Student Opportunities

Current Opportunities

Students presenting research poster at SHERP

Summer Health Research Program (SHERP)

Every year the Interprofessional Summer Health Research Program (SHERP) invites students from across the University of Houston’s various colleges to participate in this competition. Participants will work together in groups to design innovative solutions to today's most pressing health care issues. The culmination of SHERP is a ‘Shark Tank’ during which the students will pitch their solutions to a panel of expert judges. This platform brings students of varied professional backgrounds to collaborate and find creative solutions to advance health care.

Humana Institute Graduate fellowship in Health care (HIGH)

The Humana Institute Graduate fellowship in Health care (HIGH) is a year-long opportunity for graduate students passionate about health care innovation. This fellowship provides an immersive experience where students explore the dynamic intersections of academia and health care through a focused research project. The program offers a unique opportunity for graduate students to conduct focused research, receive mentorship from industry experts and faculty members, and contribute to the advancement of evidence-based health care. At the end of the year, students are expected to present their findings at a regional/national conference and co-author a white paper and/or journal manuscript.

Students in Action

SHERP Competition Winning Team- “Disrupting Current Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Patterns”, was comprised of Chijioke Okeke, Guillermo Saldaña, Cecilia Pham, and Andy Castañeda.

Students proposed adding localized health resources and access to student volunteers to enhance diabetes management applications. Students: Amani Halawa, Priyanka Saribala, Jessica Medrano, and Annabella Awazi

Students designed a prototype Artificial Intelligence (AI) prescription ChatGPT interface for patient portals. Students: Kashish Sorathia, Rashda Khan, Sheheryar Ali, and Linda Yamthe

Medical students celebrating a successful Compress and Shock training event.

Medical students interacting with the community during the Compress and Shock training.

Members of the community practicing their newly gained CPR training skills at Compress and Shock event.

Diego Martinez (Class of 2026) demonstrates CPR technique to community members in attendance.

Undergraduate students Patrick Dang and Maya Singh participated in the 2024 Undergraduate Research Day hosted by University of Houston.

Patrick Dang engages with a visitor curious about the role of AI in health care.

Maya Singh presents research findings about the impact of technology on health care delivery.

Legacy Programs

DASH Undergraduate Summer Research Program

Offered in the Summer of 2020, the DASH program offered students exposure to data science with the aim of increasing their understanding of data modeling and its application to health care. Students studed graphical representations of causal pathways in the contexts of health care, city simulation and predictive analytics.

Nursing Field Experience

In 2019 and 2020, the Nursing Field Experience was offered biannually in July and November to provide practical field experience to students in the Gessner College of Nursing. Students shadowed nurses in home health settings and assisted in telehealth care managed visits.

Nursing Simulation Lab Training

Started in August of 2019, this program offered Gessner College of Nursing students and Humana nurses opportunities for simulation lab training to co-develop simulations.

Non-clinical Summer Internship Training for College of Business and College of Technology Students

In 2020, the Humana Institute facilitated non-clinical summer internships with Humana that provided Bauer College of Business and College of Technology students exposure to the healthcare industry, and valuable hands-on experience in market research, data analysis, and project management.