Research Opportunities

The Institute for Translational Research offers the Health & Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities (HABS-HD) database for use by the scientific community, including TCOM students, residents, and faculty for abstracts, posters, and publications. There is an amazing amount of data from over 2,000 participants covering a broad range of topics. While the focus of the study is health disparities in Alzheimer’s disease, there is an exceptionally broad amount of data available.

Examples of the procedures and data collected in the HABS-HD Database:

• Interviews
• Functional exam (e.g. walk test)
• Blood draw and storage of samples
• Testing of memory and thinking
• Brain imaging (e.g. MRI, PET [Amyloid, Tau])
• Clinical laboratory blood work
• Sociocultural information
• Genomics
• Proteomics

To begin a project using the HABS-HD database:

1. Any student or trainee must have a faculty mentor.
2. The faculty mentor must request data from the Institute of Translational Research: go to the ITR’s webpage, click on the “Request Data” button at the top right of the webpage, create an account, and complete an application.

Here is the link to the webpage for the Institute for Translational Research (unthsc.edu)

Any questions about the Institute of Translational Research and the HABS-HD Database, please contact Dr. Melissa Petersen at Melissa.Petersen@unthsc.edu

Any questions about data analytics for the HABS-HD dataset, please contact Dr. Fan Zhang at Fan.Zhang@unthsc.edu

The Honors Research Practicum has an overarching goal of providing lifelong competency in research methods and is open to second-year students on a competitive basis.  The practicum includes twenty hours of research didactics, a hypothesis-driven research project under the direction of a research mentor, and a scholarly presentation at the Health Science Center’s annual Research Appreciation Day.

Learn more about the Honors Research Practicum.

Third and fourth-year medical students may take advantage of a one-month research elective on a topic of their choice.

Learn more about the Research Rotation/Electives.

For TCOM students interested in a more rigorous research experience dual-degree programs in partnership with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences or the School of Public Health are available that lead to a DO/Ph.D., DO/MS, or DO/MPH upon completion.

Learn more about the Dual-Degree Programs.