This Program Is Intended For Any Health Professional Who Wishes To Enhance His Her K: Fill & Download for Free

A2A: Medical Schools have links to Institutional and External Research Opportunities for Medical Students. Several links below:Johns Hopkins University Research Programs and OpportunitiesMedical Student Research DaySummer Internship Program for UndergraduatesSearch for Mentors and Summer Research OpportunitiesInstructions for Mentors and Preceptors- procedure for signing up as a mentor or posting a student research opportunity.Fellowship InformationFunding InformationSummer Research Funding OpportunitiesDean's Office Summer Research FundingA Summer Research Opportunity (SRO) experience is open to all JHU SoM M.D. students in the summer following completion of the first year of medical school. Details are provided by the Office of Student Affairs after the winter holiday break.CHLA/USC Summer Oncology Fellowship ProgramThis program is intended to provide the highest quality experience for first-year medical school students pursuing interests in oncology research. Students actively participate in clinical or laboratory research studies during their fellowship, and some have authored or co-authored peer reviewed publications as well as presented their work at major national and international scientific meetings. Many have gone on to academic medical careers.For more information, please visit:CHLA/USC Summer Oncology Fellowship ProgramCancer in the Under-Privileged, Indigent or Disadvantaged (CUPID) Summer FellowshipCancer in the Under-Privileged, Indigent, or Disadvantaged (CUPID) is a laboratory-based summer fellowship program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine that is designed for medical students who have an interest in bringing the benefits of modern cancer research to underserved populations in the US.For more information, please visit:Cancer in the Under-Privileged, Indigent, or Disadvantaged (CUPID) Summer FellowshipInfectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) Medical Scholars ProgramAn important part of IDSA’s mission is to promote the subspecialty of infectious diseases by attracting the best and brightest medical students to the field. To further this goal, the IDSA Education and Research Foundation offers scholarships to medical students in U.S. and Canadian medical schools with mentorship by an IDSA member or fellow. It is the responsibility of IDSA members and fellows to identify and solicit interested students.For more information, please visit:Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) Medical Scholars ProgramKwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (K-RITH)K-RITH offers a range of internship opportunities:Short-Term InternshipsOur short-term internship programme runs from June-August each year. Students need to identify their own funding as although K-RITH covers laboratory expenses, we do not offer financial support to cover relocation costs or a daily stipend. Please only apply if financial support has been obtained. To apply please submit your CV and a covering letter with a 200 word motivation on why you should be selected for the programme. The deadline for applications is 31 January each year.To apply please submit your CV and a covering letter with a 200 word motivation on why you should be selected for the programme and which laboratory you are interested in working in to [email protected] Internship OpportunitiesHHMI Medical Research Fellows ProgramMedical, dental, and veterinary students are in a unique position to advance biomedical research and translate findings from the lab into the treatment of disease. The HHMI Medical Fellows Program gives these students a chance to focus on a research project full-time and determine how they can incorporate research into their professional careers. For more information see: Year-Long Medical Research Fellows Program at Janelia or K-RITH.Who is Eligible to apply? Students must be in good standing at a medical, dental, or veterinary school located in the United States. U.S. citizenship is not required. Students cannot be enrolled in a combined medical, dental, or veterinary/PhD program (e.g., MD/PhD) or PhD, or ScD program, or have a PhD or ScD in a laboratory-based biological science.For more information, please visit:K-RITH Internship OpportunitiesMedical Student Training in Aging ResearchAdministered by AFAR and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the MSTAR program encourages medical students--particularly budding researchers--to consider a career in academic geriatrics by awarding short-term scholarships. Strengthening the original Hartford/AFAR Medical Student Geriatric Scholars Program, MSTAR celebrates its 21st year in 2015.For more information, please visit:Medical Student Training in Aging ResearchMedical Student Research Program in DiabetesThe Medical Student Research Program in Diabetes is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health through the NIDDK and allows medical students to conduct research under the direction of an established scientist in the areas of diabetes, hormone action, physiology, islet cell biology or obesity at an institution with one of the NIDDK-funded Research Centers during the summer between the first and second year or second and third year of medical school. The Program helps students gain an improved understanding of career opportunities in biomedical research and a comprehensive understanding of diabetes, its clinical manifestations and its unsolved problems. Prior research experience is not required.In addition to working on his/her own research project, each student attends a series of web-cast seminars addressing various clinical and research aspects of diabetes mellitus and its complications. At the conclusion of the summer, each student presents a brief summary of his/her work at a scientific symposium for all Program participants (location varies from year to year).For more information, please visit:Medical Student Research Program in DiabetesMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Medical Student Summer Fellowship ProgramThe Medical Student Summer Fellowship Program is an eight-week research program at Memorial Sloan Kettering offered to medical students who are interested in a career as a physician-scientist in the field of oncology and/or related biomedical sciences.Eligibility & Selection CriteriaFirst- or second-year medical students in good academic standing at LCME- or COCA-accredited US medical schools are eligible to apply for our fellowship program.For more information, please visit:Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Medical Student Summer Fellowship ProgramNational Multiple Sclerosis Society Gateway Area ChapterThe Medical Student Fellowship in MS program offers the opportunity to expose medical students to the field of multiple sclerosis. Proposed rotations may include learning about multi-disciplinary care, clinical trials, research, and advocacy/support at a MS Affiliated Center for Comprehensive Care based in a medical school or private practice setting. Students are expected to identify a mentor from an approved list to discuss interests and opportunities.For more information, please visit: National Multiple Sclerosis Society Gateway Area Chapter or Suzanne Carron, [email protected] or by phone 1-800-344-4867, select option #2Roswell Park Summer Oncology Research ProgramOur summer fellowship program offers rising second-year medical students the chance to conduct mentored, NIH-funded research in a faculty lab at UB or Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Test your interest in research or get a head start on your long-term plans.You will design and carry out independent research in infectious diseases, microbiology and/or immunology under the guidance of our world-renowned faculty. Your mentor will work with you to develop a project abstract before the fellowship begins and help you see your goals to completion.The fellowship application will ask you to list three mentors with whom you wish to work, and we will make every effort to match you with a mentor based on your interests.For more information, please visit: Roswell Park Summer Oncology Research ProgramVanderbilt Student Research Training ProgramThe Vanderbilt Student Research Training Program (SRTP) is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and allows medical students to conduct research under the direction of an established scientist in the areas of diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, or digestive disease at Vanderbilt during the summer between the first and second year or second and third year of medical school.SRTP offers three areas of emphasis: Diabetes and Obesity, Kidney Disease, and Digestive Disease.For more information, please visit: Vanderbilt Student Research Training ProgramOffice of Medical Student ResearchUniversity of North CarolinaResources for StudentsResources for MentorsHome › Resources for Students › Research Opportunities › Short-Term Research OpportunitiesRESOURCES FOR STUDENTSResearch ProgramsResearch OpportunitiesOne-Year Research Training OpportunitiesShort-Term Research OpportunitiesSupplemental Funding Grants and Award OpportunitiesResource LibraryShort-Term Research OpportunitiesThis page is a resource for discovering research training opportunities available outside of the Carolina Medical Student Research Program. Some programs offer students grants to conduct their research at the institution of their choice, including here at UNC. Other programs offer stipends for students to come specifically to their training facilities to conduct research. The listings below give a brief program description in alphabetical order by Agency. When you find a program that interests you, please go to that program's website to learn more about their application deadlines and procedures.The Office of Medical Student Research is always looking for opportunities that suit each student's interests and availability. Please email the Office of Medical Student Researchwith any additional research training opportunities that should be listed on this page.Agency: M. D. Anderson Cancer CenterTitle: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Summer Research ExperienceProgram Description: The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at University of Texas is accepting summer research applications beginning November 30, 2015 through midnight on January 18, 2016. Please visit this website for more information: www.mdanderson.org/summerOur 10-week research program is specifically designed for medical students who are interested in hands-on basic biomedical, translational, or clinical research and have completed their first year of medical school. Students are paired with one of our distinguished research or clinical faculty and are assigned individual projects that reflect the ongoing research efforts of the institution’s clinical and laboratories. In addition to hands-on investigative research, the program also includes interview workshops and lectures fom experts in the field of oncology. Students create valuable connections and indelible tools that can be used to assess their individual career goals relating to research and patient care in oncology. Participants receive a stipend of $5,000 for the complete 10-week period. The stipend is not a salary but is provided to subsidize all research-related expenses, housing, meals and travel.Our program is looking for students that demonstrate a commitment to scientific exploration and share the spirit of academic excellence. Students must be in good academic standing and exhibit an interest and aptitude for scientific investigation.Agency: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterTitle: MSKCC Medical Student Summer Fellowship ProgramProgram Description: The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Medical Student Summer Fellowship Program is accepting applications beginning the week of December 14, 2014. For more information please visit the program website: www.mskcc.org/summerfellowships.This eight-week research program is offered to medical students who have a career interest as a physician-scientist in the field of oncology and/or related biomedical sciences. Supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), MSKCC Office of Diversity Programs in Clinical Care, Research, and Training, and MSKCC Brain Tumor Center , the summer fellowship program offers students who have completed their first or second year of medical school the opportunity to conduct basic laboratory or clinical research mentored by MSKCC faculty. Students in the program will:Gain clinical or laboratory research experience mentored by MSKCC facultyInteract with MSKCC physicians, PhD investigators, post-doctoral fellows and graduate studentsAttend a weekly education lecture series presented by world-renowned MSKCC facultyAttend additional institutional lectures, departmental conferences and lab meetingsPresent their summer research to fellowship peers and MSKCC faculty during the final week of the programReceive a $5500 stipendThe 2015 Summer Fellowship Program online application and project list will be available on December 17, 2014, at 12:00 noon EST. All applications and supplemental materials must be received by January 14, 2015, at 12:00 noon EST. All applicants will be notified of a decision via e-mail between February 27 and March 15, 2015.Agency: The Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools (HSHPS)Title: Hispanic-Serving Health Professions SchoolsProgram Description: The Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools (HSHPS) is now recruiting for all of our summer 2009 government-based internships and fellowships. Applications are now being accepted for the following programs: HSHPS/CDC Student Internship and Fellowship Program, HSHPS/NIOSH Student Internship and Fellowship Program, and the HSHPS/NCHS Student Internship Program. The application deadline for the government-based programs is February 20, 2015 (received by). Application deadlines for our Border Health and Disease Specific programs will be announced soon. To access the application, which also includes applicant requirements, visit www.hshps.org. For more information, please contact Arlenin Dushkuat at 202-293-2701 (ext 103) or email [email protected]: Alpha Omega AlphaTitle: Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research FellowshipsProgram Description: Summer Fellowships support one student from each school that has an active Alpha Omega Alpha chapter. The student is supported for clinical investigation, basic laboratory research, epidemiology, or social science/ health services research.Project Location: UNCDuration/ Stipend: summer / $4,000Website: http://www.alphaomegaalpha.orgAgency: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & ImmunologyTitle: Summer Fellowship Medical Student GrantProgram Description: Summer fellowship grants provide stipends to medical students who wish to pursue research projects over the summer. Eligibility is limited to full-time medical students residing in the U.S. or Canada who have successfully completed one year of medical school.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: summer / $2,000Website: http://www.aaaai.orgAgency: American Academy of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryTitle: Jeanne Spurlock Minority Medical Student Clinical Fellowship in Child & Adolescent PsychiatryProgram Description: The clinical training experience must provide for significant contact between the student and the mentor. The plan should include program-planning discussions, instruction in treatment planning and implementation, regular meetings with the mentor and other treatment providers, and assigned readings. Clinical assignments may include responsibility for part of the observation or evaluation, conducting interviews or tests, use of rating scales, and psychological or cognitive testing of patients. The training plan also should include discussion of ethical issues in treatment.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 12 weeks/ $3,000Website: http://www.aacap.org/cs/awardsAgency: American College of NeuropsychopharmacologyTitle: Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc. Minority Summer Fellow ProgramProgram Description: This grant is made to promote and enhance the interest of minority graduate students and residents in careers in psychoparmacology and the neurosciences.Project Location: This project will be completed in the laboratory of the Immediate Past President of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, or another research lab as designated by the Immediate Past President.Duration/Stipend: 6-8 weeks in the summer/ up to $15,000 for lab supplies, room and board, and travelWebsite: http://www.acnp.orAgency: American College of RheumatologyTitle: Abbott Medical Student Clinical PreceptorshipProgram Description: This program is designed to introduce students who are between first and second year of medical school to the specialty of Rheumatology by supporting a full-time clinical experience.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 4 or 8 weeks/ $1,500 per 4 week block plus $1,000 in travel funds to attend the ACR Annual Scientific MeetingWebsite: http://www.rheumatology.orgAgency: The American Federation for Aging ResearchThe MSTAR Program provides medical students, early in their training, with an enriching experience in aging-related research and geriatrics, under the mentorship of top experts in the field. Students participate in an eight- to twelve-week structured research, clinical, and didactic program in geriatrics, appropriate to their level of training and interests. Students may train at a National Training Center supported by the National Institute on Aging or, for a limited number of medical schools, at their own institution.For more information and to view the application, please visit the AFAR website at http://www.afar.org/medstu.html.American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)55 West 39th Street, 16th FloorNew York, NY 10018tel: (212) 703-9977fax: (212) 997-0330e-mail: [email protected]: American Foundation for Urologic DiseaseTitle: Summer Medical Student FellowshipProgram Description: This is an introductory research fellowship to attract medical students to work in urologic research laboratories during the summer. An accredited medical research institution/department must sponsor the candidate by guaranteeing adequate support, including responsibility for the adequacy of the environment for research and development.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: summerWebsite: http://www.healthline.com/channel/urinary-incontinence.htmlAgency: American Gastroenterological Association / Foundation for Digestive Health & NutritionTitle: AGA Student Research Fellowship AwardProgram Description: This program offers support for students to spend time performing research in the areas of digestive diseases or nutrition. Up to 20 students are funded each year and 7 of these slots are saved for underrepresented minorities.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: minimum of 10 weeks/ $2,000 - $3,000Website: http://www.fdhn.orgAgency: American Heart AssociationTitle: Student Scholarships in Cerebrovascular DiseaseProgram Description: This program is offered to stimulate interest, knowledge and investigative work related to cardiovascular disease, stroke and basic sciences early during pre-doctoral training.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: minimum 2 months/ $2,000 plus $750 in travel fees to attend the International Stroke ConferenceWebsite: http://www.americanheart.orgAgency: American Parkinson Disease AssociationTitle: Medical Student Summer FellowshipProgram Description: Summer Fellowships of $4000 will be awarded to medical students to perform active supervised laboratory clinical research on Parkinsons Disease, its nature, manifestation, etiology and treatment.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: summer/ $4,000Website: http://www.apdaparkinson.orgAgency: American Pediatric Society, Society for Pediatric ResearchTitle: Student Research ProgramProgram Description: This program is offered to encourage gifted medical students to consider careers in research related to pediatrics. This program is specifically designed for students seeking a research opportunity at an institution other than at their own medical school.Project Location: Any institution other than your own medical school that is listed in their directory of participating programs. They have nearly 300 laboratories and research experiences available for students to choose from.Duration/Stipend: 8-10 weeks/ up to $4,270Website: http://www.aps-spr.orgAgency: Betty Ford CenterTitle: Summer Institute for Medical StudentsProgram Description: This unique program is open to all medical students. Student recipients may be selected to participate in either the inpatient or family treatment program for 5 days at the Betty Ford Center.Project Location: Rancho Mirage, CaliforniaDuration/Stipend: 5 days (year-round) / no stipendWebsite: http://www.bettyfordcenter.org and choose "training"Agency: Carolinas Heathcare System - Charlotte, NCTitle: Summer Research Scholar ProgramProgram Description: Medical students who are awarded this internship will work closely with mentors and their team performing original research in a clinical or laboratory setting.Project Location: Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NCDuration/Stipend: 10 weeks, full time/$5000Center Website: http://www.carolinashealthcare.org/summer-research-scholarsContact: Celest C. Colcord 704-446-5556Agency: Center for Disease ControlTitle: O.C. Hubert Student Fellowship in International HealthProgram Description: This program provides an opportunity for third and fourth year medical students to gain public health experience in an international setting. Fellows spend four to six weeks in a developing country working on a priority health problem in conjunction with CDC staff.Project Location: Students can choose from ongoing projects in Kenya, Republic of Congo, Thailand and PeruDuration/Stipend: 4-6 weeks / $3,000Website: http://www.cdcfoundation.orgAgency: Children's Hospital LATitle: USC Summer Oncology Fellowship ProgramProgram Description: Work at the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. Participating students will be expected to attend a lecture series on aspects of pediatric oncology at CHLA designed specifically for them.Project Location: Los Angeles, CaliforniaDuration/Stipend: 6-10 weeks/ $225 per weekWebsite: http://www.chla-sof.nant.org/Agency: Cystic Fibrosis FoundationTitle: Student TraineeshipProgram Description: Student traineeships are offered to introduce students to research related to Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Applicants must be students in or about to enter a doctoral program. Each applicant must work with a faculty sponsor on a research project related to CF.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 10 weeks/ $1,500Website: http://www.cff.orgAgency: Endocrine SocietyTitle: Summer Research FellowshipsProgram Description: Medical students are given a stipend to participate in research projects under the guidance of an Endocrine Society mentor.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 10-12 weeks/ $4,000Website: http://www.endo-society.orgAgency: Epilepsy FoundationTitle: Health Sciences Student FellowshipProgram Description: Three-month projects are funded in order to encourage career interests in epilepsy research.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 3 months/ $3,000Website: http://www.epilepsyfoundation.orgAgency: Grass FoundationTitle: Grass Fellowships in NeuroscienceProgram Description: This program provides a first opportunity for neuroscientists during late stages of predoctoral training or during postdoctoral years to conduct independent research for scientific discovery on their own at the Marine Biological Laboratory each summer.Project Location: Woods Hole, MassachusettsDuration/Stipend: 14 weeksWebsite: http://www.grassfoundation.orgAgency: Himalayan Health ExchangeTitle: Student ProgramProgram Description: This program's mission is to provide medical and dental care to the underserved people living in remote regions of the Indian and Nepal Himalayas and to uplift two orphanages located in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.Project Location: Indian and Nepal HimalayasDuration/Stipend: 2-3 weeks/ contact program directly for more informationProgram Contact: [email protected]: http://www.himalayanhealth.comAgency: Institute for Research, Education and Training in AddictionsTitle: Scaife Foundation Advanced Medical Student ClerkshipProgram Description: This program offers students hands-on training in Addiction Services.Project Location: Pittsburgh, PA at the Institute for Research Education and Training in AddictionsDuration/Stipend: 3 weeks, summer/ $650 plus meals and boardingWebsite: http://www.ireta.orgAgency: International Alliance in Service and Education ProgramsTitle: International Experiential Learning ProgramProgram Description: This program's focus is on health and education in the area of primary care, public health community-based research projects, mental and chronic disease management, nutrition, tropical and infectious diseases, and topics and services that are relevant and identified by the local community.Project Location: South Africa & MexicoDuration/Stipend: 4-8 weeks/ contact program directly for more information.Website: http://www.iaseco.orgAgency: Lupus Foundation of AmericaTitle: Gina Finzi Memorial Student Summer FellowshipProgram Description: To foster an interest in systemic lupus erythematosus in the areas of basic, clinical or psychosocial research under the supervision of an established investigator.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: summer/ $2,000Website: http://www.lupus.orgAgency: National Institute of HealthTitle: Summer Research Fellowship ProgramProgram Description: This program is designed to provide training in research procedures and principles of independent investigation.Program Location: Bethesda, MDDuration/Stipend: 8-12 weeks/ $2,200Website: http://www.training.nih.gov/student/srfp/index.aspAgency: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeTitle: Summer Program in the Neurological SciencesProgram Description: Unique opportunity to get hands-on experience working with leading scientists in the Institute's Division of Intramural Research.Program Location: Bethesda, MDDuration/Stipend: 10-12 weeks/ $2,000 per monthWebsite: http://www.ninds.nih.govAgency: National Institute of Mental HealthTitle: Summer Training on Aging Research Topics - Mental HealthProgram Description: This program gives selected students an opportunity to gain research experience and work closely with established mentors/investigators in the field of aging and mental health research.Program Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 10 weeks/ $6,250Website: http://startmh.ucsd.eduAgency: New England Institute of Jewish StudiesTitle: Jewish Medical Ethics & Israel Experience ProgramProgram Description: This program is offered to Jewish medical students and consists of a 4 week course on Jewish medical ethics combined with seminars on Jewish thought and tours of Israel.Project Location: Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, IsraelDuration/Stipend: 4 weeks/ $2,400Website: http://www.neijs.orgAgency: New York Academy of MedicineTitle: David E. Rogers Fellowship ProgramProgram Description: National fellowship for medical and dental students in support of a project initiated during the summer between first and second years of school. Projects should serve the needs of underserved or disadvantaged patients or populations.Project Location: Special consideration is given to projects conducted in New York CityDuration/Stipend: 8 weeks/ $3,462Website: http://www.nyam.orgAgency: Oak Ridge Insitute for Science & EducationTitle: Student Research Participation at the National Center for Toxicology ResearchProgram Description: This program is for opportunities to participate in research on biological effects of potentially toxic chemicals and solutions to toxicology problems that have a major impact on human health and the environment.Project Location: Jefferson, ArkansasDuration/Stipend: 2-12 months/ $500 per week plus $75 per week housing allowanceWebsite: http://www.orau.orgAgency: Oregon Health & Science UniversityTitle: Summer Research at the Oregon Hearing CenterProgram Description: The Department of Otolaryngology/ Head & Neck Surgery, and the Oregon Hearing Center, is offering summer research fellowships to medical students. Students will work with a faculty member on a ENT-related project already in progress.Project Location: Portland, OregonDuration/Stipend: 2-3 months/ $1,371 per monthWebsite: http://www.ohsu.eduAgency: Parkinson's Disease FoundationTitle: Fellowship Training ProgramProgram Description: This fellowship supports medical students to study Parkinson's Disease and related disorders under the supervision of an established investigator.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 10 weeksWebsite: http://www.pdf.orgAgency: Roswell Park Cancer InstituteTitle: Summer Oncology Research ProgramProgram Description: This program is designed for medical and dental students to engage in clinical and/or basic science research in oncology.Project Location: Buffalo, New YorkDuration/Stipend: 8 weeks/ $2,240Website: http://www.roswellpark.orgAgency: Sjogren's Syndrome FoundationTitle: Summer Student Fellowship ProgramProgram Description: This award is intended for dental and medical students interested in conducting Sjogren's related research under the guidance of a mentor.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: summer/$2,000Website: http://www.sjogrens.comAgency: Society for Academic Emergency MedicineTitle: Medical Student Research GrantProgram Description: This grant is co-sponsored by the Emergency Medical Foundation. The purpose is to encourage research in emergency medicine. The funded medical student must have a qualified research mentor and a specific research project proposal.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 3 months/ $2,400Website: http://www.saem.orgAgency: Society for Gynecologic InvestigationTitle: Medical Student Stipends for Research in GynecologyProgram Description: The Society for Gynecologic Investigation is committed to expanding interest in research in reproductive biology. To this end, five (5) awards of $2,000 each will be made for research related to reproductive biology to be carried out by medical students.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: summer/ $2,000Website: http://www.sgionline.orgAgency: Special OlympicsTitle: Health Professions Student Grant ProgramProgram Description: The purpose is to promote short-term projects with a focus on the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes programs and Special Olympics athletes, as well as the health and well-being of all persons with intellectual disabilities. Projects may include: data collection and analysis on issues impacting persons with intellectual disabilities; measurement of attitudes, opinions and behaviors of health professionals, coaches, family/caregivers and athletes; follow-up assessments of existing programs; or health promotion projects. Projects that involve collaborations with Special Olympics Programs or other CDC grant recipients (e.g., state and local health departments) are encouraged.Project Location: UNC or outside accredited institutionDuration/Stipend: 8 weeks - 12 months/ $3,500Website: http://www.specialolympics.orgAgency: St. Jude Children's Research HospitalTitle: Pediatric Oncology Education ProgramProgram Description: The Pediatric Oncology Education Program offers a unique opportunity for students preparing for careers in the biomedical sciences, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, allied health, and veterinary medicine to gain biomedical and oncology research experience. The program provides short-term training experiences in either laboratory research or clinical research. Trainees will attend a core lecture series as well as weekly conferences.Project Location: Memphis, TennesseeDuration/Stipend: 9-12 weeks/ $8.00/hrWebsite: http://www.stjude.orgAgency: Strong Children's Research CenterTitle: Summer Training ProgramProgram Description: The Strong Children's Research Center supports basic and clinical research directed to the cause, prevention, and treatment of the diseases of infants, children, and adolescents, as well as studies of developmental biology, child and adolescent development, the delivery of health services, and interventions designed to improve the outcomes of clinical pediatric practice. Student trainees will participate in research and clinical seminars, and will associate with each other as well as trainees enrolled in similar programs in the Medical Center.Project Location: Rochester, New YorkDuration/Stipend: 10 weeks/ $3,000Website: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/scrc/sumprogs.htmAgency: University of ArizonaTitle: Summer Course on International HealthProgram Description: University of Arizona School of Medicine offers a multidisciplinary, case-based, problem-solving course that prepares medical students and primary care residents for health care experiences in developing countries.Project Location: Tuscon, ArizonaDuration/Stipend: 2 weeks in JulyWebsite: http://www.globalhealth.arizona.eduAgency: University of Nebraska Medical CenterTitle: Belize Wilderness & Tropical Medicine RotationProgram Description: These unique rotation experiences combines didactic teaching and guided independent study with actual field training in wilderness and tropical medicine; wilderness, cave, and river rescue; and related disciplines.Project Location: Belize, Central AmericaDuration/Stipend: contact program director for more informationProgram Contact: Dr. Keith Brown, [email protected]: http://www.unmc.edu/isp/studyabroad/belizeintroandoverview.htmAgency: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterTitle: Summer Research Program for Medical StudentsProgram Description: The purpose of this program is to provide participants with first hand biomedical research experience in the basic and clinical sciences. This program is a 9-week course running from the end of May through the beginning of July.Project Location: Houston, TexasDuration/Stipend: 9 weeks/ $2,500Website: http://www.mdanderson.orgAgency: University of Utah: School of Alcoholism & Other Drug DependenciesTitle: Medical Student Scholarship for TrainingProgram Description: Scholarship assistance is available to attend the 54th Annual Session of theUniversity of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies, Physicians Section.Project Location: Salt Lake City, UtahDuration/Stipend: Full tuition, up to six nights dormitory housing, and up to $350 travel allowance.Website: http://www.uuhsc.med.utah/uas/Agency: Vanderbilt Diabetes CenterTitle: Medical Student Summer Research Training Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and MetabolismProgram Description: This program is funded by the National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive & Kidney Diseases. It allows for medical students to conduct independent research under the direction of an established scientist during the summer.Project Location: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TennesseeDuration/Stipend: 12 weeks/ $4,700Website: http://www.mc.vanderbilt.eduContact UsOffice of Medical Student Research130 Mason Farm Rd CB# 7080 Chapel Hill NC 27599 Phone 919-966-3997 Fax 919-843-2508 [email protected]

Life extensionLife extension is the idea of extending the human lifespan, either modestly – through improvements in medicine – or dramatically by increasing the maximum lifespan beyond its generally settled limit of 125 years.The ability to achieve such dramatic changes, however, does not currently exist.Some researchers in this area, and "life extensionists", "immortalists" or "longevists" (those who wish to achieve longer lives themselves), believe that future breakthroughs in tissue rejuvenation, stem cells, regenerative medicine, molecular repair, gene therapy, pharmaceuticals, and organ replacement (such as with artificial organs or xenotransplantations) will eventually enable humans to have indefinite lifespans (agerasia) through complete rejuvenation to a healthy youthful condition. The ethical ramifications, if life extension becomes a possibility, are debated by bioethicists.The sale of purported anti-aging products such as supplements and hormone replacement is a lucrative global industry. For example, the industry that promotes the use of hormones as a treatment for consumers to slow or reverse the aging process in the US market generated about $50 billion of revenue a year in 2009.The use of such products has not been proven to be effective or safe.Average and maximum lifespanDuring the process of aging, an organism accumulates damage to its macromolecules, cells, tissues, and organs. Specifically, aging is characterized as and thought to be caused by "genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication."Oxidation damage to cellular contents caused by free radicals is believed to contribute to aging as well.The longest a human has ever been proven to live is 122 years, the case of Jeanne Calment who was born in 1875 and died in 1997, whereas the maximum lifespan of a wildtypemouse, commonly used as a model in research on aging, is about three years.Genetic differences between humans and mice that may account for these different aging rates include differences in efficiency of DNA repair, antioxidant defenses, energy metabolism, proteostasis maintenance, and recycling mechanisms such as autophagy.Average lifespan in a population is lowered by infant and child mortality, which are frequently linked to infectious diseases or nutrition problems. Later in life, vulnerability to accidentsand age-related chronic disease such as cancer or cardiovascular disease play an increasing role in mortality. Extension of expected lifespan can often be achieved by access to improved medical care, vaccinations, good diet, exercise and avoidance of hazards such as smoking.Maximum lifespan is determined by the rate of aging for a species inherent in its genes and by environmental factors. Widely recognized methods of extending maximum lifespan in model organisms such as nematodes, fruit flies, and mice include caloric restriction, gene manipulation, and administration of pharmaceuticals.Another technique uses evolutionary pressures such as breeding from only older members or altering levels of extrinsic mortality.Some animals such as hydra, planarian flatworms, and certain sponges, corals, and jellyfish do not die of old age and exhibit potential immortality.StrategiesSee also: Ageing § Prevention and reversalDiets and supplementsMuch life extension research focuses on nutrition—diets or supplements— although there is little evidence that they have an effect. The many diets promoted by anti-aging advocates are often contradictory.[original research?]In some studies calorie restriction has been shown to extend the life of mice, yeast, and rhesus monkeys.However, a more recent study did not find calorie restriction to improve survival in rhesus monkeys.In humans the long-term health effects of moderate caloric restriction with sufficient nutrients are unknown.The free-radical theory of aging suggests that antioxidant supplements might extend human life. However, evidence suggest that β-carotene supplements and high doses of vitamin E increase mortality rates.Resveratrol is a sirtuin stimulant that has been shown to extend life in animal models, but the effect of resveratrol on lifespan in humans is unclear as of 2011.Hormone treatmentThe anti-aging industry offers several hormone therapies. Some of these have been criticized for possible dangers and a lack of proven effect. For example, the American Medical Association has been critical of some anti-aging hormone therapies.While growth hormone (GH) decreases with age, the evidence for use of growth hormone as an anti-aging therapy is mixed and based mostly on animal studies. There are mixed reports that GH or IGF-1 modulates the aging process in humans and about whether the direction of its effect is positive or negative.HistoryThe extension of life has been a desire of humanity and a mainstay motif in the history of scientific pursuits and ideas throughout history, from the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh and the Egyptian Smith medical papyrus, all the way through the Taoists, Ayurveda practitioners, alchemists, hygienists such as Luigi Cornaro, Johann Cohausen and Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland, and philosophers such as Francis Bacon, René Descartes, Benjamin Franklin and Nicolas Condorcet. However, the beginning of the modern period in this endeavor can be traced to the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century, to the so-called "fin-de-siècle" (end of the century) period, denoted as an "end of an epoch" and characterized by the rise of scientific optimism and therapeutic activism, entailing the pursuit of life extension (or life-extensionism). Among the foremost researchers of life extension at this period were the Nobel Prize winning biologist Elie Metchnikoff (1845-1916) -- the author of the cell theory of immunity and vice director of Institut Pasteur in Paris, and Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard (1817-1894) -- the president of the French Biological Society and one of the founders of modern endocrinology.Sociologist James Hughes claims that science has been tied to a cultural narrative of conquering death since the Age of Enlightenment. He cites Francis Bacon (1561–1626) as an advocate of using science and reason to extend human life, noting Bacon's novel New Atlantis, wherein scientists worked toward delaying aging and prolonging life. Robert Boyle(1627–1691), founding member of the Royal Society, also hoped that science would make substantial progress with life extension, according to Hughes, and proposed such experiments as "to replace the blood of the old with the blood of the young". Biologist Alexis Carrel (1873–1944) was inspired by a belief in indefinite human lifespan that he developed after experimenting with cells, says Hughes.In 1970, the American Aging Association was formed under the impetus of Denham Harman, originator of the free radical theory of aging. Harman wanted an organization of biogerontologists that was devoted to research and to the sharing of information among scientists interested in extending human lifespan.In 1976, futurists Joel Kurtzman and Philip Gordon wrote No More Dying. The Conquest Of Aging And The Extension Of Human Life, (ISBN 0-440-36247-4) the first popular book on research to extend human lifespan. Subsequently, Kurtzman was invited to testify before the House Select Committee on Aging, chaired by Claude Pepper of Florida, to discuss the impact of life extension on the Social Security system.Saul Kent published The Life Extension Revolution (ISBN 0-688-03580-9) in 1980 and created a nutraceutical firm called the Life Extension Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes dietary supplements. The Life Extension Foundation publishes a periodical called Life Extension Magazine. The 1982 bestselling book Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach (ISBN 0-446-51229-X) by Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw further popularized the phrase "life extension".Regulatory and legal struggles between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Life Extension Foundation included seizure of merchandise and court action. In 1991, Saul Kent and Bill Faloon, the principals of the Foundation, were jailed. The LEF accused the FDA of perpetrating a "Holocaust" and "seeking gestapo-like power" through its regulation of drugs and marketing claims.In 2003, Doubleday published "The Immortal Cell: One Scientist's Quest to Solve the Mystery of Human Aging," by Michael D. West. West emphasised the potential role of embryonic stem cells in life extension.Other modern life extensionists include writer Gennady Stolyarov, who insists that death is "the enemy of us all, to be fought with medicine, science, and technology";transhumanist philosopher Zoltan Istvan, who proposes that the "transhumanist must safeguard one's own existence above all else";futurist George Dvorsky, who considers aging to be a problem that desperately needs to be solved;and recording artist Steve Aoki, who has been called "one of the most prolific campaigners for life extension".Scientific researchIn 1991, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) was formed. The American Board of Medical Specialties recognizes neither anti-aging medicine nor the A4M's professional standing.In 2003, Aubrey de Grey and David Gobel formed the Methuselah Foundation, which gives financial grants to anti-aging research projects. In 2009, de Grey and several others founded the SENS Research Foundation, a California-based scientific research organization which conducts research into aging and funds other anti-aging research projects at various universities.In 2013, Google announced Calico, a new company based in San Francisco that will harness new technologies to increase scientific understanding of the biology of aging.It is led by Arthur D. Levinson,and its research team includes scientists such as Hal V. Barron, David Botstein, and Cynthia Kenyon. In 2014, biologist Craig Venter founded Human Longevity Inc., a company dedicated to scientific research to end aging through genomics and cell therapy. They received funding with the goal of compiling a comprehensive human genotype, microbiome, and phenotype database.Aside from private initiatives, aging research is being conducted in university laboratories, and includes universities such as Harvard and UCLA. University researchers have made a number of breakthroughs in extending the lives of mice and insects by reversing certain aspects of aging.Ethics and politicsPolitics relevant to the substances of life extension pertain mostly to communications and availability.[citation needed]In the United States, product claims on food and drug labels are strictly regulated. The First Amendment (freedom of speech) protects third-party publishers' rights to distribute fact, opinion and speculation on life extension practices. Manufacturers and suppliers also provide informational publications, but because they market the substances, they are subject to monitoring and enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which polices claims by marketers. What constitutes the difference between truthful and false claims is hotly debated and is a central controversy in this arena.[citation needed]Scientific controversySome critics dispute the portrayal of aging as a disease. For example, Leonard Hayflick, who determined that fibroblasts are limited to around 50 cell divisions, reasons that aging is an unavoidable consequence of entropy. Hayflick and fellow biogerontologists Jay Olshansky and Bruce Carnes have strongly criticized the anti-aging industry in response to what they see as unscrupulous profiteering from the sale of unproven anti-aging supplements.Consumer motivationsResearch by Sobh and Martin (2011) suggests that people buy anti-aging products to obtain a hoped-for self (e.g., keeping a youthful skin) or to avoid a feared-self (e.g., looking old). The research shows that when consumers pursue a hoped-for self, it is expectations of success that most strongly drive their motivation to use the product. The research also shows why doing badly when trying to avoid a feared self is more motivating than doing well. When product use is seen to fail it is more motivating than success when consumers seek to avoid a feared-self.Political partiesThough many scientists statethat life extension and radical life extension are possible, there are still no international or national programs focused on radical life extension. There are political forces staying for and against life extension. By 2012, in Russia, the United States, Israel, and the Netherlands, the Longevity political parties started. They aimed to provide political support to radical life extension research and technologies, and ensure the fastest possible and at the same time soft transition of society to the next step – life without aging and with radical life extension, and to provide access to such technologies to most currently living people.Silicon ValleySome tech innovators and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have invested heavily into anti-aging research. This includes Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle), Peter Thiel (former PaypalCEO),Larry Page (co-founder of Google), and Peter Diamandis.CommentatorsLeon Kass (chairman of the US President's Council on Bioethics from 2001 to 2005) has questioned whether potential exacerbation of overpopulation problems would make life extension unethical.He states his opposition to life extension with the words:"simply to covet a prolonged life span for ourselves is both a sign and a cause of our failure to open ourselves to procreation and to any higher purpose ... [The] desire to prolong youthfulness is not only a childish desire to eat one's life and keep it; it is also an expression of a childish and narcissistic wish incompatible with devotion to posterity."John Harris, former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics, argues that as long as life is worth living, according to the person himself, we have a powerful moral imperative to save the life and thus to develop and offer life extension therapies to those who want them.Transhumanist philosopher Nick Bostrom has argued that any technological advances in life extension must be equitably distributed and not restricted to a privileged few.In an extended metaphor entitled "The Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant", Bostrom envisions death as a monstrous dragon who demands human sacrifices. In the fable, after a lengthy debate between those who believe the dragon is a fact of life and those who believe the dragon can and should be destroyed, the dragon is finally killed. Bostrom argues that political inaction allowed many preventable human deaths to occur.Overpopulation concernsControversy about life extension is due to fear of overpopulation and possible effects on society.Biogerontologist Aubrey De Grey counters the overpopulation critique by pointing out that the therapy could postpone or eliminate menopause, allowing women to space out their pregnancies over more years and thus decreasing the yearly population growth rate.Moreover, the philosopher and futurist Max More argues that, given the fact the worldwide population growth rate is slowing down and is projected to eventually stabilize and begin falling, superlongevity would be unlikely to contribute to overpopulation.Opinion pollsA Spring 2013 Pew Research poll in the United States found that 38% of Americans would want life extension treatments, and 56% would reject it. However, it also found that 68% believed most people would want it and that only 4% consider an "ideal lifespan" to be more than 120 years. The median "ideal lifespan" was 91 years of age and the majority of the public (63%) viewed medical advances aimed at prolonging life as generally good. 41% of Americans believed that radical life extension (RLE) would be good for society, while 51% said they believed it would be bad for society.One possibility for why 56% of Americans claim they would reject life extension treatments may be due to the cultural perception that living longer would result in a longer period of decrepitude, and that the elderly in our current society are unhealthy.Religious people are no more likely to oppose life extension than the unaffiliated,though some variation exists between religious denominations.Aging as a diseaseMainstream medical organizations and practitioners do not consider aging to be a disease. David Sinclair says: "I don't see aging as a disease, but as a collection of quite predictable diseases caused by the deterioration of the body".The two main arguments used are that aging is both inevitable and universal while diseases are not.However, not everyone agrees. Harry R. Moody, director of academic affairs for AARP, notes that what is normal and what is disease strongly depend on a historical context.David Gems, assistant director of the Institute of Healthy Ageing, argues that aging should be viewed as a disease.In response to the universality of aging, David Gems notes that it is as misleading as arguing that Basenji are not dogs because they do not bark.Because of the universality of aging he calls it a "special sort of disease". Robert M. Perlman, coined the terms "aging syndrome" and "disease complex" in 1954 to describe aging.The discussion whether aging should be viewed as a disease or not has important implications. One view is, this would stimulate pharmaceutical companies to develop life extension therapies and in the United States of America, it would also increase the regulation of the anti-aging market by the FDA. Anti-aging now falls under the regulations for cosmetic medicine which are less tight than those for drugs.ResearchTheoretically, extension of maximum lifespan in humans could be achieved by reducing the rate of aging damage by periodic replacement of damaged tissues, molecular repair or rejuvenation of deteriorated cells and tissues, reversal of harmful epigenetic changes, or the enhancement of enzyme telomerase activity.Research geared towards life extension strategies in various organisms is currently under way at a number of academic and private institutions. Since 2009, investigators have found ways to increase the lifespan of nematode worms and yeast by 10-fold; the record in nematodes was achieved through genetic engineering and the extension in yeast by a combination of genetic engineering and caloric restriction.A 2009 review of longevity research noted: "Extrapolation from worms to mammals is risky at best, and it cannot be assumed that interventions will result in comparable life extension factors. Longevity gains from dietary restriction, or from mutations studied previously, yield smaller benefits to Drosophila than to nematodes, and smaller still to mammals. This is not unexpected, since mammals have evolved to live many times the worm's lifespan, and humans live nearly twice as long as the next longest-lived primate. From an evolutionary perspective, mammals and their ancestors have already undergone several hundred million years of natural selection favoring traits that could directly or indirectly favor increased longevity, and may thus have already settled on gene sequences that promote lifespan. Moreover, the very notion of a "life-extension factor" that could apply across taxa presumes a linear response rarely seen in biology."Anti-aging drugsThere are a number of chemicals intended to slow the aging process currently being studied in animal models.One type of research is related to the observed effects of a calorie restriction (CR) diet, which has been shown to extend lifespan in some animals.Based on that research, there have been attempts to develop drugs that will have the same effect on the aging process as a caloric restriction diet, which are known as Caloric restriction mimetic drugs. Some drugs that are already approved for other uses have been studied for possible longevity effects on laboratory animals because of a possible CR-mimic effect; they include rapamycin,metformin and other geroprotectors.MitoQ, resveratrol and pterostilbene are dietary supplements that have also been studied in this context.Other attempts to create anti-aging drugs have taken different research paths. One notable direction of research has been research into the possibility of using the enzyme telomerase in order to counter the process of telomere shortening.However, there are potential dangers in this, since some research has also linked telomerase to cancer and to tumor growth and formation.NanotechnologyFuture advances in nanomedicine could give rise to life extension through the repair of many processes thought to be responsible for aging. K. Eric Drexler, one of the founders of nanotechnology, postulated cell repair machines, including ones operating within cells and utilizing as yet hypothetical molecular computers, in his 1986 book Engines of Creation. Raymond Kurzweil, a futurist and transhumanist, stated in his book The Singularity Is Near that he believes that advanced medical nanorobotics could completely remedy the effects of aging by 2030.According to Richard Feynman, it was his former graduate student and collaborator Albert Hibbs who originally suggested to him (circa 1959) the idea of a medical use for Feynman's theoretical nanomachines (see biological machine). Hibbs suggested that certain repair machines might one day be reduced in size to the point that it would, in theory, be possible to (as Feynman put it) "swallow the doctor". The idea was incorporated into Feynman's 1959 essay There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom.Cloning and body part replacementSome life extensionists suggest that therapeutic cloning and stem cell research could one day provide a way to generate cells, body parts, or even entire bodies (generally referred to as reproductive cloning) that would be genetically identical to a prospective patient. Recently, the US Department of Defense initiated a program to research the possibility of growing human body parts on mice.Complex biological structures, such as mammalian joints and limbs, have not yet been replicated. Dog and primate brain transplantation experiments were conducted in the mid-20th century but failed due to rejection and the inability to restore nerve connections. As of 2006, the implantation of bio-engineered bladders grown from patients' own cells has proven to be a viable treatment for bladder disease.Proponents of body part replacement and cloning contend that the required biotechnologies are likely to appear earlier than other life-extension technologies.The use of human stem cells, particularly embryonic stem cells, is controversial. Opponents' objections generally are based on interpretations of religious teachings or ethical considerations.[citation needed]Proponents of stem cell research point out that cells are routinely formed and destroyed in a variety of contexts. Use of stem cells taken from the umbilical cord or parts of the adult body may not provoke controversy.The controversies over cloning are similar, except general public opinion in most countries stands in opposition to reproductive cloning. Some proponents of therapeutic cloning predict the production of whole bodies, lacking consciousness, for eventual brain transplantation.CyborgsMain article: CyborgReplacement of biological (susceptible to diseases) organs with mechanical ones could extend life. This is the goal of the 2045 Initiative.CryonicsMain article: CryonicsFor cryonicists (advocates of cryopreservation), storing the body at low temperatures after death may provide an "ambulance" into a future in which advanced medical technologies may allow resuscitation and repair. They speculate cryogenic temperatures will minimize changes in biological tissue for many years, giving the medical community ample time to cure all disease, rejuvenate the aged and repair any damage that is caused by the cryopreservation process.Many cryonicists do not believe that legal death is "real death" because stoppage of heartbeat and breathing—the usual medical criteria for legal death—occur before biological death of cells and tissues of the body. Even at room temperature, cells may take hours to die and days to decompose. Although neurological damage occurs within 4–6 minutes of cardiac arrest, the irreversible neurodegenerative processes do not manifest for hours.Cryonicists[who?]state that rapid cooling and cardio-pulmonary support applied immediately after certification of death can preserve cells and tissues for long-term preservation at cryogenic temperatures. People, particularly children, have survived up to an hour without heartbeat after submersion in ice water. In one case, full recovery was reported after 45 minutes underwater.To facilitate rapid preservation of cells and tissue, cryonics "standby teams" are available to wait by the bedside of patients who are to be cryopreserved to apply cooling and cardio-pulmonary support as soon as possible after declaration of death.No mammal has been successfully cryopreserved and brought back to life, with the exception of frozen human embryos. Resuscitation of a postembryonic human from cryonics is not possible with current science. Some scientists still support the idea based on their expectations of the capabilities of future science.Strategies for engineered negligible senescenceMain articles: Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence and Genetics of agingAnother proposed life extension technology would combine existing and predicted future biochemical and genetic techniques. SENS proposes that rejuvenation may be obtained by removing aging damage via the use of stem cells and tissue engineering, telomere-lengthening machinery, allotopic expression of mitochondrial proteins, targeted ablation of cells, immunotherapeutic clearance, and novel lysosomal hydrolases.While many biogerontologists find these ideas "worthy of discussion"and SENS conferences feature important research in the field,some contend that the alleged benefits are too speculative given the current state of technology, referring to it as "fantasy rather than science".Genetic editingMain article: Genome editingGenome editing, in which nucleic acid polymers are delivered as a drug and are either expressed as proteins, interfere with the expression of proteins, or correct genetic mutations, has been proposed as a future strategy to prevent aging.A large array of genetic modifications have been found to increase lifespan in model organisms such as yeast, nematode worms, fruit flies, and mice. As of 2013, the longest extension of life caused by a single gene manipulation was roughly 50% in mice and 10-fold in nematode worms.Fooling genesIn The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins describes an approach to life-extension that involves "fooling genes" into thinking the body is young.Dawkins attributes inspiration for this idea to Peter Medawar. The basic idea is that our bodies are composed of genes that activate throughout our lifetimes, some when we are young and others when we are older. Presumably, these genes are activated by environmental factors, and the changes caused by these genes activating can be lethal. It is a statistical certainty that we possess more lethal genes that activate in later life than in early life. Therefore, to extend life, we should be able to prevent these genes from switching on, and we should be able to do so by "identifying changes in the internal chemical environment of a body that take place during aging... and by simulating the superficial chemical properties of a young body".Mind uploadingMain article: Mind uploadingOne hypothetical future strategy that, as some suggest,[who?]"eliminates" the complications related to a physical body, involves the copying or transferring (e.g. by progressively replacing neurons with transistors) of a conscious mind from a biological brain to a non-biological computer system or computational device. The basic idea is to scan the structure of a particular brain in detail, and then construct a software model of it that is so faithful to the original that, when run on appropriate hardware, it will behave in essentially the same way as the original brain.Whether or not an exact copy of one's mind constitutes actual life extension is matter of debate.Some scientists believe that the dead may one day be "resurrected" through simulation technology.Young blood injectionFurther information: Young blood transfusionSome clinics currently offer injection of blood products from young donors. The alleged benefits of the treatment, none of which have been demonstrated in a proper study, include a longer life, darker hair, better memory, better sleep, curing heart diseases, diabetes and Alzheimer.The approach is based on parabiosis studies such as Irina Conboy do on mice, but Conboy says young blood does not reverse aging (even in mice) and that those who offer those treatments have misunderstood her research.Neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray, who also studied blood exchanges on mice as recently as 2014, said people offering those treatments are "basically abusing people's trust"and that young blood treatments are "the scientific equivalent of fake news".The treatment appeared in HBO's Silicon Valley fiction series.Two clinics in California, run by Jesse Karmazin and David C. Wright,offer $8,000 injections of plasma extracted from the blood of young people. Karmazin has not published in any peer-reviewed journal and his current study does not use a control group.