About Four Directions Summer Research Program
Making a Difference.
The Four Directions Summer Research Program (FDSRP) is an exciting summer research opportunity at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) for undergraduate students with a commitment to the health of Native American communities. The FDSRP is in its 18th year, and has brought over 150 students to Boston during this time. We invite students to join us for 8 weeks to engage in basic science or translational research projects under the supervision of Harvard Medical School faculty advisors.
At the end of the 8 weeks students share their research findings during a final research presentation day. Students also receive career development training, meet faculty from across the hospital and medical school, and participate in a variety of social networking events. FDSRP covers students’ travel costs to and from Boston, provides housing free of charge, and provides a living stipend for the summer.
Our previous participants say:
“This program helped me network with some of the top health professionals in the U.S. It was very encouraging to meet people that believed we could get into Harvard Medical School and really encouraged us to follow our dreams.”
“It was a major stepping stone in my [medical school] application process. Before going to FDSRP I was very naïve about the entire process about applying to medical school. The FDSRP not only gave me hope, but it also helped me prove to myself and everyone else that it was very much possible for a once-troubled adolescent to achieve whatever I had in mind.”
“The program was crucial in my development, not only as a student, but as a Native person navigating in two worlds: life on the reservation and how that interplayed with academics and scientific research. FDSRP gave me support, guidance, and most of all confidence.”
ProgramStaff
Director Thomas Sequist, MD, MPH
Dr. Thomas Sequist has worked with the FDSRP since 1995 and currently serves as the program’s director. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Sequist is a member of the Taos Pueblo tribe in northern New Mexico, where his mother was raised on the reservation. It is this background that has driven him to develop programs to improve the health of Native communities. In addition to his involvement with FDSRP, Dr. Sequist is the medical director of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Outreach Program with the Indian Health Service. This program sends experienced physicians from Brigham and Women’s Hospital to do volunteer work on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico to expand access to health care for patients in this community.
Dr. Sequist is a practicing primary care physician at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a Boston-area physician group practice, where he is also the Director of Research. His research interests are focused on improving quality of care and eliminating racial disparities in health care. As part of these research activities, he works with the leadership of the Indian Health Service to examine quality of care within this large health care system.
Read the Message from the Director.
Other Staff Info
Elena Muench - Project Manager
Elena Muench is the Director of Programs for the Center for Faculty Development & Diversity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Elena manages the Four Directions Summer Research Program, including planning of seminars, speakers and networking opportunities for the students during their summer in Boston. She is also responsible for coordinating the admissions process, student travel and housing, and maintaining communication with program alumni.
Lisa Sockabasin - Progam Coordinator
Lisa Sockabasin, BSN, MPH is the FDSRP summer program coordinator. Ms. Sockabasin is a member of the Passamaquoddy tribe and an alumna of the FDSRP (2001). She has nearly 10 years experience as a program coordinator for FDSRP. Ms. Sockabasin received a Masters Degree in Public Health Nursing from the University of Maine and a Masters Degree in Health Policy and Management from the University of Southern Maine. She currently works as the Director of the Office of Minority Health for the State of Maine, and is also a trained public health nurse with experience working for the Indian Health Service Urban Health Program in Boston, Massachusetts. As the summer coordinator, Lisa ensures that the day-to-day activities of the program occur seamlessly, as well as providing regular mentoring to the student participants.