The Oregon National Primate Research Center is a publicly funded research center supported by the National Institutes of Health. Its goal is to perform basic and translational research in non-human primates to help improve human health. Some of the areas of focus are development of new vaccines, the study of aging and diet, reproductive health, genetic disorders and neuroscience.
Pregnancy can be a precarious process—many clinical pregnancies do not lead to a live birth, without much medical explanation. The placenta is the first tissue formed from the embryo and is essential to the exchange of nutrients, gases, and waste between the pregnant person and the embryo. The placenta also performs important hormone production and immune functions that maintain the pregnancy. The Vrooman lab is investigating how different genes influence placental development using both mouse and monkey models.
The selected intern(s) will receive one-on-one training in basic mammalian female reproductive biology and responsible conduct of research from the principal investigator and laboratory staff. Their main responsibilities will be to assist staff in mouse colony management, data collection, data entry, and analysis. They will perform experiments such as semi-quantitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis to determine mouse genotypes and sex. They will perform microscopy and histological analyses, and fetal assessments, as well as help with various aspects of maintaining a laboratory. By the end of the internship, they will be able to give a short presentation about their role, and what the conclusions and limitations are of the project.
The mentor provides a safe environment and lab culture where asking questions is expected and encouraged. She expects mentees to have a general enthusiasm and motivation to participate and learn. This is a part-time internship, with the expectation that the intern will work at least 200 hours over the course of the summer.
Students must be minimum age specified by June 16. These age requirements are strictly enforced by the mentoring organization, and there are no exceptions.
We strongly encourage students to apply who are from one or more systemically and historically excluded group, including but not limited to, non-cis-gendered students, girls, BIPOC, first-generation college bound students, low-income/low-resourced students, students with disabilities, who are neurodivergent, and those who speak a primary language other than English.
This internship will be taking place in-person, as permitted by Federal/State/Local/OHSU/ONPRC guidelines. To reduce the risks of coronavirus exposure, mentors and interns will act in accordance with applicable COVID guidelines and procedures. Selected applicants will be required to review and sign a waiver agreement.
Please note: OHSU policy states that applicants must have received current and up-to-date vaccines for both Flu and COVID-19 (given after September 12, 2023) and have them recorded in Enterprise Health, or they must submit a declination form for the Flu or COVID vaccines in Enterprise Health. Applicants receive access to Enterprise Health during their onboarding. Applicants who decline to receive Covid-Flu vaccines must adhere to OHSU guidelines for the prevention of infectious disease.
If you have any questions about the application, website technical issues and/or this position description, please contact Saturday Academy at ase@saturdayacademy.org. Do not contact the mentor directly. Contacting the mentor directly is grounds for disqualification of your ASE application.