Rob and Dana Smith Fund
at Harvard Medical School
Benefactor Report
January 2026
Table of Contents
01.
Dean Daley
Cover Letter
02.
Updates from the
Office of Student Affairs
03.
2025 HEART Program
Learn More
Learn More
04.
Thank You Page
Letter From
the Dean
George Q. Daley, MD, PhD
George Q Daley, MD, PhD | Dean of the Faculty of Medicine | Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine
25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115 | t: (617) 432-1501 | e: George_Daley@hms.harvard.edu
Dear Rob and Dana,
I’m pleased to share an update on the impact of your support through the Robert and Dana Smith Dean’s Fund for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Harvard Medical School. Your generosity strengthens student recruitment, leadership development, and mentorship, and provides opportunities for undergraduate students to explore medical research and clinical care.
This year, the Office for Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs (ORMA) realigned within the Office of Student Affairs (OFA) to enhance student support and community building. ORMA now reaches more students and advances its shared mission with OSA: to provide essential support, guidance, and resources that help students to thrive at HMS, and to create spaces where individuals from all backgrounds can connect, engage in dialogue, and learn from one another.
Thanks to your support, this year, OSA staff attended numerous medical school conferences and hosted events focused on networking, mentorship, and community expansion. These efforts help HMS attract talented students from all backgrounds and ensure they feel welcomed, supported, and prepared to become future leaders in medicine.
The Harvard/MIT Equitable Access to Research Training (HEART) MD-PhD Summer Program also welcomed its third cohort this summer. MD-PhD students organize and lead this 10-week, fully funded program in collaboration with HMS, MIT, and Harvard-affiliated hospitals. This year’s cohort included nine students from across the country who participated in hands-on medical research, clinical experiences, and individualized mentorship from both faculty and current MD-PhD students.
Your generosity empowers students from every background to excel as the next generation of leaders in medicine and health care. Thank you for your enduring commitment to the HMS academic community and for helping to build a more inclusive future in medicine.
With sincere gratitude,
Jan 2, 2026
OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Updates on Recruitment, Communuty Building and Student Support
Dakota Roundtree-Swain (they, them, thiers) expanded support for student clubs and affinity groups throughout the year. They led CAMP Harvard, a program designed for newly admitted students with a particular focus on those who identify as LGBTQ+, during admitted-students preview days. Open to all admitted HMS students, CAMP Harvard offered a welcoming space to connect with current students, faculty, and trainees and to learn about available resources.
Attendees consistently shared that the program helped them feel welcomed, supported, and better informed about the community and resources at HMS. Dakota also organized "Spill the High Tea," an English tea–time–inspired event held during the school year. This gathering offered a fun and relaxing space for LGBTQ+ students to network and strengthen community ties.
Students at the “Spill the High Tea” event
Over the past year, the recruitment team significantly expanded its efforts. Harpreet, Dakota, and their colleagues represented HMS at seven major medical student conferences—a threefold increase from previous years. These conferences included the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Latino Medical Student Association, the Association of American Indian Physicians, the National Institutes of Health, and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). At these events, the HMS team helps to demystify the medical school application process and connect directly with qualified candidates who may not have previously viewed HMS as an attainable option.
Recruitment and Outreach
Student club leaders at the “Passing the Touch” working dinner
Community-Building and Student Support
“Our presence at these conferences removes barriers to entry and gives students experiencing imposter syndrome the information and confidence to apply.”
Beyond recruitment, Harpreet strengthens the student community by organizing regular events that build connections and offer practical tools for professional success. This year, new and returning students, faculty, and trainees joined mixers that encouraged mentorship and peer support.
Harpreet also organized “Passing the Torch,” a working dinner that supports leadership transitions for student organizations. Such gatherings equip students with a better understanding of how to access faculty and staff support, secure funding, and plan inclusive student programming. Each event reinforces a sense of belonging within our diverse student body.
— Harpreet Singh, Assistant Director of Student Affairs
Harpreet Singh (right) and faculty advisor, Dr. Carlos Torres, MD '14 (left) tabling for HMS at a recruitment event
Students & Faculty pictured at networking mixers organized by OSA
The Harvard/MIT Early Access to Research Training (HEART) MD-PhD Summer Program is a student-driven, fully funded initiative dedicated to supporting undergraduates interested in careers as physician-scientists. MD-PhD students Simran Handa and Eana Meng, both AB '19, co-founded the program, which offers participants ten weeks of immersive research, clinical shadowing, professional development, and a robust peer and mentor network.
Research and Clinical Exprience
During the 2025 program, nine HEART Scholars joined laboratories at Harvard, MIT, and leading Harvard-affiliated hospitals, including Brigham and Women’s, Dana-Farber, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Each scholar conducted full-time research under the mentorship of accomplished principal investigators and presented findings at both the Leadership Alliance National Symposium and the Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) Symposium. Their research projects spanned a range of disciplines, including gene therapy, neuroscience, and cancer immunotherapy. The HEART program places a strong emphasis on clinical experience, offering scholars direct exposure to patient care and real-world clinical environments. HEART participants joined biweekly shadowing sessions in primary and urgent care clinics, working alongside teams that serve Boston’s uninsured and underinsured populations. They also completed medical simulation sessions that built hands-on skills and challenged them to apply classroom knowledge to real clinical scenarios. Post-program surveys show that nearly all participants described these experiences as both informative and inspiring, and they finished the program with greater confidence in pursuing their goals.
“I had an amazing time through HEART. I improved my knowledge of MD-PhD application processes and feel more prepared for a career as a physician-scientist. This has been one of the best summers, and I truly enjoyed learning from workshops, interacting with all the mentors, and getting to know my peers. As a student from an underserved background, HEART provided me with resources and opportunities that I would not have had elsewhere. I know I will pass forward what I learned from HEART within my community.”
— 2025 HEART Program Participant
Mentorship and Peer Support
HEART scholars attended two evening seminars per week focused on scientific communication and MD-PhD training, led by current MD-PhD students. A “Big Sib/Little Sib” mentorship structure included weekly check-ins and ongoing support throughout the summer. Scholars also met with the HEART and SHURP co-directors for personalized advice and additional support. The program also hosted social gatherings and team-building activities, including kayaking on the Charles River and a barbecue with the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD community, which helped scholars build friendships and strong networks of support.
Program Impact
HEART program alumni have earned major fellowships, including the Marshall and Gates Cambridge Scholarships; published in leading journals such as Nature, Cell Reports; and presented at national conferences. Several alumni have returned to Boston to continue research in their original HEART labs, while others found or expand access programs and clinics at their home institutions. Scholars consistently report that the training they received during the HEART program has been instrumental in their academic and professional growth, while fostering a deep sense of belonging and the confidence to pursue careers that bridge medicine and science. Because of your support, the HEART Program continues to uphold the values at the core of its mission: expanding opportunity, fostering inclusion, and preparing the next generation of physician-scientists who are dedicated to both excellence and empathy.
“I gained valuable insight into the MD/PhD application process through talking with Loren Walensky [Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program Director]. Loren is very passionate about his clinical practice, and his face lit up when he talked about his past patients, which was truly inspiring. I hope to become a provider like him.”
— 2025 HEART Program Participant
2025 HEART Scholars after a clinical session on intubation skills
2025 HEART Scholars after a dinner with Dr. Loren Walensky
2025 HEART Scholars grabbing lunch with Eana Meng, AB '19 PhD '29, one of the HEART co-Directors
2025 Harvard/MIT Early Access to Research Training (HEART) MD-PhD Summer Program Scholars posed in front of Gordon Hall
HEART Program Background
HARVARD/MIT EQUAL ACCESS TO RESEARCH TRAINING (HEART) MD/PHD SUMMER PROGRAM
“The resilience, gratitude, and drive demonstrated by our HEART Scholars continually remind us of the importance of mentorship and community. Their curiosity and determination have inspired us to stay motivated in our own research and clinical pursuits, and to remain mindful of the values that first drew us to medicine and science.”