Summer Fellowship Program
Explore Your Disease Research Interests With a Summer Fellowship at Masonic Medical Research Institute
The Summer Fellowship Program at MMRI provides a scientific research experience for undergraduate, graduate and medical students. To be eligible, students must have completed at least one year of undergraduate coursework.
Meet The MMRI Summer Fellows Class Of 2026
Summer Fellowship Graduation
Friday, July 17, 2026
Join us for our 2026 Summer Fellowship Graduation on Friday, July 17, 2026. Can't make it in person? No worries! Watch the graduation live-streamed here.
State-Of-The-Art
MMRI gave me the opportunity to experience scientific research outside the classroom that is applicable to real people around the globe. A state-of-the-art leader in biomedical research, you won't regret your experience here.
– Richard Chen '24 Summer Fellow
Journey of Growth & Discovery
My time at MMRI has been a wonderful journey of growth and discovery. Being surrounded by insightful mentors and ambitious students pushed me to become the best version of myself. I am so grateful to have been apart of the MMRI fellowship program this past summer.
– Owen Trela '24 Summer Fellow
Skills Necessary for Hands-on Benchwork
My time at MMRI gave me an opportunity for growth in the areas of research and science. The summer fellowship helped me to decide on my future career path that I wasn't necessarily sure of prior to the program. Participating in this fellowship not only taught me skills necessary for hands-on benchwork, but it also showed me the "behind the scenes" of the entire research process.
– Gianna Frank, '24 Summer Fellow
My Top Choice
This summer fellowship not only provided me with the excellent opportunity to gain practical experience of numerous lab procedures, but it let me make the connections in the scientific community across the United States I still maintain! Moreover, the tight interactions between the labs at the MMRI also allowed me as a fellow to learn from scientists of various backgrounds and areas of expertise!
– Dmytro Davydenko, '24 Summer Fellow
What Will The Program Look Like?
Training Period
The training period will be 10 weeks in duration from Monday, May 11, 2026, to Friday, July 17, 2026.
Seminars For Science Fellows
During the duration of the program, seminars or lectures will be scheduled. Each presentation will be devoted to a report of research in progress or to a topic related to the work in which the students are engaged. These sessions will be presented by the staff and will be geared to the level of understanding of the fellows. Attendance is mandatory and questions are encouraged. Seminars may be followed by an open discussion about the program as a whole or a general discussion about career opportunities and how best to pursue a research or teaching career. Journal club presentations will be held and involve the discussion of a paper presented by the Summer Fellows who will choose and prepare the article under the advisement of his/her mentor.
MMRI also hosts visiting scientists from various institutions, colleges and medical centers. Fellows are invited to attend these seminars and participate in the question-and-answer sessions that follow.
Evaluation
Each fellow’s progress will be continuously monitored by his/her immediate preceptor through daily interaction, by the fellowship program director and other preceptors through the student’s participation and feedback at the journal club presentations. Each fellow will also be required to make an oral presentation at the end of the program to the other students, staff and their respective sponsors.
Benefits
After completion of the program, students will have gained a sense of how research studies are carried out in a range of fields that deal with current concerns in medical science. They will have at their disposal, knowledge and experience in physiological, biochemical and pharmacological methodologies and gain the experience, skills and leadership needed to succeed in state-of-the-art research.
Financial Aid Available
The summer fellowship program is an unpaid internship, although financial aid is available to cover costs associated with partaking for those that qualify during the application process.
Chase Kessinger, Ph.D.
Chase Kessinger, Ph.D.
Chase Kessinger, Ph.D.
Chase Kessinger, Ph.D.
Any questions about our Summer Fellowship program can be sent to sf@mmri.edu.