Research Opportunities
Each year the Center for Global Health, in partnership with generous donors and the Center for Global and Career Education, is able to sponsor summer research internships for pre-health students. Experiences include laboratory and public health research that both give students career-defining opportunities and provide a competitive edge to medical and graduate school applications.
The CGH has ongoing relationships with the following medical organizations, and placements at these sites occur regularly.
Discover what our students have to say about their experiences.
“With this internship, I hoped to learn about what having a job in research entailed. I originally thought that I would simply be acting in a support capacity shadowing a research experiment. However, when I got there,I learned that I had my own experiment to carry out. This experience really clued me into what the life of a researcher is really like. I found that there is never a dull moment. There is always more research to be done and another angle from which to attack your project.”
–J.P.Dongo ‘20
Eric Nicholson ‘17 is published in the journal Nature for his past summer research at BIOTEC.
“Coming to the lab to work every day, I found joy in this routine, and thus this experience helped me confirm my desire to pursue a career in academia. Moreover, the seminars taught me about many options for a research-oriented job. I am now more confident to take time to explore the available options.”
– Nguyen-Anh Nguyen ‘21
“My time at the Schwaderer lab was a fulfilling experience in which I was able to explore my academic interests and to gauge what a potential PhD in immunology would be like and how valuable a medical degree can be in translational research. I was also able to develop and test out my science communication skills through presenting my project at the end of the program as well as make meaningful connections with the people I interacted with.”
– Abduselam Awol ’19
“It has been a great experience working at the VA as I found what kind of job and working environment I would like to look for in the near future. I learned my love of doing clinical research, which required reliability and a lot of interaction with participants. Moreover, this internship gave me an opportunity to feel gratitude for those who sacrificed their lives for the country.”
– Lobsang Palmo ’20
“Prior to this experience, I had very little interest in research. I knew bench research wasn’t for me but that I still wanted to engage in something meaningful outside of directly interacting with patients. This summer I not only learned about the breadth of public health research and what it takes to be a good investigator but also how I can be a better clinician in the future.”
– Brittney Chong ‘21
The project I worked on is an innovative telementoring program designed to create virtual communities of learners by bringing together healthcare providers and subject matter experts using videoconference technology, brief lecture presentations, and case-based learning. I worked on facilitating COVID-19, HIV, and cancer ECHO sessions. I enjoyed learning how to communicate effectively with coworkers, supervisors and healthcare providers through email and Zoom while staying at home. I also got the chance to learn from specialists discussing topics related to HIV, cancer and COVID-19.”
– Yazid Barhoush ‘21
“This summer changed the way I think about my future so much. First of all, I really felt like I became a part of this research, a part of the whole team. During the first half of the 10 weeks, I learned a lot of laboratory skills suitable for the lab project, like using the software ImageJ to quantify retinal ganglion cells in the mouse retina, doing cell culturing, dissecting the mouse retina from the mouse eyes, conducting the staining protocol using biological markers, and learning to use the confocal microscope. In the second half of my internship, I developed my own study with Dr. Meredith Gregory Ksander and Research Associate Anitha Krishnan.”
– Khoa Nguyen ‘20
“Working at Harvard was nerve-wracking; you are surrounded by the best of the best in a particular field. However, my supervisors, Meredith and Bruce, are some of the nicest people I have met. Honestly, I made a lot of mistakes while doing experiments in my first month there. Nevertheless, they never made me feel that it was my fault when something went wrong. They gave me an opportunity to try new things, and it was okay if it failed.”
– Malvika Dua ‘20
“I learned that there are so many other professions apart from doctors and nurses in the hospital that are important in the effective treatment of patients and the improvement of health. This experience has enlightened me on the numerous options I can explore in the medical field.”
– Leonora Akporyoe ‘19
“Through working at the Center for the Urban Child, being immersed in a hospital setting, and living in the city I was serving, I gained a better understanding of the importance of screening for and addressing social determinants of health. From the multipronged approach St. Christopher’s has developed to address food insecurity (FI), I learned the necessity of providing community resources and assistance for positively screened patients.”
– Minhwa Choi ‘19
In addition to Earlham-sponsored research, students are encouraged and supported in applying to competitive biomedical and public health research and internship programs across the country. Recent acceptances include the Mayo Clinic, NIH, University of Washington, Harvard University, MIT, New York University, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Keck Graduate Institute, Emory University, University of Nebraska Medical Center, and UC Davis.