2025 Winn CIPP cohort 4 at their symposium at Fred Hutch in Seattle

2025 Winn CIPP cohort 4 at their symposium at Fred Hutch in Seattle

This July, 66 exceptional medical students from across the United States gathered in Seattle, Washington, for the 2025 Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (CIPP) Symposium. Held at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, the weekend marked the culmination of a transformative six-week externship that placed these future physician-investigators at leading clinical research institutions nationwide.

The Winn CIPP, a flagship program of the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program, is designed to inspire and prepare the next generation of community-engaged clinical researchers. Funded by a coalition of committed partners — including the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Gilead Sciences, and Amgen— the program pairs medical students with expert mentors to explore how clinical trials can better reflect and serve all communities.

“The weekend marks the end of an important journey that our team feels very fortunate to facilitate,” reflected Desiree Vasquez, MNLM, CNP, Director of the Winn CIPP. “It is such an honor to be able to provide these transformative experiences to medical students from all across the United States, to connect them with top researchers and each other, and to – hopefully – inspire them to pursue community-oriented clinical research or ensure clinical trials are a part of their approach to caring for future patients.” 

The symposium opened with a Friday evening mixer on the beautiful Fred Hutch campus, where students had time to connect and begin building a national network of like-minded peers. Saturday morning kicked off with a warm welcome from Dr. Joy L. Jones, Executive Director of the Winn Awards. 

The morning continued with inspiring remarks from two of the program’s dedicated funding partners: Mason Chiang, PharmD, of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, and Amanda Beasley, PhD, of Amgen. Both leaders expressed deep enthusiasm for the students’ journeys and reaffirmed their organizations’ strong commitment to advancing participation in clinical research. Their support — and that of all the Winn Awards partners — continues to be instrumental as the program works to shape the next generation of clinical trialists.

Students then dove into two days of robust programming: keynote lectures, expert panels, interactive workshops, and reflection sessions that emphasized both career pathways and the human side of research.

Day one featured a keynote by Dr. Lucio Miele, Director of the LSU-LCMC Cancer Center, member of the Winn Awards National Advisory Committee, and host for Winn CIPP students. Through an overview of the history of medicine, Dr. Miele demonstrated how empathy has been a hallmark of both the field and the human condition that will continue to drive advances in science and care. Panels throughout the day explored clinical research careers, the road to residency, and effective community outreach. Students also participated in an elevator pitch workshop, to help the students communicate with clarity and confidence the impact of the research they worked on during the program. 

The program’s namesake, Dr. Robert A. Winn could not be physically present at this year’s symposium, but that would not keep him from the event. Dr. Winn joined the symposium via Zoom from the National Medical Association Convention in Chicago to share some words of encouragement and insights with the students and answer questions.

Saturday closed with a true celebration: a certificate and pinning ceremony, followed by an evening networking cruise aboard The Olympic on Seattle’s scenic waterways. With Mount Rainier and the Space Needle looming in the distance, students celebrated their accomplishments and made lifelong connections that will shape their careers.

Day two brought new energy with a keynote introduced by Dr. Christopher Li and given by Dr. Johnnie Orozco, a practicing oncologist at Fred Hutch who studies novel ways to make the transplantation of blood-forming stem cells safer and more effective. During his address, Dr. Orozco shared the urgent need for community-oriented studies, through examples from his own research. Students then participated in an extended pitch practice session and a moving patient panel, where individuals who have participated in clinical trials shared stories that brought the weekend’s themes to life. Their testimonies served as powerful reminders of the real-world impact of research.

Throughout the weekend, students had the chance to connect with peers from across the country, hear from nationally recognized leaders in medicine, and gain new tools for becoming changemakers in clinical research. 

This year’s cohort, now officially Cohort 4, reflects the Winn CIPP’s growing national network of students, mentors, and institutions working toward a shared mission: Better Science For All. Applications for Cohort 5 for the summer of 2026 will open in early November.

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Last Updated: August 7, 2025 / Categories: CIPP, In the News / Tags: /