Community is an integral part of the SURFiN program. We strive to create opportunities for fellows and mentors to form genuine connections, hone scientific thinking and explore career paths in STEM.
“My mentors were so supportive in helping me figure out if I want to pursue a higher education in neuroscience, and they still are more than willing to help me apply to graduate school when the time comes,” says Erika Blaine, a Brigham Young University (BYU) student who joined the SURFiN program in September 2023, working in Nicholas Frost’s lab at the University of Utah. Upon graduation, another Simons Foundation-funded investigator, Jenna McHenry, recruited Blaine for a full-time research technician position at Duke University.
“My experience as a SURFiN Fellow gave me such a boost of confidence regarding my place in academia and has really opened the door to a lot of opportunities,” says Blaine.
The program embeds participants in research laboratories where they contribute to meaningful projects with guidance from their mentors.
“My mentee Lauren was incredible and contributed immensely,” says Stephanie Boas, a research fellow in Catherine Kaczorowski’s lab at University of Michigan and a SURFiN mentor. “She is continuing to work on this project now that she is working in the lab as a full-time technician while she applies to medical school programs.”
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