Burrell College student physicians Adriana Rodriguez and Brianna Mireku were selected for Cohort 5 of the Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP), a nationally recognized initiative that prepares future physician researchers through hands-on clinical research and community partnerships.
Rodriguez and Mireku are among a select group of medical students from across the country chosen to participate in the six-week summer program. Through Winn CIPP, participants receive training in patient-centered approaches to advancing health care while working alongside physician mentors and community partners.
For both students, the opportunity builds on the mission-driven education they received at Burrell College.
“The training allows me to reflect on my family’s experiences and the barriers we faced in accessing care,” Rodriguez said. “It has deepened my understanding of how research and medicine must be shaped by the communities they aim to serve.”
Rodriguez said the experience reinforced her commitment to using research to improve care for underserved populations.
“It helped me understand how my background can inform the kind of clinician researcher I hope to become,” Rodriguez said. “Most importantly, it reinforces my resolve to bring scientific advances to the communities that are too often overlooked.”
Mireku will complete her Winn CIPP externship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she will work in the laboratory of Dr. Margaret Liang, a gynecologic oncologist and associate director of the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship.
“This opportunity will advance my future career as a physician advocate by allowing me to combine my passion for serving underserved patients with clinical research,” Mireku said. “Research is the foundation of medical advancement, and this program will show me new ways to identify the needs of underserved communities and improve their health outcomes.”
Mireku said this experience will strengthen her commitment to advancing health equity through research.
“People of color are often underrepresented in clinical trials, yet they experience some of the highest rates of illness and death,” Mireku said. “To improve health care, we must address those inequities because everyone deserves to be represented.”
Both students credited Burrell College with preparing them for the opportunity through its emphasis on community-based care and service.
“Burrell introduced me to this opportunity and encouraged me to apply, which shows how invested the college is in its students’ success,” Rodriguez said. “The education I received gave me a strong foundation that I felt confident bringing into this research experience.”
“Burrell’s emphasis on community-based care prepared me well for this opportunity,” Mireku said. “Throughout the year, the curriculum exposed me to intervention models designed to support underserved patients, and I applied those lessons during my research at Cedars-Sinai.”
The selection of Rodriguez and Mireku reflects Burrell College’s commitment to preparing future physicians who advance medicine through service, discovery and patient-centered care. As members of Winn CIPP Cohort 5, they will continue expanding their research experience while pursuing their shared goal of improving health outcomes for underserved populations.
