|
 Two Holy Cross students spent 10 weeks last summer as research assistants at the prestigious Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif.
Shant Manoushagian '06, and Dina Hafez '06, worked at the laboratory from June through the middle of August on ongoing research projects. Manoushagian, who hopes to become a doctor, helped research how different areas of the brain perceive color, motion, speed and direction.
"I thought this would be a great opportunity," he says. "I worked with some very brilliant and accomplished people. It felt good to be around such people, and I learned a lot."
Holy Cross alumnus Richard A. Murphy '66, Salk Institute president and chief executive officer, says the program was the first time the research laboratory enlisted interns from Holy Cross. The program was funded with a grant from the Institute and the Richard B. Fisher Summer Student Research Fellowship Fund. The students were paid $6,000 for benefits, transportation, food, housing and stipend.
Murphy says he established the internship with Holy Cross because he knew the school's students possessed "superb training and credentials." He also felt it was a chance "to say ‘thank you' to Holy Cross."
"One of the benefits to the students is that it gives them the experience of working in a first-rate lab," Murphy explains. "It also gives them a chance to work with leading scientists and cutting edge technologies."
Founded in 1960 by Jonas Salk, M.D., the Salk Institute is one of the world's leading independent non-profit institutions conducting basic science research dedicated to the improvement of human health. The Salk Institute was established with a gift of land from the city of San Diego and the financial support of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. The Institute's major areas of research are molecular biology and genetics, and the neurosciences.
The Salk Institute internship has complemented a research project Hafez is working on this semester at Holy Cross.
"The work I did and the skills I learned fit nicely with the work I'm doing at Holy Cross," Hafez says. "I gained competency in the lab that helps me work with the professor I'm doing research with."
Hafez worked with a scientist on breast cancer research and how receptor and cell communication proteins influence cell growth. She says that the researcher had been working on the project for some time and helped her always to keep the long-term goal in mind.
"She was a wonderful mentor," Hafez says. "She helped me understand the big picture."
The dedication of the Salk Institute researchers was inspiring to the two interns.
"The scientists told me that there are not many rewards in research," Manoushagian says. "It's rare that you make a great discovery, and research is not financially rewarding. Despite all of this they are still excited about the work they are doing."
Read more:
The Teams of Summer
The Teams of Summer, continued
Science magazine attests to vibrancy of research teams
Salk Institute Internships
Pillars of Success
Pillars of Success, continued
|
