Ashley Griffin (left) and Virginia Baker
This summer, two Delta State University students, Virginia Baker and Ashley Griffin, were selected as part of a group of only 34 students in Mississippi to participate in a biomedical research internship through Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Research Scholars program.
Students in the INBRE program work with researchers throughout the state to conduct biomedical research. This practical experience provides students with a skill set and knowledge base which will help them as they further their educational career and their research.
“The Mississippi INBRE Research Scholars program provides our students with real-world, hands-on research experiences,” said Dr. Glen Shearer, INBRE program coordinator. “Our students engage in cutting-edge research in some aspect of biomedicine, and thereby, become a part of the worldwide enterprise to discover and disseminate new knowledge,” said Dr. Glen Shearer.
Baker and Griffin spent the first week of their internship at The University of Southern Mississippi learning laboratory basics and safety techniques. They were also able to hear from professionals about graduate programs, résumé and interviewing tips, and presenting at professional conferences.
After completing this training week, students began working with mentors to complete the remaining 10 weeks of their internship. Baker will be spending her summer in the lab of Dr. Nathan Hammer at the University of Mississippi. Griffin will be working in Dr. Kedra Wallace’s lab at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
“Along with their research activities, our students begin to build their professional ‘people network’ – some of whom will be life-long colleagues and mentors,” added Shearer.
Both Baker and Griffin have aspirations to further their careers in research and medicine to be of service to their home state of Mississippi. Following the internship, they will have several opportunities to present their research, further expanding their professional network and marketable experience.
Mississippi INBRE, directed by Dr. Mohamed Elasri, a professor at The University of Southern Mississippi, is a statewide program that is supported by an award from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences. Their mission is to enhance the biomedical foundation in Mississippi and to reach out to Mississippians in order to improve health throughout the state.
The program seeks to engage talented researchers and students in biomedical research projects that will increase the state’s research competitiveness, as well as impact the health of citizens of Mississippi.
For more information about Mississippi INBRE, visit msinbre.org.
