Julie Hudson

July 31, 2025

High school researchers at VUMC glimpse the future

They were part of the Aspirnaut program, which prepares high school and college students, primarily from rural areas, for careers in the STEM fields.

By Bill Snyder
March 31, 2025

$5 million gift from Springer-Lu Family Foundation to support VUMC’s Aspirnaut program

Aspirnaut is a K-20 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) pipeline that supports immersive summer research experiences for talented high school and undergraduate students.

By Sarah Wolf
The 2024 Aspirnaut Undergraduate Summer Research Interns. Front row, from left, Dolma Choenzom, Kimberly Hoang, Martina Gergis, and Marquala Whitman. Second row, from left, Eun Jun Wang, Anna Ruth Madera, Adrian Castañeda, and Shawn Jamison. Third row, from left, Freddiemae Thompson, Jalen L. Smith, Colton Miller, and John Bister. Fourth row, from left, Ryan Anderson, Emma Meihofer, and Kyle Vallone. (photo by Susan Urmy)
August 8, 2024

Aspirnaut research interns reach for the stars

The next day, the students, interns in the 16th summer research session of the Aspirnaut STEM pipeline program for diversity, were bound for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

By Bill Snyder
The 2023 Aspirnaut summer research interns, flanked by the program’s co-founders, Julie Hudson, MD, left, and Billy Hudson, PhD, back row, right. (photo by Susan Urmy)
October 12, 2023

Student researchers at VUMC earn accolades for their report

A research paper co-authored by 23 high school and undergraduate students participating in Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Aspirnaut summer research program has been selected as one of the “Editor’s Picks” by the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

By Bill Snyder
Aspirnaut student Nayla Ramos Vega, 15, wants to be a neurosurgeon.
July 19, 2023

Summer program gives high schoolers taste of discovery

Since the Aspirnaut high school summer research internship program was launched in 2009, 334 students from 34 states have participated. To date, nearly 90 of them have gone to earn MD degrees, PhDs, or both.

By Bill Snyder
Aspirnaut Sahra Hassan, right, a senior at Burlington High School in Burlington, Vermont, worked on mitochondrial DNA maintenance with postdoctoral scientist Iva Chitrakar, PhD.
March 2, 2023

VUMC’s Aspirnaut program to install science lab at Wynne High School in Arkansas

A chemical biology research lab fit for an academic medical center is being installed at Wynne High School (WHS) in Wynne, Arkansas, as part of a pilot project of Aspirnaut STEM pipeline at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

By Craig Boerner
August 3, 2022

VUMC’s Aspirnaut program celebrates 15th anniversary, and NBC News returned to highlight its students

A link to the video story and an inside look at the taping and some of this year's participants
By Bill Snyder
August 3, 2022

Science career “pipeline” garners national attention

Vanderbilt's Aspirnaut STEM pipeline for diversity and wellness recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with a daylong scientific symposium, followed by a feature on the program broadcast Aug. 2 on NBC Nightly News.
By Bill Snyder
August 29, 2019

Aspirnaut education program reaches decade mark

Ten years on, a unique summer research program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center designed primarily for rural high school students with limited resources is achieving its goal of increasing the number of the nation’s scientists and engineers.
By Bill Snyder
July 16, 2015

Aspirnaut event details impact of art in science

Students watched, transfixed, for nearly an hour last Friday as internationally known portrait artist Igor Babailov sketched Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
By Bill Snyder
July 31, 2014

Photo: Summer research conference

Undergraduates from across the country attended a summer research conference at Vanderbilt this week sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
By VUMC News and Communications
April 22, 2014

Class of 2014: Domonique Bragg and Cody Stothers are Aspirnaut pioneers

Seniors Domonique Bragg and Cody Stothers, who both hail from rural Arkansas, followed a similar path to Vanderbilt.
December 19, 2013

Ancient chemical bond may aid cancer therapy: study

A chemical bond discovered by Vanderbilt University scientists that is essential for animal life and which hastened the “dawn of the animal kingdom” could lead to new therapies for cancer and other diseases.
By Bill Snyder
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