Research Intern

Description

The Toro Health Pathways/Cedars-Sinai Postbaccalaureate Fellowship is a nine-month immersive program for recent graduates of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) who are preparing for graduate education or professional careers in biomedicine and healthcare.

Hosted by Cedars-Sinai Cancer, the program provides education, mentorship, and hands-on experience in areas such as laboratory science, clinical research, regenerative medicine, cancer research, population science, and community outreach and engagement. The fellowship is designed to introduce participants to diverse healthcare careers while deepening their understanding of health priorities affecting communities across the United States.

Fellowship Dates

September 2026-May 2027

Department Overview

The Cancer Rehabilitation Medicine Program provides rehabilitation services to patients throughout all stages of cancer survivorship. The multidisciplinary team focuses on improving quality of life, managing symptoms, optimizing function, and helping patients maintain independence.

Research within the program includes telemedicine in rehabilitation, cancer prehabilitation, cancer-related pain syndromes, functional outcomes, and rehabilitation interventions for individuals affected by cancer.

Fellowship Summary

The Research Fellow will join a collaborative research team and receive structured mentorship while contributing to clinical research projects in cancer rehabilitation medicine. This opportunity is designed to provide introductory-level knowledge of clinical research and practical experience with literature reviews, patient recruitment, data collection, data entry, data analysis, reference management, and manuscript development.

The fellow may also participate in research meetings, clinical case discussions, and learning opportunities with rehabilitation professionals, including occupational therapists.

Key Responsibilities

The Research Fellow will:

• Participate in an initial orientation and establish learning goals with their research mentor.
• Attend project meetings and learn team roles, responsibilities, workflows, technologies, and equipment.
• Read and critically evaluate community-partnered and clinical research.
• Conduct literature reviews related to cancer prehabilitation, aromatase inhibitor-associated arthralgias, and other cancer rehabilitation topics.
• Support patient recruitment in accordance with approved Institutional Review Board protocols and applicable guidelines for research interns.
• Assist with research data collection, entry, management, and analysis.
• Collect and analyze quantitative data from electronic medical records.
• Work appropriately with protected health information while following all privacy, confidentiality, and institutional requirements.
• Use REDCap and reference-management tools to support research activities.
• Work with blood samples following required training and safety procedures.
• Contribute to manuscript development and preparation of a final fellowship report.
• Attend weekly meetings with the research mentor to review progress, discuss questions, and receive guidance.
• Participate in research meetings and build professional relationships with mentors, peers, and members of the broader research team.

Research and Training Areas

The fellow may support Institutional Review Board-approved studies focused on:

• Pain syndromes in breast cancer
• Functional status among patients with brain tumors
• Biomarker assessment for aromatase inhibitor-associated arthralgias
• Cancer prehabilitation
• Other topics related to cancer rehabilitation medicine

Training will be provided in:

• Clinical research fundamentals
• Literature review and critical evaluation
• Patient recruitment requirements
• Data collection, entry, and analysis
• Electronic medical record data
• REDCap
• Reference management
• Protected health information and research confidentiality
• Safe handling of blood samples
• Scientific writing and manuscript development

Fellowship Timeline

Month 1

• Meet with the research mentor to establish learning goals and objectives.
• Complete orientation to the research team and work environment.
• Attend initial project meetings to review project needs, roles, and responsibilities.

Months 1-2

• Receive training on the technologies, systems, and equipment required for assigned projects.

Months 2-3

• Conduct supervised research activities.
• Review and critique relevant research literature.
• Begin literature reviews, data collection, data entry, and data analysis.

Months 4-9

• Continue supervised research with increasing opportunities for independent analysis and project work.
• Continue literature reviews, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript development.

Months 7-9

• Develop and complete a final fellowship report.

Throughout the Fellowship

• Participate in weekly check-ins with the research mentor to discuss progress, learning, and development.

Program Objectives

The fellowship seeks to:

• Increase representation within the health professions workforce and contribute to efforts to reduce health disparities among vulnerable populations.
• Encourage recent graduates from historically underrepresented communities to pursue careers in the health professions through training, mentorship, education, and financial support.
• Strengthen educational partnerships, community support, and workforce-preparation efforts between Cedars-Sinai Cancer and CSU Dominguez Hills.
• Provide fellows with meaningful exposure to clinical research and healthcare career pathways.
• Build the knowledge, skills, confidence, and professional networks needed to pursue graduate education or a biomedical career.

Fellowship Learning Outcomes

By the conclusion of the fellowship, participants will have had the opportunity to:

• Build foundational knowledge of clinical research.
• Apply research concepts through participation in active studies.
• Develop experience with patient recruitment, data collection, data entry, and data analysis.
• Gain exposure to cancer rehabilitation medicine and skilled rehabilitation services, including occupational therapy.
• Strengthen scientific communication and manuscript-development skills.
• Establish professional relationships with researchers, clinicians, rehabilitation professionals, and peers.

Qualifications

Required Education & Experience:

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Must have a HS Diploma or GED.
• Must reside in the greater Los Angeles area or surrounding cities while conducting all activities related to the intern or visitor appointment.
• INTERNS: Those participating for academic credit must receive academic credit for the duration of the internship.