Pipettes and possibilities: Mollie Nielsen’s SURP experience

Mollie Nielsen has had a natural curiosity about medicine for as long as she can remember.

Growing up, she was captivated by her father’s stories of using microscopes in his lab and his seemingly endless list of questions he was working to answer. His research findings and the sophisticated lab equipment he described sparked her budding interest in science.

Nielsen, originally from West Point, Nebraska, was finishing up her freshman year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha when she began to investigate ways that she could continue her education and hone her skills throughout the summer. This led her to investigate possible internship opportunities in the Omaha area.

As a biology major with a minor in chemistry, Nielsen was intrigued by the idea of working in health care but wasn’t necessarily interested in working hands-on with patients. Influenced by her father’s career as a microbiologist, she was drawn to research involving cells and disease work.

Nielsen continued to look for opportunities when something posted to UNO’s biology department website caught her eye. A 10-week research position that delved into the science and research behind everyday medicine.

While she didn’t have high hopes since this was her first year at UNO, Nielsen landed her internship at UNMC through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), specifically in internal medicine.

Now, her daily tasks include reading, research and note-taking. She meets with her internship mentor to discuss new techniques and concepts and then works independently in the afternoons, conducting experiments and collecting data. She is working on a project testing treatment option for acute lung injuries and developing novel drug carrier systems, focusing on testing cell viability and decreasing high levels of reactive oxygen species in the lungs.

“My biology and chemistry labs at UNO definitely have had a big impact on my success during this internship. Even though we were doing relatively small things, my bio lab was the first time I had held a pipette and even heard of one,” Nielsen said. “So, when I got here my first week and my mentor said, ‘Grab the pipette and measure 1,000 milliliters of this,’ I knew what to do because of UNO’s labs. I said to myself, ‘Oh, that makes sense. I know that.'”

The hands-on experience with advanced lab equipment has been a highlight for Nielsen. She has developed several new skills, such as advanced pipetting, cell culturing, material characterization and decoding scientific papers. Nielsen particularly enjoys the practical aspects of the internship, particularly working with the lab equipment and seeing meaningful results through her research.

“Mollie has made a significant impact through her internship by advancing the research on optimizing drug carriers for lung disease. Through these efforts, Mollie has contributed to the development of a promising drug delivery system that could enhance treatment options for lung disease,” said Bin Daun, PhD, associate professor in the UNMC Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Nielsen’s internship supervisor at UNMC. “Her work will aid in refining the synthesis process and selecting the optimal formulation for effective intratracheal delivery to the lungs.”

Participating in this internship through UNMC has significantly influenced Nielsen’s view of the health care industry. It has opened her eyes to the various roles within the field, beyond just doctors and nurses. She now sees the vast opportunities in research and feels more confident in her path toward a career in science.

“I know that research is often seen as just protocols and reading papers, but since I found this internship, I realized it’s much more than that. It’s the environment, who you talk to, and all the work being done behind the scenes that isn’t as well known,” Nielsen said.

Nielsen encourages other students to explore their options, talk to people in the field and not be afraid to switch majors or take classes outside their primary focus. She emphasizes the importance of gaining practical experience in a lab setting to understand the daily routines and environment of a research career.