NE-INBRE program offers real world experience undergrad seeks

Talking about breast cancer was always taboo in Mary Morris’ family, whose maternal grandmother was affected by it.
 
But the inquisitive chemistry major wanted to know more.
 
"I wanted to break it down and desensitize it from, 'this is something we don’t talk about' to 'I know how this works and I know how it could be fixed'," Morris said.
 
So, after getting accepted into the NE-INBRE program as a 2018 INBRE Scholar, Morris chose to study breast cancer in the lab of Rakesh Singh, Ph.D., a professor of pathology and microbiology in the UNMC College of Medicine.
 
Dr. Singh’s lab focuses on cell signaling, in particular recognizing the relationship between the breast cancer tumor microenvironment and the human immune system.
 
"Learning more about breast cancer from a scientific standpoint has been informative," Morris said.
 
The NE-INBRE program does a great job of pairing students with labs that not only pique their interest but that are challenging and promote growth, Morris said.
 
Dr. Singh, she said, genuinely cares about the students and what they learn, as well as helps them discern what they want to accomplish.
 
The Sweetwater, Texas, native heard about the NE-INBRE program through her science program at the College of Saint Mary, where she is a junior.
 
She presented her research on the role of IL-17 in breast cancer therapy resistance and metastasis during the annual conference in August.
 
The experience, she said, is a good primer for what she wants to eventually do, which is to pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry and teach high school or college chemistry.
 
Taking part in the research and presenting her findings at a scientific conference, she said, is something she can share with her students someday.
 
"Having that real-world experience, is a big reason I joined INBRE," Morris said.