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Aspirnaut: a rural high school pipeline to increase diversity in STEM

Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 15, pages 591–592 (2019)Cite this article

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A critical need exists for innovations in education that increase the recruitment of high school students from diverse backgrounds into the biomedical research workforce. Aspirnaut is one model that addresses this challenge.

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Fig. 1: Outcomes of the Aspirnaut programme.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the following individuals and groups for their support of the Aspirnaut programme: J. R. Balser (CEO and President, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC)); N. Brown (Chair, Department of Medicine, VUMC); the other Aspirnaut Co-Founders A. Kincl and J. Hudson; S. J. Bradford of Grapevine, Arkansas; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases A.R.R.A. Grant (3P01DK06512307S1); faculty mentors; R. Cone (Director of the Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor); J. W. Freytag and the many other donors who have made the internships possible; the United South and Eastern Tribes; KIPP Delta Public Schools and our rural high school partners; and R. Kilburg, A. Fidler, I. Tolliver and K. Oliver for their intellectual contributions to the programme design.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Education and Administration, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Julie K. Hudson

  2. Center for Matrix Biology, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Billy G. Hudson

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  1. Julie K. Hudson
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Correspondence to Julie K. Hudson.

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Aspirnaut K-20 STEM Pipeline for Diversity: https://www.aspirnaut.org/

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Hudson, J.K., Hudson, B.G. Aspirnaut: a rural high school pipeline to increase diversity in STEM. Nat Rev Nephrol 15, 591–592 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-019-0190-z

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