My name is Hannah Hilgeman and I recently completed my sophomore year at Tulane. I am majoring in cell and molecular biology as well as English with a creative writing emphasis. This summer I will be a student research technician at Tulane’s Center for Translational Research in Infection & Inflammation. The laboratory I am interning in focuses on immunity in lung disease. I hope to achieve these five learning objectives during the course of my internship:
- To learn how to properly collect and prepare cell cultures and specimens for various experiments.
- To improve my knowledge of record keeping and maintenance skills.
- To enhance my familiarity with general laboratory operating procedures.
- To further develop my teamwork capabilities by working in a laboratory team setting.
- To improve my communication skills through timely and efficient communication.
NCI’s mission is to educate undergraduates for women’s leadership in the 21st century. Biological research is a heavily male-dominated field. I have personally witnessed the gender gap in scientific research through previous laboratory experiences. My internship will allow me to develop relevant lab skills and develop my leadership capabilities as a woman in science.
To prepare for my internship, I am familiarizing myself with the work of the lab I will be performing research in. I am watching videos of the experiments I will be doing. I am excited about my internship and cannot wait to see what new biological research techniques I will learn. I am also looking forward to performing research in conjunction with Tulane’s medical school, as I have not had the opportunity to work on a project with direct medical application.