Pittsburgh Heart Summer Research Program

The Pittsburgh Heart Summer Research Program is an immersive, full-time summer research experience for undergraduate students interested in cardiovascular science and biomedical engineering. Hosted by Biomedical Engineering in partnership with UPMC and generously funded by the American Heart Association, the program is designed to expose students to cutting-edge cardiovascular research and real clinical challenges faced by patients and clinicians.

Students will work closely with faculty mentors in CMU and UPMC laboratories while participating in structured enrichment activities, clinical immersion, and professional development.

Clinical immersion

A unique feature of the program is clinical shadowing at UPMC. Students will spend one day every two weeks observing clinicians across specialties, including cardiology, imaging, catheterization labs, and cardiothoracic surgery. These experiences help students understand how engineering solutions translate into patient care.

Students are expected to commit full-time to the program, actively participate in weekly cohort meetings and seminars, engage in clinical shadowing at UPMC, complete all required research ethics and safety training, and present their research at program events.

Duration:

10 weeks

June 1 - August 7

Stipend:

$6,000

For full participation in the program

Travel support:

Up to $3,000

AHA or BMES Annual Meeting (Fall 2026)

Application and review process

Applications are due by March 1st.

Who should apply?

This program is open to undergraduate students from all U.S. institutions with interests in:

• Biomedical engineering
• Life sciences
• Engineering, computation, or data science
• Cardiovascular research and medicine

Applicants do not need to be CMU students and do not need prior research experience, though curiosity, commitment, and motivation are essential.

To apply, students will be asked to submit the following:

1. Unofficial transcript (including GPA)
2. Current resume
3. Statement of research interests
4. Personal statement
5. Letter of recommendation

Applications are reviewed by the Pittsburgh Heart Selection Committee using a structured rubric that evaluates:

• Academic preparation
• Scholarly potential
• Personal qualities such as motivation, resilience, and goals

Final selections are made through a mentor-matching process to ensure strong alignment between students and research projects.

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Research focus areas