TRIPLL Graduate Research Internship
The Translational Research Institute on Pain in Later Life brings together social and behavioral scientists from Cornell University’s Ithaca campus with clinical researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine to conduct cutting edge research on later-life pain. TRIPLL offers a Graduate Research Internship (GRI) that provides post-baccalaureate pre-medical or pre-health students with an aging-related research experience. The GRI includes mentorship from Cary Reid, MD, PhD, Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Director of TRIPLL and the Office of Geriatric Research; members of Dr. Reid’s research team provide direct supervision of the interns.
The 2025 TRIPLL GRI will focus on two areas:
1) Research: Interns will spend approximately 90% of their time working on aging-related clinical research projects. Interns will conduct literature reviews, help staff recruit and interview study participants, assist with data entry and analysis, and contribute to manuscript writing. In the past, interns have worked on projects with and been mentored by faculty and staff members within the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine as well as our collaborators at Cornell University’s Ithaca campus, and local NYC community organizations. Interns will work on various research projects from early stage (e.g., study planning) to mid stage (e.g., participating in virtual team meetings) to the dissemination stage (i.e., writing up the results for publication).
2) Education and Clinical Observation: Interns will spend approximately 10% of their time engaging in experiential and didactic learning opportunities. Within the Division, interns will participate in Geriatrics-related grand rounds and seminars; in addition to supplementary training sessions regarding best practices when reviewing literature and engaging in other research activities. On-site interns will have the ability to shadow physicians in various aspects of our division (e.g., out-patient, palliative care).
Other Internship Activities
Interns participate in project meetings and at the end of the GRI, they will prepare and deliver a final presentation about their summer experience. In addition, interns are required to complete and submit monthly journal entries to supervising staff.
Qualifications
Pre-med (or other health-related discipline) post-baccalaureate or graduate students; interest in geriatrics and aging
To Apply for the TRIPLL GRI:
Send resume, cover letter, and 2-3 page writing sample to Patricia Kim (pak2020@med.cornell.edu). In your cover letter, make sure to discuss any past experiences in research and the reasons for your interest in the field of aging and pain in later life. Please choose a writing sample that reflects your overall writing skills; acceptable examples include research paper excerpts, reflection pieces, newspaper articles, etc.
Interns are expected to be available for a minimum of 7 hours/week (hybrid) for minimum of 6 months. No stipend is available, but we will work with the intern to receive a targeted to their interest internship.
Background about TRIPLL
The Translational Research Institute on Pain in Later Life (TRIPLL) is an NIH/NIA funded Edward R. Roybal center with a focus on chronic pain. TRIPLL was established in response to the plight of millions of older adults experiencing persistent pain, a costly and frequently disabling disorder in later life. Effective solutions to the problem of later-life pain require translating socio-behavioral and clinical research findings more rapidly into programs, practices, and polices targeting older adults. TRIPLL supports translational research in aging in the NYC area.
Mission
To improve the prevention and management of pain in later life, thereby increasing the health and well-being of older adults. This mission is accomplished by working towards the following goals:
- Build evidence-based pain prevention, reduction and management practices, treatments and interventions
- Extend research-based knowledge into diverse communities and disciplines
- Develop and translate research-based methods, tools and strategies that facilitate successful translation of evidence into practice
- Develop and maintain an effective infrastructure for conducting translational research on aging and pain in NYC