The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Graduate School offers a NIH/NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) funded program entitled the UAMS Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) targeting undergraduate students. This 9-week summer program is designed to provide students with experiences in cardiovascular, pulmonary, or hematologic research.
To increase interest in research careers, students will be provided with:
- research, mentoring and networking experiences;
- real-life surgical observations;
- leadership skills;
- lecture series on various research topics; and
- responsible conduct of research training.
Program Details
SURP student participants will conduct a research project with a UAMS faculty mentor (list of available faculty below). Students accepted into the program will be given the opportunity to select three faculty that they would like to work with during the summer. All efforts will be made to match students with faculty mentors that they choose. However, if those faculty are not available, the Program Directors will identify another faculty mentor. At the end of the summer, students will present their summer research and submit a 2-page paper summarizing their research project and results. SURP participants are also required to attend weekly lectures throughout the summer. Approximately 3-5 hours of lectures will be held each week (usually Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings).
Program Director
Billy Thomas, MD
Important Dates
Application Deadline: February 15, 2026 (Applications are now closed)
Students will be notified of acceptance before April 1, 2026.
Program Dates: May 26 – July 24, 2026 (Tentative)
Participants must attend the entire 9-week summer session.
Application Procedures
Students will be provided a salary of $4,320* for the 9-week period. Students who live outside of Little Rock and surrounding cities may be eligible for a per diem of $2,400 for housing and travel reimbursements. In some instances, there may also be funds available to attend scientific meetings. To qualify for the program, applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and have a minimum GPA of 2.5. Students with a background in biology or chemistry are preferred. Applicants must have completed at least one full academic year of undergraduate education before the application deadline to be eligible. In addition, students who will complete their degree prior to the start of the program are not eligible.
*Please note that the $4,320 stipend is considered a taxable wage and will be paid bi-weekly. All bi-weekly payments are subject to income tax withholdings.
Application Requirements
- SURP Application – Due February 15, 2026 (Applications are now closed)
Please note that program dates are tentative. Accepted students must be able to attend the entire 9-week program. - Unofficial Undergraduate Transcripts – These can be uploaded with the Application Form or emailed to gradschool@uams.edu.
- Two Letters of Recommendation from Faculty (Please ask your recommenders to complete this form and upload their letter.)
- Student Information Form
Complete the additional student information form and choose three mentors (see list below).
Please submit supporting application materials to Latrina Prince at the address below.
Latrina Prince, Ed.D.
UAMS Graduate School
4301 W. Markham St., Slot 601
Little Rock, AR 72205
ALL application materials must be received by February 15, 2026. If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact Latrina Prince at princelatrina@uams.edu or 501-526-7396.
Faculty Mentors
Click on the link to view the research profile.
Youssef Aachoui, PhD
Assistant Professor, Microbiology & Immunology
Ryan Allen, PhD
Assistant Professor, Physiology & Cell Biology
Nukhet Aykin-Burns, PhD
Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Science
Rushita Bagchi, PhD
Assistant Professor, Physiology and Cell Biology
Alexei Basnakian, MD, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Marjan Boerma, PhD
Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Science
Gunner Boysen, PhD
Associate Professor, Environmental Health Sciences
Neha Dole, PhD
Assistant Professor, Physiology & Cell Biology
Craig Forrest, PhD
Professor, Microbiology & Immunology
Abdel Fouda, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Ping-ching Hsu, PhD, MSc
Associate Professor, Environmental Health Sciences
Clay Jackson-Litteken, PhD
Assistant Professor, Microbiology & Immunology
Samantha Kendrick, PhD
Professor, Cancer Biology
Yuet-Kin Ricky Leung, PhD
Associate Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology
Lin-Xi Li, PhD
Associate Professor, Microbiology & Immunology
Jia Liu, PhD
Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
Yunmeng Liu, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology
Vladimir Lupashin, PhD
Professor, Physiology & Cell Biology
Grover Paul Miller, PhD
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Shengyu Mu, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Angela Odle, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurobiology & Developmental Sciences
Rupak Pathak, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Analiz Rodriquez, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery
Mark Smeltzer, PhD
Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
Amanda Stolarz, PharmD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Mulu Tesfay, PhD
Instructor, Pathology
Daniel Voth, PhD
Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
Huiliang Zhang, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology