Baylor Scott & White Research Institute in Plano, TX offers a comprehensive summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate students who are planning a career in healthcare

Program goals

In this eight-week program you will:

Learn

  • Complete individual and collaborative projects that reflect ongoing research efforts under the direction of one of our distinguished faculty.
  • Collect data from electronic health records and attend lectures from experts in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery as well as research design and biostatistics.

Network

  • Work with doctors, fellows, residents, hospital leadership and peers who are leaders in the fields of research as well as interventional cardiology and cardiac and vascular surgery.
  • You may also have the opportunity to observe many of the procedures and surgeries of focus in your research.

Produce

  • Contribute to groundbreaking medical research, showcase your work at a cardiovascular research meeting, and have the opportunity to author a case study or case series.
  • Some past interns have even had the opportunity to present their work at a state or national cardiovascular conference.

Apply now

Email your resume and cover letter to Rahul.Gunukula@BSWHealth.org and Sarah.Hale@BSWHealth.org.



Key dates

  • Application status: Open now
  • Application deadline: February 9, 2026
  • Internship program start date: June 3, 2026

Eligibility requirements

  • 18 years of age or older.
  • Undergraduate or recent graduate of an accredited four-year college.
  • You must have completed your freshman year of college.
  • Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or have Permanent Resident status.
  • Available to participate full time in the internship (at least 40 hours a week).
  • Must be able to complete 8-12 hours of independent, online CITI training. (This is basic training required to participate in human subjects/clinical research)

Intern experience

"During my time as a research intern, I learned much more than the behind-the-scenes of academic research. I was able to shadow every kind of doctor at this hospital, from surgeons, and interventionalists, to imaging specialists and electrophysiologists. We had various hands-on learning opportunities with cadaver hearts and echocardiograms in addition to lunch and learn lectures on various diseases. I worked on 3 studies during my time as an intern and found a deep appreciation for academic research all while gaining valuable insight into the role of a physician in healthcare through this internship.”

- Tavleen Khurana, 2024 Summer Intern

Research projects

  • Sample publications
    • Karim Al-Azizi, Ghadi Moubarak, Asim Mohiuddin, Molly Szerlip, Srinivasa Potluri, Katherine Harrington, Justin Schaffer, William Brinkman, Amro Alsaid, Zuyue Wang, Jonathan Ladner, Rahul Gunukula, Colleen Parro, Tsung-Wei Ma, Robert Stoler, Yashasvi Chugh, Subhash Banerjee, Timothy Mixon, Robert J Widmer, Angel Caldera, Jose Condado Contreras, Anita Krueger, William Gray, J. Michael DiMaio, Michael J. Mack, Five-Year Outcomes of Measured and Predicted Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation, The American Journal of Cardiology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2024.08.013.
    • TCT-482 Transradial Versus Transfemoral Approach in Peripheral Vascular Interventions Ghadi Moubarak, Mohammed Salih, Talia Meidan, Malak Ezzat, Rahul Gunukula, Natalie Volz, Chadi Dib, Srinivasa Potluri, Sameh Sayfo https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2023.09.491
    • Hamandi M, Nwafor I, Hebeler KR, Crawford A, Lanfear AT, Schaffer JM, Al-Azizi K, Potluri S, Brinkman WT, Harrington K, Szerlip MA, DiMaio JM. Bioprosthetic Valve Fracture During Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2020, Mar; 33(3): 317-321. Cited in Pubmed; PMID: Pub Status: Published.
    • Hamandi M, Kahn Z, Bolin ML, Lanfear AT, Dib C, Khan H, Harrington K. Puzzled by the Pouch: Aortic Root Abscess Presenting as Ventricular Tachycardia [Abstract]. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020, Mar; 75(11): Supplement 1.
    • Lanfear AT, Hamandi M, Fan J, DiMaio JM, George TJ. Trends in HeartMate 3: What We Know So Far. J Card Surg. 2020, Jan; 35(1), 180-187. Cited in PubMed; PMID: Pub Status: Published.
    • Hamandi M, Lanfear AT, Woolbert S, Bolin ML, Fan J, William M, Khan Z, DiMaio JM, Brinkman WT. Challenging Management of a Patient with Severe Bilateral Deep Vein Thrombosis. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2020, Jan-Dec; 8(NA): 2324709620910288. Cited in PubMed; PMID: Pub Status: Published.
    • Hamandi M, Lanfear AT, Fan J, Bolin ML, DiMaio JM, Smith RL, Dib C. Incidental Finding of a Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysm. J Card Surg. 2020, Jan; 35(1): 200-201. Cited In PubMed. PMID: Pub Status: Published.
    • Hamandi M, Tabachnick D, Lanfear AT, Baxter R, Shin K, Zingler B, Mack MJ, DiMaio JM, Kindsvater S. Effect of New and Persistent Left Bundle Branch Block After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement on Long-Term Need for Pacemaker Implantation. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2020 Jan; 33(2): 157-162. Cited in PubMed. PMID: Pub Status: Published.
    • Hamandi M, Bolin ML, Lanfear AT, Woolbert SK, Baxter RD, DiMaio JM, Brinkman WT. A Newly Discovered Genetic Disorder Associated with Life-Threatening Aortic Disease in a 6-Year-Old Boy. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2020, Jan-Dec; 8(NA): Cited in PubMed. PMID: 32102558. Pub Status: Published.
  • Articles in press
    • Lanfear AT, Hamandi M, Fan J, Bolin ML, Williams M, DiMaio JM, Waters J. Lemierre’s syndrome treated operatively. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2020 Mar; 33(4): 671:673
    • Hamandi M, Lanfear, AT, Squiers JJ, George T, DiMaio JM, Harrington K, Szerlip MA, Smith RL. (2020). Double Valve Replacement in Patients with Mitral Annular Calcification and Aortic Stenosis. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020 .
    • Szerlip MA, Tabachnick D, Hamandi M, Caras L, Lanfear AT, Squiers JJ, Harrington K, Potluri S, DiMaio JM, Wooley J, Pollock B, Schaffer JM, Brinkman WT, Brown DL, Mack MJ. Safe Implementation of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Protocol in Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2020 Sep; 0(0): 1-7.
  • Oral presentations
    • Lanfear AT, Hamandi M, Al-Azizi K, Schaffer J, Shutze W. (September 2020). Transcaval Aortic Access for Thoracic Endovascular Repair Poster Presentation presented at: Texas Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Annual Meeting, virtual.
    • Hoffman H, Hamandi M, Lanfear AT, Shutze W. (September 2020). Rare Etiology of Ischemic Steal Syndrome in the Left Peroneal Artery Poster Presentation presented at: Texas Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Annual Meeting, virtual.
    • Woolbert S, Hamandi M, Dib C, DiMaio JM. (October, 2019). Review of the Devices Used in the Interventional Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism Oral Presentation presented at: Texas Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Annual Meeting; Austin, TX, USA.
    • Bolin ML, Hamandi M, Lanfear AT, Woolbert SK, Baxter RD, DiMaio JM, Brinkman WT. (October, 2019) A Newly Discovered Genetic Disorder Associated with Life-Threatening Aortic Disease in a 6-Year-Old Boy Oral Presentation presented at: Texas Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Annual Meeting; Austin, TX, USA.
    • Lanfear AT, Hamandi M, Woolbert S, Bolin ML, Fan J, William M, Khan Z, DiMaio JM, Brinkman WT. (October 2019) Challenging Management of a Patient with Severe Bilateral Deep Vein Thrombosis Oral Presentation presented at: Texas Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Annual Meeting; Austin, TX, USA.

Faculty

J. Michael DiMaio, MD
Chairman and Research Mentor
Kristen Chionh, MS, RD, CCRC
Director of Cardiovascular Research
Jasjit Kaur Banwait, PhD
Biostatistician
Sarah Hale, BA, CCRC
Academic Research Manager
Swapnil Gupta
Research Project Coordinator
Bonnie Ostergren, MS
Research Project Coordinator
Tanushree Prasad
Biostatistician
 

Fellows

Mohamad Bader Abo Hajar, MD
Research Fellow
Cody Dorton, DO
Research Fellow
Ely Erez, MD
Research Fellow
Joseph Jebain, MD
Research Fellow

Contact us

Cardiovascular Research Internship Program
Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital - Plano
1100 Allied Drive
Plano, TX 75093

Email: Sarah.Hale@BSWHealth.org

Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital - Plano
1100 Allied Drive
Plano, TX 75093

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