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 the development of new vaccines, the study of aging and diet, reproductive health, genetic disorders, and neuroscience.
The mentor lab’s focus is on finding ways to alter the extracellular matrix as a means to promote brain repair in patients with neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease). The aim of this project is to test the hypothesis that an extracellular matrix molecule called hyaluronan can influence the survival of vascular endothelial cells that make up the blood vessels of the central nervous system. Disruption of these cells contributes to vascular cognitive impairment, which contributes to cognitive changes in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease and multiple sclerosis.
The intern will utilize primary cell culture techniques, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, and quantitative RT-PCR. They will present data and activities at weekly lab meetings, and their final findings at a summer science symposium. By the end of the summer, the intern will have data to analyze, exploring how the extracellular matrix impacts brain vascular endothelial cells, revealing potential mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. This is a full-time, in-person internship, with the expectation that the intern will work at least 300 hours over the course of the summer.
The mentor believes that the best way to learn is through hands-on experiences mixed with ongoing interactions and discussions about concepts and challenges. They check in with students daily and give them opportunities to discuss their progress with members of the lab. They also feel that communication skills are very important in science, and give students many opportunities to practice telling stories about their experiments and findings.
To learn more, see this recent review article from the lab: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/5988
Students must be the minimum age specified by June 15. These age requirements are strictly enforced by the mentoring organization, and there are no exceptions. Applicants should be aware that on-site parking may be limited and/or unavailable throughout the summer; interns may be required to rely on public transit or alternative transportation.
We strongly encourage students to apply who are from one or more systemically and historically excluded groups, including but not limited to non-cis-gendered students, girls, BIPOC, first-generation college-bound students, low-income/low-resourced students, students with disabilities, students who are neurodivergent, and those who speak a primary language other than English.
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.