Center for Environmental Health Sciences
(CEHS)
32 Campus Drive 280 Skaggs
Building Missoula, MT 59812
www.umt.edu/cehs
Summer Undergraduate Research Program
-SURP- at The University of Montana
The Center for Environmental Health
Sciences (CEHS) sponsors a summer
educational research experience for
outstanding college undergraduates.
The Summer Undergraduate Research
Program (SURP) is part of a
national program to attract and
train undergraduates to research
careers in the environmental health
sciences. This program is
funded through a grant obtained
from the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS,
R25ES016247). The Center’s SURP
ten-‐week summer program presents
extraordinary opportunities to learn
from experts about the philosophy
and practice of conducting current
biomedical research. In addition,
all students gain extensive hands-‐on
research experience working in the
Center’s state-‐of-‐the-‐art laboratories.
Guest seminar lectures and
presentations by graduate students,
postdoctoral fellows and staff
provide SURP students with personal
experiences in biomedical research to
round out the program. To
round out the SURP students’
experience, at the end of the
10-‐week experience, they present
their research in a half-‐day
symposium at the end of the
program. Our students have been
highly successful with a number
of manuscripts, winning top honors
at end-‐of-‐summer conferences and
presenting at national meetings. We
encourage you to view past
project descriptions and poster
presentations on our website at
https://education.cehs.health.umt.edu/content/summer-‐undergraduate-‐research-‐program.
Scan the QR code with your
smartphone to visit our site.
-‐2015 SURP Students-‐
Jessica Ray (l) and Laura Fisch
(r) were each co-‐
sponsored by the Society of
Toxicology (SOT) in 2015 and
won travel awards to attend the
2016 SOT Annual Meeting in New
Orleans!
NIEHS Director Dr. Linda S.
Birnbaum, D.A.B.T., A.T.S. -‐ CEHS
Visit, 2012
Over the past eight summers
of the SURP program, undergraduates
have come from universities around
the country including Stanford
University, Purdue University, University
of Massachusetts -‐ Lowell, Notre
Dame University, University of Texas
at Dallas, Washington State
University, Michigan State University
and University of Maine. The
University of Montana is located
in beautiful Missoula, Montana and
integrates an enriching educational
experience with easy access to
outstanding recreational activities
including hiking, fly fishing, and
camping. Our students participate
in recreational activities and field
trips. For more information
about Missoula and the surrounding
region, please visit
www.destinationmissoula.org. If
you have questions about the
program, e-‐mail CEHS at
[email protected]. SURP 2016
begins May 24, 2016 and runs
through August 2, 2016.
Enrollment is limited. Applications
must be received by February
15, 2016. Applications received
after February 15th will be
considered only if slots are
still available. Apply on-‐line
at:
https://education.cehs.health.umt.edu/content/surp-‐application
-About the Center-
CEHS, a unique biomedical research
center in Montana, was formed
in 2000 and is a leading
edge biomedical research center
focused on diseases associated with
exposures to harmful environmental
and occupational agents.
The major research focus for
CEHS investigators is to determine
the mechanisms by which environmental
and occupational exposures contribute
to the development of human
diseases and translate that knowledge
into development of biomarkers,
therapeutic interventions and improved
public health information.
Key areas of research include
immune mediated diseases (e.g.,
asthma, fibrosis, autoimmune diseases,
increased host susceptibility and
inflammatory bowel disease) and
central nervous system diseases
(aging related neurodegeneration and
neuroinflammation). New emerging
areas of research include
environmental induced epigenetic changes
and nanomedicine/nanotoxicology. Center
investigators interact with a network
of investigators nationally and
internationally to enhance basic and
translational research. The
CEHS supports three cores: Molecular
Histology and Fluorescent Imaging
Core, Flow Cytometry Core, and
Inhalation and Pulmonary Physiology
Core. Each core is led by
experienced faculty and full time
staff scientists who help
investigators plan, execute and
interpret experimental studies. The
cores are highly integrated providing
for a smooth workflow when more
than one core is necessary to
accomplish complicated research protocols.