METEOR: Then , now, and beyond!
The METEOR program attracts, engages, and supports high school students through a summer program where they are embedded into both clinical and research labs.
Through this experiential mentored research experience, augmented with inquiry-based curriculum, career and peer mentoring, and college preparation and other experiences, METEOR stimulates students to pursue careers in the biomedical sciences by advances in the translation of discovery from bench to bedside to community which focus on improving the lives of children and families.
Then…
Over the years, students have been embedded with several mentorship teams including:
Neurology
Asthma
Neonatology
Diabetes
Nursing
Bioengineering
Cardiology
Hematology
Trauma teams and more!
Previous shadowing opportunities have included:
Neonatology
Radiology
Anesthesia and surgery
Rotations in the OR, MRI, and CT
Human brain dissection in anatomic pathology
Where METEOR students have come from…
McKinley Technology High School
E.L. Haynes
Washington Latin
Jackson Reed
Coolidge High School
SEED School
Thurgood Marshall
Frederick Douglass
School Without Walls
Basis DC
Banneker High School
…and maybe your high school next!
METEOR v 3 Projects
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“The Validation of the Gottingen Minipig in Pre-Clinical Setting”
“Evaluating the ROUTE-T1D Pilot Intervention for Its Impact on Diabetes Distress and HbA1c in Minority Youth”
“How Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Associate with Brain Development in Utero”
“Altered Ultrasonic Vocalizations in MAC21 Mice: Insights into Down Syndrome Communication Deficits”
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“Parthanatos Contributes to Injury in the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest”
“Investigating the Impact of Epigenetic Modulation on CAR T Phenotype and Proliferative Capability”
“Investigating the Presynaptic Role of FMR1 During Visual Map Development”
“BET and CDK Inhibitors Cooperate to Inhibit Growth of MYC-Driven Medulloblastoma”
“Emotion Regulation and Peer Interactions in Youth with ADHD: The Role of Stimulant and Non-Stimulant Medications”
“Analysis of basement membrane thickness during neural fold elevation”
“Effects of a Behavioral Intervention on Perceived CGM Benefits and Burdens”
“Evaluating Focal Cortical Dysplasia Functional Network Co-localization and Depression and Anxiety”
“The Impact of Low Socioeconomic Status on Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease”
“Looking at the Relationship Between COI and Anxiety in Autistic Individuals”
“FOXP2 Expression Patterns in Cortical and Subcortical Regions in a Mouse Model of Aneuploidy”
“Caregiver Health Literacy and Perceived Discrimination in Pediatric Asthma Hospitalizations: Implications for Hospital to Home Transition Protocols”
“HEAR-PHM (Health Equity Academic Research In Pediatric Hospital Medicine) Scholars Experience”
“Ecological Study for the Correlation between Maternal Smoking and Childhood Leukemia”
METEOR v HS Projects
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"Athletes, Asthma, and Allergies"
"If a parent of a child with T1D is depressed will that affect the child’s health negatively?"
"Relation Between Hyponatremia and Cerebral Edema"
"Child Voice in Patient Satisfaction with Care"
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"The Use of Low Calorie Sweeteners When Managing Type 1 Diabetes"
"The Effectiveness of Burn Preventative Strategies Using GIS Mapping"
"Nursing Preceptor Satisfaction"
"Incentive Spirometry on Respiratory Therapy"
"The Making of Fontan's"
Environmental Toxins Affecting Asthma Patients"
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"Medical Economics of Operating Room Assignments"
"Benefits of Phone Apps for Power Mobility Devices"
"Assessing Fetal Growth Through Volumetric MRI"
"Are patients satisfied with having a headache nurse as part of their neurology visit?”
"Measuring Fibrosis in Patients with Heart Transplants"
"Resource Needs Among Spanish and English Speakers"
"The Impact of Cooling on Transport and Transition to the Blanketrol III on Temperature Regulation in Babies with HIE"
"The Difference in Light Intensity Used In Laryngoscope Handles"
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“The role of intramuscular ceftriaxone as antibiotic treatment for children with acute otitis media”
“Bench top measurements of the effects of aorta pressure differentials & flow splits on exercise capacity in coarctation repaired aortas”
“Understanding ways to help children with diabetes control glycemic levels under emotional distress”
“Intensity of pain in children after cardio vascular surgery”
“A study evaluating early warning factors before a pain crisis in sickle cell disease”
“The differences in sepsis patient outcome (length of stay, disposition) based on weight”
“Prescription opioid use after fracture; are there differences?”
“Does COVID-19 exposure and/or infection increase health risks in asthma patients?”
“Utilization of computerized VR ankle rehabilitation in Cerebral Palsy: application to VA patients with stroke”
“Analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities related to Covid-19 infection in pediatric patients”
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“Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine”
“Cross-Validation of Presence of Wheeze in Pediatric Lung Sounds”
“Can Digital Pathology completely supplement the need for physical human analysis?”
“How does the cause of epilepsy affect the likelihood of seizure freedom after a hemispherectomy”
“How were sleep study rates impacted by tonsillectomies both before and during the pandemic?”
“Increasing both rates and data to provide better health care for sexually and gendered youth minorities.”
“Investigating whether gene therapy or exon skipping therapy is more effective in improving the quality of life and outcome in subjects with DMD.”
“Is 3D MRI imaging just as sufficient as 4D MRI imaging when calculating flow rate and wall shear stress?”
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“Genetic Variation in Pharmacogenomics”
“The Effect of Anthracyclines on the QTc Interval and Development of Cardiomyopathy in Pediatric Cancer Patients”
“Undergoing Cochlear Implants with other Middle and Outer Ear Surgeries”
“CT-Compatible Needle Based Intervention tools and their ability to possibly increase accuracy during procedures”
“Development of a driving simulator to assess a cognitively demanding real life task in subjects with Urea Cycle Disorders (UCD)”
“The Correlation Between CGM Use, A1C, Diabetes Distress in Teens with T1D”
“Air Quality's Effect on Children with Asthma Hospitalizations”
“Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) Results for Zika Control Group in Rural Colombia”
“Risk factors associated with mortality in pediatric PVS patients”
“Association of Race with Nonadherence to Hip Surveillance Outpatient Medical Follow-up Care and COVID-19 Pandemic in Children with Cerebral Palsy”
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“Morphological Characteristics of Fragile X Syndrome Mouse Model in Superior Collicular Neurons”
“Evaluating Foxp2+ neuron number in the MeA of Foxp2+/- mutant mice”
“Exploring KCNN2 Expression In The Motor Cortex of Angelman Syndrome Mouse Model”
“Identifying Brain Cells Through Cre/Lox Recombination Techniques”
Where are our METEOR students?
Many of our METEOR scholars have gone on to pursue their undergraduate degrees in STEM fields, with more than half continuing their education into the health sciences! Many of our alumni have also traveled far from home to pursue their degrees
Undergraduate Major
Now…
“The most beneficial part of the METEOR Program was the vast exposure to varying opportunities for professional and career advancements in STEM, from firsthand experiences with my mentor to valuable insight from lunch and learns and touring different departments in the hospital. METEOR was also my first time learning of the wide spectrum of careers, particularly at the intersection of medicine and research. In the program I learned that being both a scientist and physician was possible and that I could also pursue my interests in public health and research career simultaneously.”
“METEOR helped me secure another internship within the next academic year which, operating as a cascade, led to acceptance into a Women in STEM research based accelerator program in college. I am eternally grateful for the experiences offered in the program and its immense exposure to medicine. The METEOR program debunked the myth that medicine exists monolithically, integrating interdisciplinary and multidiscipline career options (practitioners, lawyers, PAs who conduct research, postbacc scholars, and research) into the space for us to explore.”
METEOR Teaching Fellows
Many teachers have come through the METEOR program to do research that would both benefit the content they teach, as well as the students they are teaching!
Geneva Jost, METEOR teaching fellow from Washington Latin Public Charter
Kianna Bennett, METEOR teaching fellow from McKinley Tech High School
Beyond…!
Click HERE to apply and join the legacy of METEOR scholars! Applications for Summer 2026 are open.