Overview

The Nephrology and Urology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (nuSURF) research training program exposes future biomedical and clinical scientists to investigative careers in academic nephrology, basic nephrology, and urologic sciences.  

These scientists are vital for biomedical research because they form a bridge between clinicians and medical scientists and are often the most qualified to ask the proper scientific health-related questions.

Program highlights

A common challenge for young nephrology and urology researchers is that prior to their professional education (Ph.D., M.D., M.D.-Ph.D., DVM, etc.) is that many haven't had sufficient exposure to basic research, and sometimes no exposure at all, particularly related to areas such as nephrology and urology. Even with these professional degrees, many postdoctoral and clinical fellows have had minimal exposure to nephrology and urology during their training. In addition, the rigors of postdoctoral research or clinical training programs may limit their ability to develop and nurture their interests in renal and urologic research.

Research in these areas has never been more critical, as an increasing percentage of the United States population experiences diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, all of which directly affect the health of the kidney and urogenital track.

The goal of the nuSURF program is to overcome these challenges by introducing students to basic kidney and urology research early in their careers, allowing them to explore the breadth and depth of the field before making a commitment to exclusively clinical careers. The program allows talented students who are predisposed to basic research to explore nephrology and urology research.

The nuSURF program aims to:

• Give summer undergraduates experience in kidney (nephrology) or urologic research
• Provide a collaborative basic and translational environment to help students understand that all of medicine, including nephrology and urology, is grounded in basic science
• Provide instruction on written, oral, and poster presentations of research data

Program director's welcome

A community of learners

You'll immediately join a community during your summer of research at Mayo Clinic. You'll be surrounded by mentors, researchers, and fellow students to welcome you as you work through your research project.