NIH Record - National Institutes of Health

Young Scientists Expand Their Ambitions

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Summer students gather with NIAMS leadership.
NIAMS summer interns are shown with Rick Phillips (front, second from l), NIAMS acting executive officer, and Dr. Robert Carter (seated, c) NIAMS acting director. At rear (l) is Dr. Robert Walker, chief, Career Development and Outreach Branch, NIAMS.

This past summer, the NIAMS Scientific Summer Student Program welcomed the next generation of budding scientists and physicians to the NIH campus. The program provided a training experience that both motivated and challenged the young students for their future careers. Many of the interns concluded their summer with a new outlook on the possibilities that are available to them in their journey in biomedical research.

“At the NIH, you quickly realize that the opportunities are boundless, the knowledge is seemingly infinite and the widespread commitment to improving health is outright inspiring,” said Tyler Kellenberger, a returning intern from the University of Florida.

The students also received individualized guidance and mentorship from top NIH scientists to help them shape their career goals.

“I had very encouraging mentors who advised, challenged and helped me excel as a young scientist,” said Rutha Adhanom, an undergraduate from the University of Maryland. “This invaluable research experience has been extremely beneficial for my future preparation and has taken my passion in biomedical research to the next level.”

This year’s diverse group of interns came from different regions of the United States. They were selected to participate in the competitive program based on their schooling and their proposed future contributions to areas of biomedical research keyed to NIAMS mission areas. 

The students spent their summer immersed in innovative biomedical research and participated in career development seminars, journal clubs, clinical shadowing and seminars with NIAMS scientific and clinical directors, among many other enriching activities.

The NIH Summer Internship Program provides outstanding training opportunities for high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical students. Students can apply online at https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip. The application for summer 2020 is now available.

The NIH Record

The NIH Record, founded in 1949, is the biweekly newsletter for employees of the National Institutes of Health.

Published 25 times each year, it comes out on payday Fridays.

Editor: Dana Talesnik
Dana.Talesnik@nih.gov

Associate Editor: Patrick Smith
pat.smith@nih.gov

Assistant Editor: Eric Bock
Eric.Bock@nih.gov

Staff Writer: Amber Snyder
Amber.Snyder@nih.gov