PROJECT SUMMARY
The importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to our daily lives has been heightened
by the nature of the pandemic: from vaccines to computer programs that allow us to stay connected, the
innovations that are integral to our daily lives are based in STEM. Further, as healthcare researchers, we
recognize that the brain underpins the nature of the human experience and is involved with a wide variety of
healthcare topics beyond the brain/spinal cord, including but not limited to oncology, trauma, sleep, hearing and
speech, neurodevelopmental disabilities and community health/safety. Understanding how the nervous system
interrelates with various STEM concepts, impacts neurodevelopment, and influences health equity is critical for
building a capable workforce.
The lack of career pathways for diverse and capable young innovators in brain-based STEM and health
backgrounds signals a continued need for a focus on STEM literacy and competencies throughout K-12
education. Mentored Experiences to Expand Opportunities in Research version 3 (“METEOR v. 3”) will
provide meaningful experiences for Washington, DC metro area high school students from diverse cultural,
ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and STEM teachers-in-training with a specific focus on understanding
the healthy and diseased brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves through a children’s health lens.
METEOR v. 3 will engage participants in inquiry-based biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research in the setting
of Children’s National Hospital and its’ Research Institute. We will provide a comprehensive program and
curriculum, which will employ unique, research-based educational practices designed to stimulate interest and
advance knowledge in the neurosciences, neurobiology, behavioral health and related fields. These innovative
hands-on experiences will stimulate the next generation of students and teachers to bring neurosciences to the
forefront of STEM and health care research.