OHSU Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program Goals
The OHSU Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) is a paid, one-year research opportunity. The program is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Vollum Institute, and OHSU Research & Innovation. The program supports and trains a diverse pool of recent college graduates from historically excluded groups for their transition into rigorous biomedical, research-focused doctoral degree programs (e.g., Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D.).
In addition to a year-long sustained research experience, OHSU PREP scholars will receive individualized competency-based professional and career skill development opportunities that allow for cultural immersion through interactions with near-peer mentors (i.e., graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) and OHSU faculty from marginalized backgrounds and allies alike.
Individuals who identify as members from racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in STEM (Black/African American, Latino/Latine/Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Native American), those with disabilities, or individuals who are socioeconomically disadvantaged are strongly encouraged to apply.
Apply to Join Our 2025-2026 Cohort
Visit our How to Apply page to get more information about our application process. Our application for the 2025-2026 cohort is now open.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting to learn more about our program, please contact preptograd@ohsu.edu
Scholar Testimonials
PREP helped me gain the "confidence to speak about myself in a way where I didn’t feel I needed to be someone else or become someone different. PREP empowers you to be yourself in these [academic] spaces."
-Maria Hayes, Alumni, 2021
"The mentored post-bacc training at OHSU was helpful for me in understanding how to gain admission to and ultimately succeed in graduate school. For URM and first-generation students, programs like these are helpful because they inform of you of the academic landscape, help develop your academic interests and allow you to better communicate your strengths and contributions for graduate applications."
-Rachel De La Torre, Alumni, 2018
Growth Session Thank You
We want to thank Dr. Benjamin Sarno for discussing Reproducibility & Data Management at a recent Growth Session! Dr. Sarno is a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Gordon Mills’ lab in the Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology. He received his PhD from the University of California San Diego in Chemical and Bioengineering with a background in cancer diagnostics. Ben is currently developing a translational technology to interrogate blood plasma from triple negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients to identify key biomarkers for early diagnosis and therapy monitoring.