Medical Research: Shaping the Future of Health and Medicine
How does a scientific discovery in a lab become a treatment that saves lives? This course explores the world of medical research, from the vital collaboration between physicians and scientists to the development of new therapies. You’ll learn from leading experts about the advanced technologies and collaborative efforts that drive medical innovation, explore career paths in research, and work on a final project to address a real-world disease.
Program Dates
Choose the course length that works for you: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Eligibility
For students ages 13 and up
Individual Course Fees
$2,195
Shape the Future of Medical Research
The Foundations of Medical Discovery
Learn how scientific ideas become life-saving medicines. Explore the path from basic discovery to clinical application, and see how collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders drives medical innovation.
From Molecules to Modern Medicine
Discover the rigorous process of preparing a new therapy for human trials. Investigate how researchers identify targets to develop new, life-saving therapeutics.
Decode the Blueprint of Health and Disease
Dive into the genetic revolution, from sequencing technologies to CRISPR gene editing. See how clinicians use genomic analysis to create personalized medical interventions tailored to individual patients.
Visualize the Architecture of Life
Examine the technologies that reveal a protein's 3D shape to guide therapeutic design. Learn how researchers use experimental models that mimic human disease to engineer novel medicines.
Harness Big Data to Solve Medical Mysteries
Witness how AI and machine learning are improving diagnostics. Understand how doctors in the future will use massive data sets and computational tools to guide their clinical decision-making and patient care.
From Theory to Therapeutic Design
Assume the role of a lead scientist and design a study to tackle a major human disease. Integrate your knowledge of medical research, collaboration, and real-world feasibility to propose an innovative therapeutic solution.
How You Will Benefit
- Trace the path of a medical breakthrough, from initial scientific discovery to its application in human clinical trials.
- Hear directly from leading researchers as they share their scientific journeys and vision for the future of medicine.
- See how new technologies are personalizing medicine and guiding future doctors' clinical decisions.
- Apply your knowledge by designing and proposing a therapeutic study to address a human disease in a final capstone project.
- Earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Medical School, a valuable addition to your college applications.
Four Learning Advantages Designed for You
Final Capstone Project
This online course culminates in a final project that allows you to:
- Clarify personal motivations and future possibilities in medicine.
- Apply course concepts, including clinical practice, health care systems, and innovation, to real-world scenarios.
- Strengthen critical thinking by evaluating challenges and opportunities in the future of health care.
- Build a forward-looking perspective that connects today’s learning to tomorrow’s medical career.
College-Level Content
- The program grants you access to enrichment-style learning that includes videos, assignments, end-of-module quizzes, and interactive widgets.
- Gain unique insights and perspectives from Harvard Medical School faculty and other leaders shaping the future of medicine.
- Apply your knowledge in a hands-on final capstone project that is designed to help you explore and demonstrate what you’ve learned.
Mentoring
Gain support from an expert mentor who’ll help answer questions and enrich your experience. Here’s what to expect:
- Mentors grade assignments, provide feedback, and guide you in understanding what it takes to pursue a future as a doctor
- Encouragement and direction throughout the course.
- Inspiration, motivation, and confidence to help you succeed.
Flexible Learning
- 100% online learning that works with your schedule.
- Enjoy flexible, engaging video lessons that you can watch at your convenience.
- Multiple medical courses can be taken to maximize your learning experience.
- Approximately 30 hours of total instruction and activities per course, including multimedia, simulations, and curated quizzes and content.
Apply Now for the Next Available Course
Taught by HMS Faculty
Marcia Haigis, Ph.D.
Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School
Marcia C. Haigis, Ph.D., is a Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School, Co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard, Co-Director of the Bertarelli Rare Cancer Initiative, and a member of Ludwig Center at Harvard Medical School. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and completed postdoctoral research at MIT on mitochondrial metabolism. Her lab investigates how mitochondria respond to cellular stress and contribute to aging and age-related diseases, including cancer, with key discoveries in metabolic reprogramming and cancer biology.
Cigall Kadoch, Ph.D.
Professor of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School
Cigall Kadoch, Ph.D., is a Professor of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Co-Director of the Epigenomics Program at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. She established her lab in 2014, immediately after completing her Ph.D. at Stanford, and is internationally recognized for her pioneering work on chromatin and gene regulation in human diseases, including cancer. She has received numerous honors, including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 and MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 lists, and most recently the 2024 Laureate in the Life Sciences of the Blavatnik National Awards.
How To Apply:
It’s easy. No transcripts or letters of recommendation are required. Just provide some basic information and tell us why you wish to take this program.
Note: Please submit all application materials in English.
Begin the guided application process. It should take only a few minutes of your time to answer the questions.
Want to Know More?
Sign up for more information and we’ll be in touch.
Admissions
Our application process is easy. You can expect a prompt decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will you be graded? How much time do you have to turn around a project? When do you find out if you're accepted? Find answers to your questions here.
Scholarships
We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition.
- If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.
- If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If we don’t have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.
