Biochem Major Lands Prestigious NIH Internship
During her on-site interview for a summer internship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), junior biochemistry major Amanda Sugrue spoke in depth about her current research – a kinetic study that examined an enzyme found in beef heart.
In a stroke of luck, the interviewer, Dr. Sameer Isaaq, is studying the same enzyme and the role it plays in kidney cancer.
“I had done a 50-page paper on my research,” says Amanda. Last month, she learned that she will be paired with Dr. Isaaq for a 10-week summer internship, Introduction to Cancer Research, at the NIH’s Urological Cancer Research Branch, where she will be trained in basic cancer research techniques.
“I’ll be doing cell cultures using molecular biology techniques to understand the role of metabolic pathways in kidney cancer,” explains Amanda, who’s been interested in cancer research since high school. She is one of just 14 undergrads nationwide accepted into the prestigious NIH internship program. Additionally, she received the Cancer Research Training Award, which provides a stipend, including housing.
March 28, 2019
