The InvestiGators gives UF undergraduate students of many diverse disciplines the opportunity to practice good research procedures, foster friendships and share knowledge under the guidance and direction of Dr. Peggy Borum. Over the years, we have grown into a group of about 40 individuals on three interconnected teams: the Carnitine, Gator and KetoGator Teams.

The InvestiGators is mainly devoted to research, teaching and service. Members learn proper research technique, effective organization and analysis of data, patient interaction, and animal experimentation. Our primary investigator, Dr. Borum, who is an experienced researcher and professor, serves as our teacher and mentor. The organization serves the community in many ways. Directly, we have an impact on patients' lives, educate them about and promote healthy lifestyles. Patients and their families come from all over Florida and even from outside the state to attend our clinics. Indirectly, we gather knowledge in order to improve the treatments of various populations afflicted with medical maladies.

However, we are also a student organization. We have learned to create structure in order to maintain our standards. We promote a sense of volunteerism in our members while also emphasizing interpersonal qualities and building connections.

Overall, the InvestiGators represents a form of "value added" education in that we learn far more than what is taught in the classroom. We offer real world experience to undergraduates much earlier in their academic careers. The earlier experience allows for far more opportunities during an individual's educational pursuit. The InvestiGators Research Honor Society strives to maintain standards of scientific research used in research labs around the world. We are indeed a case where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. For example, as a group we have the ability to handle large scale projects such as clinics and piglet experiments.

To learn more about us and our research, please follow the links above for each of the individual teams.