Cardiovascular Research Training Opportunities for Undergraduate Students – Summer 2025

Duration: 10 weeks; 40 hours per week

Number of positions available: 5

Trainee Stipend/Salary: Students will receive a $6,000 stipend, as well as funds to travel to a scientific meeting.

Awardees will have the opportunity to explore five multidisciplinary areas of cardiovascular research: cardiac and vascular development, molecular genetics and genomics, cardiovascular stem cell biology, and tissue engineering. Participants will also have the opportunity to attend/participate in a scientific conference with a faculty mentor.

• Vidu Garg, MD
• Jihyun Jang, PhD
• Aaron Trask, PhD
• Mingtao Zhao, DVM, PhD
• Deqiang Li, MD, PhD

Learn more about their research programs. ›

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in a four year college or university as undergraduate students who will have junior or senior academic status during the program or may complete the fellowship immediately following graduation.
• Students must be in good academic standing with a GPA ≥ 3.0.
• At the time of application, the student must be a United States citizen, or foreign national holding a student, exchange, or permanent resident visa, including an F-1, H1, H1B, J1, PR, or TN. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status requires additional AHA approval to apply. Send an email to Apply@Heart.org with an explanation of the student’s status and a statement of support from the sponsor.
• Students are not required to reside in the U.S. for any period of time before being supported by applying for American Heart Association funding.
• Students may not hold funds from AHA Scholarships in Cardiovascular Disease given by AHA Professional Councils at the same time as they are supported by an AHA Institutional Award for Undergraduate Student Training.

View the full eligibility and application requirements ›

We are deeply committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse group of trainees and employees that reflects our patient population and community, with a focus on candidates who are Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM). Students who are economically disadvantaged, disabled and/or part of a group or community that is Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) are strongly encouraged to apply.

2024 IAUST Undergraduate Fellows

Jakob Bering

• The Ohio State University
• Mentor: Mingtao Zhao, DVM, PhD
• Project: Elucidating the Role of NOTCH1 in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome using Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Cells

Claudia Boettcher

• The Ohio State University
• Mentor: Vidu Garg, MD
• Project: Analysis of HLHS-associated RBFOX2 missense variation using murine and in silico models

Abigail Hall

• Cedarville University
• Mentor: Brenda Lilly, PhD
• Project: Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells from Alagille Syndrome Patients

Tegan McDevitt

• University of Dayton
• Mentor: Christopher K. Breuer, MD
• Project: Building Better Scaffolds: Optimizing Scaffolds for Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts/li>

Siddhi Shah

• The Ohio State University
• Mentor: Aaron Trask, PhD
• Project: Impact of Aging on Fenestrae in the Coronary Resistance Microvessels in Normal and Diabetic Mice

2023 IAUST Undergraduate Fellows

Bao (Haedi) Ngoc Dinh

• Kenyon College
• Mentor: Brenda Lilly, PhD
• Project: Utilizing patient-derived iPSCs to study cardiovascular defects of Alagille Syndrome

Anne Fang

• University of Florida
• Mentor: Mingtao Zhao, DVM, PhD
• Project: Modeling Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome using 3D Cardiac Organoids

Sarah Greskovich

• The Ohio State University
• Mentor: Vidu Garg, MD
• Project: Gene-Environment Interactions Underlie Maternal Diabetes Associated Congenital Heart Defects

Raghav Ramachandiran

• The Ohio State University
• Mentor: Christopher K. Breuer, MD
• Project: Investigating the role of neutrophils in LYST-mediated TEVG stenosis

Lucas Williams

• The Ohio State University
• Mentor: Aaron J. Trask, PhD
• Project: Mapping Diabetes Reduces the Number of Fenestrae in the Internal Elastic Lamina of Coronary Resistance Microvessels

2022 IAUST Undergraduate Fellows

Mark Altawil

• Case Western Reserve University
• Mentor: Brenda Lilly, PhD
• Project: Mapping ISL-1-Cre Expression in the Lung Vasculature

Ivianis Nieves Carril

• University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus
• Mentor: Vidu Garg, MD
• Project: Effect of Maternal Diabetes on Notch signaling and Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Cardiac Development

Nick Gajarski

• Bates College
• Mentor: Mingtao Zhao, DVM, PhD
• Project: A 3D Bioprinted Embryonic Heart Tube Model using Human iPSC-derived Cardiomyocytes to Study HLHS

Lynn Moreira

• University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus
• Mentor: Kim L. McBride, MD, MS
• Project: Investigating the role of ion channel KCNJ2 in Bicuspid Aortic Valve disease

Mark Naguib

• Purdue University
• Mentor: Christopher K. Breuer, MD
• Project: Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) as a Biomarker in Sheep: Comparing Naïve to surgically Intervened

Logan Spiess

• Kenyon University
• Mentor: Christopher K. Breuer, MD
• Project: “Anti-platelet treatment has potential to replace TEVG bone marrow seeding in mouse model”

Testimonials From Fellows
“Provides quality research experience and access to world-class faculty and mentors. I felt this was a very well-rounded program and gave us a good overview of all of the subspecialties within cardiovascular research.”
"Opportunity to work in a prestigious research lab with mentoring and guidance throughout.”
"Amazing experience that helped me discern and confirm my desire to pursue a career in medicine and research. The research exposure and ability to get truly involved in many projects within a lab exposed me to the nature of translational/clinical research.”
“Actual working experience, not just watching. Opportunity to join actual published studies. The environment and everything surrounding the culture and education is amazing!”
“The CCVR works great as a team, and I never felt as if I was out of place or unwanted.”