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Connor Griggs |
The INBRE program is overseen by James Turpen, Ph.D., a professor in UNMC’s Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, and principal investigator of the $17.2 million National Institutes of Health grant that supports the program.
Established in 2001, the INBRE program was created to expose students to serious biomedical research, build a statewide biomedical research infrastructure between undergraduate and graduate institutions and to strengthen undergraduate institution’s infrastructure and increase its capacity to conduct cutting-edge biomedical and behavioral research.
The students, referred to as INBRE scholars, enter the program after completing their sophomore year of college upon recommendation by their college professors. The students are given a two-year scholarship and spend 10 weeks each summer conducting research on either their home campus or at UNMC, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln or Creighton University.
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At the end of the summer the students attend the INBRE annual meeting where they will give oral presentation.
Throughout the month, UNMC Today will introduce the INBRE scholars.
Today we feature Connor Griggs, a junior at Creighton University, majoring in biochemistry.
What should we know about you?
I have a pet snake.
What or who influenced your interest in science?
Bill Nye the Science Guy and (former INBRE student and friend) Zacariah Holmes.
What is it about science that excites you?
What excites me about science is being able to contribute to the accumulated knowledge of the human race. What we discover in our lifetimes will be passed down to future generations and that information can be used to find out even more!
Will you pursue a career in science? If so, what do you hope to accomplish?
I am unsure at the moment. If I do choose to pursue a career in science, I would like to contribute as much new knowledge as I possibly can to the world in order to improve the lives of others.
Why is it important to have programs like INBRE?
Education is one of the most important things in our lives, and it is one of the reasons why our great country has been so successful. Any program that gives opportunities to increase the knowledge of the world along with providing education opportunities is vital to the world.