M4I: Maryland Infection, Immunization, Intervention, and Impact Training Program

Students participating in the M4I program will have access to

• Top faculty mentors across UMB conducting cutting-edge research in infectious diseases and immunology
• Biostatics training and individualized support from skilled epidemiologists
• A funded summer research experience and activities to expand your skills and broaden your exposure to these fascinating and critically important fields
• Clinical experiences with peers and fellows to learn more about the field
• Funding to support research costs, travel to conferences, publications, and more
• Mentorship, and career and residency advising

See Program Activities for more details.

Infectious diseases are a dynamic and rapidly evolving field of medicine. As witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, new infectious threats are continuously on the horizon. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been new outbreaks of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Oropouche virus, Avian influenza, and Marburg virus, just to name a few. Research into these outbreaks, human immunology, and vaccine development is critical. The field needs the best and brightest new researchers to tackle these emerging problems.

The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) is an international leader in infectious diseases research, particularly in the areas of vaccine development, HIV, global health, and genomics. UMSOM is also deeply committed to research education for medical students and instituted a requirement that all students engage in a hypothesis-driven scholarly activity. 

The M4I: Maryland Infection, Immunization, Intervention, and Impact Training Program builds a bridge between medical students and the extraordinary infectious diseases and immunology expertise at UMSOM. 

The program will enroll a diverse group of medical students to establish a cohort of trainees who will participate in formal research training and develop a hypothesis-driven research project with the support of their faculty mentors, methodological experts, and their peers. They will continue to work together as a longitudinal research track cohort for their medical school career, with opportunities to receive additional funding for research electives and more advanced training.

Miriam Laufer, MD, MPH
M4I Program Leader, Principal Investigator
Professor of Pediatrics
Interim Director
Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health

David Riedel, MD, MPH
M4I Program Leader, Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Infectious Disease Fellowship Program
Institute of Human Virology

Fiama Romero, MS
Program Manager