BRIDGE Fellowship Program
The Brigham Research in Infectious Disease and Global Engagement (BRIDGE) Summer Fellowship Program is a new 10-week summer research experience in infectious diseases and global health for college students and recent college graduates from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine. The first year of this program included 6-7 interns selected from over 250 applicants nationally. Each intern participated in a mentored experience in basic science, clinical or translational research.
Project themes varied and spanned the following topics:
Interns also participated in a tailored weekly lecture series that included dedicated learning about the fundamentals of research, career paths in medicine and global public health, and preparation for health careers. The summer experience concluded with a research presentation by each intern, attended by division faculty and peers.
One of the objectives of the BRIDGE program is for mentor-mentee relationships to persist even after the formal internship ends, with ongoing support as mentees pursue postgraduate degrees and job opportunities.
Program Co-Director
LaKeisha is a passionate, adaptable and dependable Senior Research Grant Manager for Infectious Disease Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is the team lead for the Grants Administration team. LaKeisha is also a founding member of the DEI committee and managed the administrative sector of the BRIDGE program.
Program Co-Director/Mentor
Dr. Koo is an Infectious Disease Specialist at Mass General Brigham and a founding member of the DEI BRIDGE program in Infectious Disease Division. Her research laboratory focuses on identifying metabolite biomarker signatures to identify various infectious diseases, and sensing methods to identify these signatures rapidly in the breath.
Program Co-Director
Dr. Lockman is an infectious disease specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an Associate Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer at the CDC. Her research focuses on clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of antiretroviral drugs used for HIV treatment and prevention among pregnant and postpartum women. She is also a founding member of the infectious disease DEI committee.
Seminar Director/Mentor
Dr. Manne-Goehler is an Infectious diseases physician at Mass General Brigham. Her research focuses on the intersection of HIV and metabolic disease. Manne serves as a co-investigator on the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) cohort study, and is a co-founder of the Global Health + Population Project on Access to Care for Cardiometabolic diseases (HPACC).
Program Co-Director
Dr. Yawetz is a clinical expert in the areas of infectious diseases, HIV, and reproductive and women infectious health and also the co-chair of the BWH Infectious Diseases’ DEI committee.
Apply for the 2025 BRIDGE Summer Fellowship Program
Download the BRIDGE Summer Fellowship Program FAQs (PDF)
We genuinely appreciate your keen interest in the BRIDGE Summer Fellowship Program. The response we've received has been overwhelming, and we're thrilled to see such enthusiasm for our program.
Currently, our team is diligently reviewing the substantial number of applications we've received. We understand the importance of your inquiry and kindly ask for your patience during this evaluation process. Regrettably, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries or questions at this moment.
For your convenience, we recommend referring to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section on our website/application portal. This resource is designed to provide comprehensive information that may address many of your concerns.
Please note that the application deadline is set for Friday, January 10, 2025. Following this deadline, our team will thoroughly review all applications. If you successfully meet the program requirements, we will be in touch with further information or instructions.
Once again, we sincerely appreciate your interest in BRIDGE, and we thank you for your understanding during this process.
