with a mentor to develop and present a project; highly motivated interns may pursue publication.

Team Contributions-
Engage in program events, team-building activities, and the recruitment of future interns.

Psychiatry Research Project: Evaluating Mental Health Apps with mindApps.org

Student Level: High School, Undergraduate, Graduate School, Medical School, PhD

MindApps.org is a website and digital platform that provides reviews and resources related to mental health apps. It is designed to help users, clinicians, and researchers evaluate the quality, safety, and effectiveness of various mental health-related applications.

Key features of MindApps.org include:
1. App Reviews and Ratings: Comprehensive reviews of mental health apps, including user ratings and expert assessments. These evaluations often consider factors like privacy, effectiveness, usability, and engagement.
2. Searchable Database: A curated database of mental health apps that allows users to search and filter based on specific needs, such as depression, anxiety, mindfulness, or other mental health concerns.
3. Evidence-Based Criteria: Evaluation of apps against evidence-based benchmarks, often focusing on clinical effectiveness, data security, and user experience.
4. Educational Resources: Information for users and clinicians on how to choose and integrate digital tools into mental health care.

The site is often mentioned in academic and clinical contexts as a valuable resource for navigating the growing field of digital mental health interventions. If you're looking to explore or recommend mental health apps, MindApps.org can be a helpful starting point. Our team is looking for people to help with various aspects of MindApps.org research and progress.

Opportunity Details:
Full-time or Part-time: Part-time
Work Modality: Hybrid (Boston)
Compensation: Unpaid

Psychiatry Opportunity: Digital Navigator

Student Level: Undergraduate, Graduate School

A Digital Navigator is a trained individual who supports patients and clinicians in effectively using digital health tools and technology as part of care. They play a key role in helping people navigate the challenges of adopting and integrating digital health interventions into their care or daily lives. This role has become increasingly important with the rise of telehealth, mobile health apps, and other digital innovations in healthcare. BIDMC has been a leader in creating and expanding the Digital Navigator role. We are seeking to engage a new crop of Digital Navigators to help serve and directly work with patients around their mental health care. As this is a patient-facing role, we expect a 1-year commitment and 4 hours per week. The majority of the time will be spent working with patients, and the other time will be spent working with the clinical team and learning about the healthcare system and digital mental health. Prior people in the role have led review papers and case series as well has helped innovate on the role to make it more effective and scalable.

Opportunity Details:
Full-time or Part-time: Part-time
Work Modality: Hybrid (Boston) or remote
Compensation: Unpaid

Internship Opportunity in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

Note: to be considered for this opportunity, you must select "yes" on this application, and also apply directly to Dr. Malika Boudries following the instructions at the bottom of this description:
 
Are you a student enrolled at Harvard or an affiliated institution, with an interest in computational biology and bioinformatics? We invite you to apply for an exciting internship opportunity in the field of HIV research. This internship is specifically aimed at students from underrepresented minority (URIM) backgrounds who are looking to gain hands-on experience in quantitative sciences applied to HIV studies.

Position: Internship in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Duration: 3-6 months (suitable for rotation, Master's thesis, or undergraduate thesis)
Compensation: Stipend
Mentorship: Personalized mentoring and comprehensive training

About the Internship:

This internship provides a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge research in the field of HIV. You will be part of a dynamic research team, focusing on quantitative methods and computational techniques to address important questions in HIV biology. The program is designed to offer rigorous training in computational biology and bioinformatics, with a focus on developing practical skills and gaining research experience.

What You Will Gain:

- Hands-on experience with computational and quantitative methods in HIV research.
- Mentorship from experienced researchers and faculty members.
- Training in various aspects of computational biology, including data analysis, modeling, and algorithm development.
- The opportunity to contribute to impactful research projects.
- A supportive environment that fosters learning and professional growth.

Eligibility:

- Must be a student enrolled at Harvard University or an affiliated institution.
- Must identify as an underrepresented minority (URIM).
- Interest in computational biology, bioinformatics, and HIV research.
- Commitment to a 3-6-month internship period, suitable for academic credit as a rotation or thesis project.

How to Apply:

Please submit the following documents:

1. A cover letter explaining your interest in the internship and how it aligns with your academic and career goals.
2. Your current resume or CV.

Submit Applications to: maid@bidmc.harvard.edu

For any questions or further information, please contact maid@bidmc.harvard.edu.

Join us in advancing the field of HIV research while gaining invaluable experience and mentorship in computational biology and bioinformatics. We look forward to your application!

Psychiatry Research Project: Emerging Technologies and Simulations in Psychiatry Education

Student Level: Undergraduate, Graduate, Medical Student, PhD Student

This project involves the design, implementation, and research of simulation-based learning methods and/or emerging technologies (such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and metaverse) in education of learners in psychiatry. Current efforts in this project include implementation of simulation-based curriculums using standardized patients and exploring use of virtual reality in conducting simulations and teaching sessions on learner outcomes. Interested students will have the option to participate in project design, assisting with project implementation and teaching, or research data collection and analysis, based on their specific area of interest.

Part-time
Work-Modality: In-person/Hybrid
Compensation: Unpaid

Development of new Computational Pipelines for Single-Cell Data Analysis and Integration

Student Level: College undergraduate

This project focuses on designing and implementing computational pipelines to process, analyze, and integrate single-cell omics data. The project aims to develop efficient workflows for extracting meaningful biological insights from high-dimensional single-cell datasets by leveraging bioinformatics tools and programming in R and Python. The goal is to enhance data integration methods to study complex biological systems, particularly in the context of host-virus interactions

This project will provide hands-on experience in bioinformatics, coding in R and Python, and advanced data integration techniques to better understand virus-host interactions at a systems level

Full-time and part-time options available
Work Modality? Hybrid
Compensation: Unpaid, stipend available

Multiomics features of HIV viral reservoir and correlates of rebound in PLWH following ATI

Student level: College undergraduate

This project investigates the molecular characteristics of the HIV viral reservoir using multiomics approaches, including single-cell transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. By integrating these data layers, the study aims to identify key host actors that regulate reservoir persistence and latency. Computational analysis in R and Python will uncover novel biomarkers and pathways that could inform therapeutic strategies for HIV cure efforts.

This project will provide hands-on experience in bioinformatics, coding in R and Python, and advanced data integration techniques to better understand virus-host interactions at a systems level

Full-time and part-time options available
Work Modality: Hybrid
Compensation: Unpaid, stipend available

The Massachusetts Institute for Excellence and Quality in Learning Health Systems (Mass EQLHS)

Student Level: College Graduate Student, Medical School, PhD


The Massachusetts Institute for Excellence and Quality in Learning Health Systems (Mass EQLHS) (https://www.masseqlhs.org/) has opportunities for medical and graduate students to work with our core team and institute partners on projects focused on improving outcomes for all. Mass EQLHS brings together a cross-institutional alliance, including Beth Israel Lahey Health, Mass General Brigham, UMass, Veterans Affairs, Cambridge Health Alliance, and Community Health Centers, intended to accelerate patient-centered research to improve health outcomes.

Our institute is one of 16 nationally designated Centers of Excellence in learning health systems science. Our federally-funded research aims to:
1) Advance the workforce development of embedded learning health system scientists across the professional development lifecycle (student through faculty);
2) Accelerate enduring advancement in learning health systems science by adopting common data standards;
3) Forge a strong cross institutional alliance between community, safety net, academic health systems, patients, mentors, and scholars to drive widespread and enduring change through the implementation of successful research learnings into healthcare delivery.

Students would become part of the Mass EQLHS community and could participate in community-wide activities. The institute has funding for several student projects ranging from 8 weeks to 12 months duration. Projects may involve qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting; human-centered design; data science; implementation science; and health system science.

Full-time and part-time options available
Work Modality: In-Person, Remote, and Hybrid available
Compensation: Unpaid

The accumulation of sleep need: different types of sleep deprivation.

Student Level: College Undergraduate, College Graduate Student, Medical School, PhD

Background: Sleep constitutes one of the holy grails of the biomedical sciences, as it is a physiological need that is mostly beyond our understanding. The current project will focus on sleep homeostasis (or the need of sleep), by comparing *in mice* the effects of sleep deprivation by boring/repetitive stimulation (e.g. shift-working) vs. wake prolongation by engaged activity (e.g. video-gaming).

Training: The project will be a fast run-through of a complete scientific project, with an aim to have a draft of a paper at its end. The project will involve building brain implants, recording various physiological signals in parallel (e.g. EEG, EMG, activity, etc.), conducting behavioral experiments, and scoring of brain states in mice. Optional training may include survival mice surgery (if desired) and/or data analysis for those with coding proficiency. Opportunities for presentations will also be available. Learning the theory of sleep research through discussions and brainstorming and reading highly relevant scientific and philosophical articles will be offered should the student wish to have a more active role in the writing of the paper. Expansion of the research (e.g. into the underlying brain circuitry) and/or of aims (e.g. honor thesis) can also be discussed at a more advanced stage.

Requirements: The three most important traits for the project, in order, are discipline, independence, and curiosity. Fine motor skills and prior experience working with mice are preferred but not mandatory, and an interest in basic science and/or sleep research would be an additional plus. The project would be volunteer only (i.e. unpaid) and requires a commitment to be physically in the lab for either 10 weeks of full-time work, or 10-12 hours per week for a year. The lab is part of the Department of Neurology at Harvard Med School/BIDMC and located in Longwood Medical Area- 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston.

Part-time
Work Modality: In-Person
Compensation: Unpaid

Please upload a brief description of your interest in the project you selected (2-4 sentences).

What time period are you hoping to conduct research? Please select all that apply

Will you receive academic credit for a research opportunity at BIDMC, and/or will this satisfy a graduation requirement?

If you selected yes to the question above, please explain further. If not, please explain how the research opportunity you selected in this application will benefit your academic learning and career goals?

Please upload a copy of your resume or CV

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