Application period opens for second cohort of the USVI undergraduate cardiovascular research fellowship

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in partnership with the United States Virgin Islands Department of Health, is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for the second cohort of the Cardiovascular Research Empowerment Workforce (CREW) fellowship program.

The CREW fellowship program is open to all USVI undergraduate students born and/or raised in the USVI and interested in a medical career. Students will be required to spend two weeks on the University of Miami (UM) campus to begin research training and then return to the USVI to complete the program. The deadline to submit an application is January 31, 2025.

“We are encouraging USVI senior high school and undergraduate students in science or pre-med programs, to participate in this eight-week immersive research training,” said Dr. Sonjia Kenya, UM professor of general medicine and public health at the Miller School of Medicine, who created and developed the CREW program. “This unique training program is designed to expose the territory’s students to cardiovascular research methodologies and to prepare and inspire them to pursue medical and research careers in cardiovascular medicine.”

The US Virgin Islands suffer some of the worst rates of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in the United States. With more than 40 percent of healthcare positions vacant, the Territory also experiences significant healthcare workforce shortages. To help address this issue, public health experts with the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine teamed up with the USVI Department of Health and the University of the Virgin Islands to create the CREW initiative.

“What we truly appreciate about this program is that it trains USVI undergraduates in cardiovascular research and then embeds them with the USVI Department of Health, so they develop a strong connection with the USVI healthcare infrastructure,” said USVI Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion. “We hope it’s a strong incentive to come back after college to work within the territory.”

The CREW fellowship program was made possible through a National Institutes of Health grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, totaling $154,000 which will be available through 2028.

“Our first cohort successfully completed its eight weeks of training which culminated with a research symposium,” said Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceasar, Chief Medical Officer for the USVI Department of Health. “Their research training included meeting with mentors at UM’s Miller School and here at the University of the Virgin Islands. We’re looking forward to accepting applications for the second cohort.”