Six undergraduate students from four Nebraska colleges and universities recently received the 2012 Richard Holland Future Scientist Award from the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures.
The students received cash prizes totaling $2,700 at the annual INBRE (Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence Program) conference on Aug. 8 in Grand Island.
The awards are named in honor of Richard Holland, an Omaha philanthropist and longtime supporter of research.
The students were judged in two categories representing oral and poster presentations of the research work they conducted this summer as part of the INBRE program.
The INBRE program is overseen by James Turpen, Ph.D., professor of genetics, cell biology and anatomy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Turpen is the principal investigator of the $17.2 million National Institutes of Health grant that funds the program.
Established in 2001, the INBRE Scholars program was created to expose students to serious biomedical research and build a statewide biomedical research infrastructure between undergraduate and graduate institutions.
The students, referred to as INBRE scholars, enter the program after completing their sophomore year of college upon recommendation of 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 the two summers they are in the program.
The award winners are listed below.
Oral
1st place – Lana Zholudeva – Creighton University
2nd place – Sean West – University of Nebraska at Omaha
3rd place – Kate Weskamp – Nebraska Wesleyan University
Poster
1st place – Kristine Ward – Creighton University
2nd place – Andrew Cannon – Nebraska Wesleyan University
3rd place – Rachel Coburn – University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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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