Medical Scientist Training Program

Dr. Lourdes Estrada, Professor of Biochemistry, serves as Associate Director of the MSTP. Dr. Estrada was raised in Puerto Rico, received her PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and completed her postdoctoral training in pediatric genetics at the University of Michigan. In 2004, Dr. Estrada joined the Vanderbilt Department of Cancer Biology to serve as Scientific and Education Officer for a multidisciplinary team of scientists in the NCI-funded Center for Cancer Systems Biology at Vanderbilt (CCSB@V). As a medical school educator, Dr. Estrada served as Co-Director of the Curriculum 2.0 Immersion Phase, a small group facilitator for case-based learning, a Portfolio Coach, and is now Assistant Dean for Health Equity Education for the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Dr. Estrada is responsible for the operational management of the MSTP including the overall management of student training, finances, scholarship, and alumni relations.  Dr. Estrada has been with the MSTP since 2016.