Twenty-eight students from nine different undergraduate and community college programs have joined the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program.
The INBRE program is overseen by James Turpen, Ph.D., 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 the infrastructure of undergraduate institutions to increase their 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.
Each undergraduate school nominates approximately three students a year for the program. Once in the program, the students are given two-year scholarships worth $11,000. The scholarship provides students with $2,500 during each of their next two undergraduate years and $3,000 during each of their next two summers. During the school year, the students conduct research on their home campuses. During the summers, the students have the option of staying on their home campus or coming to UNMC, UNL or Creighton University and conducting research.
The students' last day in the lab is Aug 3. On Aug. 6-9, they will give oral presentations at the INBRE annual meeting in Grand Island. The presentations recap their 10-week summer experience.
Here is a list of the scholars in alphabetical order by hometown:
GERING: Randi Hughes
GRAND ISLAND: Samantha Miitchell
GRETNA: Kelsey Stark
LINCOLN: Daniel Cloonan, Nikolas Duszenk, Mary Hernandez, Kaitlin Weskamp
OMAHA: Joseph Christensen, Schuyler Dougherty, Emmalee Fosburn, Ischel Gonzalez-Kelso, Megan Gunderson, Elizabeth Hutfless, Tanner Johnson, Gloria Larson, Taylor Mighel, Alexander Stock, Megan Uehling, Sean West, Ben Wicks, Lyandysha Zholudeva
NORFOLK: Mitchell Chlopek
NORTH PLATTE: Zach Wordekemper
TURNBULL: Derek Kleier
WAHOO: Henry Hrdlicka
WAYNE: Nicole Mckenna, Carrie Brown
LUDELL, KAN.: Tia Hadley
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.
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