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Research Informatics - AI READI

AI Ready and Equitable Atlas for Diabetes Insights (AI-READI) Yearlong Research Internship Program (August 2025-July 2026)



Program Overview:


The AI Ready and Equitable Atlas for Diabetes Insights program (AI-READI) is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Bridge to Artificial Intelligence (Bridge2AI) program, a large trans-NIH initiative to generate new datasets for advancing artificial intelligence (AI). One component of AI-READI is the Skills and Workforce Development Module, which includes the development of a yearlong mentored research internship program aimed at expanding the future workforce at the intersection of data science/AI and the biomedical sciences and clinical research.

This internship program will be centered on developing skills and providing early exposure to AI, data science, and research, as well as the opportunity to gain exposure to faculty with expertise in AI and biomedical, clinical, and behavioral research. The program will include direct mentorship for a cohort of interns from AI-READI investigators/faculty mentors, as well as opportunities for career development. The program will correspond with an academic year timeline and will include an in-person two-week bootcamp at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) in the summer. After bootcamp, interns will work on a mentored research project related to AI-READI at sites across the country under the mentorship of AI-READI faculty mentors, while also engaging in a didactic curriculum conducted throughout the year. A year-end research symposium event will be held, which will allow interns to present their projects as well as provide an opportunity to interact with other interns and faculty members.

This is a paid internship, with monthly stipends ranging from about $2200 per month for predoctoral interns to $4500-$5500 per month for post-doctoral interns. Applicants from groups underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce are encouraged to apply.

Bridge 2AI READi

Curriculum Highlights:


  • Hands-on instruction in programming during a 2-week bootcamp held at UC San Diego
  • Research mentoring with a preceptor (based at sites across the US)
  • Research ethics workshops
  • Structured career development
  • Topics of instruction include biostatistics, machine learning and deep learning, data models and standards, grant writing, and principles of clinical research
  • Communication workshops for effective writing, presentation skills, and publication strategies
  • Monthly journal clubs
  • Lectures and networking opportunities



Sample Research Projects:


Intern projects can span a wide range of areas. Pairings with research mentors will be made based on the intern’s area(s) of interest and career goals. Projects may involve direct analyses of the data generated by the overall AI-READI project (which involves multi-modal data collection from a diverse group of individuals with diabetes), developing tools for assessing or analyzing data, or advancing data standards related to a wide range of involved data types (e.g., electronic health records, wearables).



How to Apply:





Eligibility:


In order to apply to the AI-READI Program applicants must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Completed at least an undergraduate degree, but applicants can be post-baccalaureate students, predoctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, medical trainees, or other allied health professionals.
  • The program requires full-time effort, and the applicant cannot be doing medical school rotations or other jobs concurrently. This is not a remote internship, and you may be required to relocate depending on which mentor you are paired with.
  • Applicants are not required to have extensive background in programming but should demonstrate technical/quantitative skills and a willingness to learn.
  • Provide a personal statement of career goals (word limit: 750 words).
  • Provide 2 letters of reference from academic faculty members and have them email their letters to the program coordinator at ai-readi-internship@health.ucsd.edu by January 15, 2024.
  • Provide academic transcripts (unofficial is acceptable).
  • The program will include an in-person two-week bootcamp at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) in the summer. After bootcamp, interns will work on a mentored research project related to AI-READI at sites across the country under the mentorship of AI-READI faculty mentors.
  • US citizenship or permanent residence is not required to apply to the program, but you must be physically located in the United States by the start of the program in Summer 2024. The program will not provide visa sponsorship.



Faculty:


The AI-READI Internship Program is multi-institutional and includes faculty from a wide array of institutions. Lead faculty are from the UC San Diego, but teaching faculty and research mentors will be derived from the entire AI-READI team, which includes the University of Washington, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and Oregon Health and Science University. All faculty members included in the program have had extensive experience in training and mentorship and represent multiple disciplines relevant to AI, data science, and clinical domains.

Sally Baxter, MD, MSc

Sally Baxter, MD, MSc

(Principal Investigator / Program Director) Assistant Professor Division Chief for Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego

Linda M. Zangwill, PhD

Linda M. Zangwill, PhD

(Co-Principal Investigator / Program Director) Professor of Ophthalmology Research Director, Hamilton Glaucoma Center, Data Coordinating Center Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego

Virginia de Sa, PhD

Virginia de Sa, PhD

Professor in the Department of Cognitive Science, the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, and the Neurosciences Graduate Program Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute Associate Director UC San Diego

Garrison Cottrell, PhD

Garrison Cottrell, PhD

Professor in the Department of Cognitive Science,
UC San Diego

Bradley Voytek, PhD

Bradley Voytek, PhD

Associate Professor in the Department of Cognitive Science, the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, and the Neurosciences Graduate Program UC San Diego

Camille Nebeker, MS, EdD

Camille Nebeker, MS, EdD

Director, UC San Diego Research Ethics Program; Associate Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and UCSD Design Lab; Director, ReCODE Health

Samantha Hurst, PhD

Samantha Hurst, PhD

Project Scientist Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science UC San Diego



Alumni Testimonials: Internship Program


Anna Heinke, MD, PhD


I am very grateful and honored to be an Al-READI intern and NIH Bridge2 Al scholar. This has been a great year and experience, I learned a lot during this internship about how to conduct research, and collaborate in teams (team science). The educational curriculum and lectures were great organized and I learned a lot through them.

I also had an opportunity to work with renowned mentors, collaborate on interesting projects and learn from multidisciplinary teams. I am very grateful for this experience and I look forward to continue my work on AI/ML applications in ophthalmology research, digital health and to continue our collaborations in the future.

Charles Amankwa, PhD, MPH


The collegiality from faculty and colleagues was amazing. There was always an opportunity to learn from others.

Additionally, it provided me the chance to be proficient in python coding and understand deep learning which advanced my soft skillsets.

Monique Bangudi, MPH


This internship has been an amazing experience that has changed the trajectory of my career. It has led to begin working in clinical research full time.

If not for this program I would not have had the exposure to clinical research as I now do and would not be able to continue to explore this profession.

Shahin Hallaj, MD


I have personally advocated for this internship program at different centers, and I am grateful for all the opportunities and everything that have learned through this program. I will continue to be an AI-READI advocate.



Alumni Testimonials: Bootcamp Program


Lingling Huang, MD, PhD


Friendly faculty, fun and informative lectures, extremely helpful for beginners in Al research.

Apoorva Karsolia, PhD


Thank you for organizing such an amazing boot camp! The hand on sessions were definitely my favorite. Some of the lectures got a little too technical and were hard to follow but the professors did a good job conveying the main points.

Every time I read a paper on Al/ML, the terms softmax, ReLu, etc don't sound unfamiliar anymore. Thank you so much!



Group Org Chart

Data poster

Resources:


Our internship program is part of a broader Training Workgroup associated with the NIH Bridge2AI Initiative that includes other training programs as well. The links include additional resources such as lectures on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in biomedical research and education about ethical principles.



For More Information or Questions About AI-READI

please email UC San Diego program coordinator Victoria Patronilo



K12 Award Program

The overall objective of the NEI Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Program Award at UCSD is to develop outstanding clinician scientists to successfully compete at the national level for NIH grants and emerge as leaders within academic Ophthalmology. Through this institutional career development award, we will mentor clinician scientists toward independent academic appointments in ophthalmology.

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