LSUHSC awarded NSF grant for summer research experience for underrepresented undergrads

The National Science Foundation has awarded LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site grant in the amount of $295,635. The funding will support the training of undergraduates from diverse social and educational backgrounds, underrepresented in the sciences, especially from the New Orleans area. The project will provide students with training for 10 weeks during the summers of 2014-16. It will be led by Principal Investigator Dr. Fern Tsien, Assistant Professor of Genetics, along with Co-Investigators Dr. Alberto Musto, Assistant Professor of Research, Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, and Dr. Hamilton Farris, also a Research Assistant Professor in the LSUHSC Neuroscience Center.

Training will focus on research fields including genetics, microbiology, biochemistry, neurosciences, physiology, and pharmacology and will include one-on-one mentoring by faculty members from the LSUHSC Basic Sciences Departments and Centers on hypothesis development, experimental design, research methods, and scientific presentation skills. Students will learn how to conduct research and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Interactive workshops will include topics such as resume writing for graduate school applications and science career opportunities. Selection criteria include academic record, research interest, and an interest in a career in scientific research.

REU program alumni will be recruited to volunteer at partnering K-12 New Orleans schools during the academic year where they will explain biology and genetics to science classes and serve as role models to younger generations of potential scientists.

Provided by Louisiana State University