Tougaloo College is the home of the Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training Center (JHSUTC) where minority high school students, college students and health professionals are trained in Public Health and Epidemiology. 

Tougaloo College is a historically African American four-year liberal arts college with an outstanding reputation for preparing students to study medicine, dentistry, other biomedical careers and law.  The faculty members are dedicated teachers who provide rigorous training to the students many of whom come from economically and academically disadvantaged backgrounds.  Tougaloo College is committed to public health, particularly as it relates to minority and underserved populations.  In addition to providing training in public health, the investigators at the JHSUTC develop independent research programs and collaborate with other JHS investigators in preparing scientific publications.

The specific goals of the JHS UTC are to

• create a pool of well trained high school students who, upon entering college, can successfully complete undergraduate, and graduate or professional degrees in health professions and public health;

• introduce a program of college courses to prepare the students to pursue advanced studies towards public health and epidemiology;

• involve the students in hands-on experiences to create interest in public health careers; and

• provide basic epidemiology backgrounds for health care professionals.  In order to accomplish the above goals, the JHSUTC has developed the following programs:

The High School Summer Outreach program.  The UTC conducts three summer workshops that cover language skills, quantitative skills, and science skills and issues related to public health and epidemiology.  Science, Language Arts and Mathematics (SLAM) workshops will target: 9^th and 10^th graders (SLAM Workshop I); 10^th and 11^th graders (SLAM Workshop II); and 12^th graders (SLAM Workshop III).

UTC Scholar Application Form
EPI Application Form
SLAM Application Form
SLAM Recommendation Form

The Jackson Heart Study Scholars program.  Ten Tougaloo freshmen, in various fields of study, are selected every year and are designated at Jackson Heart Study Scholars.  The JHS Scholars are required to enroll in four JHSUTC sponsored courses:  Introduction to Public Health and Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Research Methods in Public Health, and Ethics, Medicine and Technology.  They are also required to be actively involved in the study, for example, recruitment of participants, data collection, attendance at research seminars, etc.  During the summer months, the students tutor the high school students and work with a mentor who is a health professional or researcher from the JHS, any state or federal public health agency, or academic institution.

Six-day Summer Course in Epidemiology.  This course covers the basic principles of epidemiology and is offered for six days during the summer.  The course is designed for professionals and graduate students but can include interested qualified undergraduate students.  Tuition (for those taking the course without credit) and meals for this program are free.

Renaldo Williams is a sophomore biology/math emphasis major from Pickens, MS.  He was introduced to the Jackson Heart Study program when he attended the Summer Science Program at Tougaloo College in the summer of 2005.  He chose to attend Tougaloo College and he was accepted into the Jackson Heart Study program in spring 2006.  In the fall semester of his freshmen year, he was an undergraduate research assistant to Dr. Betty Sue Hennington, a protein chemist and professor of biology.  In the lab, he learned invaluable techniques such as SDS gel electrophoresis, cell fractionation, and protein purification.  After completing his undergraduate studies at Tougaloo College, he plans to enter into a MD-PhD program.  He aims to become a clinical professor who conducts research in the fields of cardiology and virology.

Jamille Patrice Taylor is a Junior Biology major from Jackson, MS. She was first acquainted with the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) program during the summer following the completion of her 9th grade year at Murrah High School in Jackson. As a student in the Science, Language Arts, and Mathematics (SLAM) program, she received many awards for academic achievement. She went on to participate in both the SLAM II & III programs and received recognition for participating in all three summer sessions. The JHS SLAM program was integral in shaping her decision to attend Tougaloo College upon high school graduation in 2004. As a student at Tougaloo College, she has active membership in many campus organizations outside of the Jackson Heart Study, including Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society, Honors College, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Resident Assistant. She conducted a research regarding parent-infant attachment at the Biomedical Science Training and Enrichment Program (BioSTEP) at Yale University School of Medicine in the summer of 2006. Upon receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Tougaloo in May of 2008, she will attend the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, RI.  Her career goals include obtaining MD/MPH degrees and working in the fields of endocrinology, public health, and behavioral sciences.

Loryn Jamison is sophomore sociology/ pre-nursing major from Tylertown, MS.  She was first introduced to the Jackson Heart Study the summer following her junior year in high school.  She chose to attend Tougaloo College and was chosen to become a JHS scholar.    She is working at the Jackson Medical Mall under the mentorship of Mrs. Mary Crump. After completing her undergraduate studies at Tougaloo, she plans on entering an accelerated second degree nursing program.  Her ultimate goal is to become a nurse anesthetist.

Ms. Aquesha Martin, a Computer Science major is attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  She is studying Computer and Information Science.  After obtaining the M.S. in Computer and Information Sciences, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science with the goal of becoming a research scientist.
 

Undergraduate Training Center News

• Tracie Perkins has gotten accepted into the Chemistry Program at Jackson State University with a full scholarship.
• Montoya Taylor has passed his USMILE and can get into any residency program.
• Jared Taylor, a 2006 Tougaloo College graduate and Jackson Heart Study Scholar, has been accepted to the Post-Baccalaureate Program at the National Institutes of health.  Jared will work with Dr. Paul Sorlie on a project using Jackson Heart Study data.
• Jennifer Fisher, a recent 2006 graduate, has been accepted to the TUFTS PREP program.
• Victoria Crockett has been accepted to the Chemistry Doctorial Program at Jackson State University.
• Leslie Whiting has been accepted to the MPH program at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
• Pavielle Hall has been accepted to the PharmD Program at the University of Tennessee at Memphis.
• Joyee Ester, a Jackson Heart Study SLAM I and II participant, was selected as a Regional Semifinalist in the 2005-2006 Young Epidemiology Scholars Competition.  The title of her project was "An Investigation of the Health Practices of High School Students".  Approximately 700 students competed.  She will receive a $1,000 college scholarship.  Joyee, a junior at St. Joseph's High School, is coming back to SLAM III this summer.  The YES Competition website is http://www.collegeboard.com/yes/.
• Jennifer Fisher, a recent 2006 graduate, has been accepted to the TUFTS PREP program.
• Amanda Patterson, Candace King and Jamille  have been accepted to the Early ID Program at Boston University School of Medicine. They will join fellow JHS Scholars, Montoya Taylor, Angel Byrd, and Thelma Alleyne.