Watkins Mill Grad Chosen for Respected Science Internship
Bar Harbor, Maine—Kaitlin Laws, Watkins Mill class of 2005, has been selected to participate in this year’s installment of The Jackson Laboratory’s Summer Student Program. The prestigious program draws high school and undergraduate students to the coast of Maine for an intensive, hands-on learning experience. For ten weeks, Kate will study the genetics of reproductive biology under the guidance of a staff scientist.
In Senior Research Scientist Mary Ann Handel's lab, and with Fengyun Sun as her mentor, Kate will be contributing to the Reproductive Genomics Project. Specifically, she will work in the spermatogenesis sector of the project, and look for genes that determine male infertility. "The ultimate goal is to develop new forms of contraception," she explains.
Kate is currently approaching her senior year at Clemson University, where she is majoring in biochemistry. She hopes to obtain a Ph.D. in molecular biology, so this internship is invaluable preparation to her. “I will be able to learn molecular biology techniques, and also look at problems from a different perspective, which I can’t do at school,” she notes.
Kate joins 28 other college and high school students in this summer research opportunity. Their individual projects vary from genomics to development to bioinformatics. “I’m excited to be in a different part of the country and to meet people from different parts of the country,” Kate smiles.
Participants reside at Highseas, a nearby century-old mansion, and revel in the many opportunities that Mount Desert Island offers. Weekend camping trips, spontaneous hikes throughout Acadia National Park and a white water rafting adventure complement their time spent uncovering new data in the lab.
Since its inception in 1924, the Summer Student Program has led many students into the world of professional research. Eighty-percent of the program’s more than 2,200 alumni have gone on to successful careers in medicine or biomedical research. Two particular program graduates, Drs. David Baltimore and Howard Temin, received the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The summer interns are an integral part of the Jackson Laboratory’s operation, providing fresh perspectives and keen enthusiasm.
The Jackson Laboratory (www.jax.org) is a nonprofit biomedical research institution and National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center based in Bar Harbor, Maine. Its mission is to discover the genetic basis for preventing, treating and curing human diseases, and to enable research and education for the global biomedical community
Contact: Joyce Peterson, 207-288-6058
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