On May 28, the Nebraska Institutional Development Award Program (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program welcomed 29 undergraduate students from across Nebraska as they embark on their summer research experience at Creighton University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and UNMC.
Below Delaney Villarreal, a microbiology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, talks about her INBRE experience.
Tell me about yourself.
I am currently in my junior year at UNL, studying microbiology and biochemistry. Though I am very dedicated to my scholastic work, I also follow my interests in other areas, including music.
Who are your heroes?
I have many successful role models in my life, but I’ve always considered my mother to be my gold standard. If I can become half as skilled and selfless as her, then I will consider it to be a complete success!
What are your career goals?
Following my undergraduate degree, I plan to get both an M.D. and a Ph.D. in order to work on a problem from both the bench and bedside in order to better find translational treatments.
How did you become interested in science?
My dedication to science is truly a dedication to following my interests. Science to me is simply the work that gets me excited and makes me want to wake up in the morning.
What do you hope the INBRE program will do for you?
The INBRE program will give me access to a large network of highly-skilled professionals as well as numerous opportunities to learn and improve my own skills. This invaluable program gives students prolonged and in-depth exposure to science as a field, and promotes the progression into graduate school with their support and experiences.
How do you see science evolving over the next 20 years?
As sequencing technology develops, I can see treatments becoming highly personalized to each particular genome in order to provide more effective care for patients. Research already is moving at a breakneck pace. I cannot see this stopping or slowing in the coming years, and I am excited to be a part of it.
Go, Delaney Puff, Go! Do your stuff! Grandmas is about to burst her buttons!