ASPIRE
Advancing Student Participation in Research Excellence (ASPIRE) is a six-week summer program for rising high school seniors with a passion for medicine and research.
The program focuses on biomedical research in pediatric and adult medicine. Key components include an introduction to research methodologies, rigorous and reproducible methods, and hands-on experience in internationally recognized labs.
About the 2026 ASPIRE Program
ASPIRE is held in the Edward A. Doisy Researh Center at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. The dates for this program are flexible and scheduled between May 25 and Aug. 16, 2026.
The application deadline is Friday, April 10, 2026. The program is highly competitive, so early applications are encouraged.
Program Benefits
- Experience the life of a scientist at work
- Benefit from evaluations and mentorship
- Present at lab meetings and a departmental research colloquium
- Prepare an abstract and, possibly, a manuscript
- Receive a certificate of completion and prizes for top-scoring presentations
Project Examples
- Learn ELISA, qPCR, H&E, immunohistochemistry, serum chemistry analysis and microbiota transplantation
- Explore homeostatic pathways across diverse medical disciplines
- Assess heart and liver injury
- Observe basic science animal and cell culture work
- Understand enzyme replacement and gene therapy for rare diseases
- Understand iron metabolism and its modulation
- Utilize a novel system to assess ischemia-reperfusion injury
- Explore novel therapeutics for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- Develop lung injury prevention strategies
- Help understand and prepare organoids