Neurobiology Research Internships
at Boston Children's Hospital
Overview
If you are curious about the nervous system, please consider pursuing that curiosity in the F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center. We continuously seek to invigorate our research with new perspectives.
We are pleased to highlight a partnership between our center and Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC). Students participating in BHCC's Learn & Earn program conduct research in our labs and are given a customized curriculum in scientific and professional skills. Internships are paid through the generous support of the F. M. Kirby Foundation, the International Brain Research Organization, Boston Children's Hospital, and BHCC. Interns also receive college credit.
Prior research experience is not required.
We hope that this partnership acts as a model for future partnerships between our center and other institutions serving our talented local community.
Program Details
The Research Internship is a semester-long experience that pairs BHCC students with labs in the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center of Boston Children's Hospital. Each intern experiences how scientific questions are posed and pursued, whether those questions concern the nervous system's basic workings, diseases, or treatments. Interns have opportunities to make discoveries, hone skills, and gain colleagues. The internship has three main components:
RESEARCH PROJECT
Research is the primary focus of the program. Interns gain experience in the steps that lead from posing a scientific question to communicating the findings, whether the approach is experimental, computational, or theoretical.
Interns are immersed in their host labs, where they interact with the principal investigator and lab members. We encourage each lab to designate a mentor who provides day-to-day guidance and helps to ensure a meaningful research experience. Interns present their research in a poster session at the conclusion of the semester.
BOOT CAMP
Interns are oriented with a series of modules concerning neuroscience, laboratory skills, and practicalities like biosafety. This boot camp lasts about a week. It is operated by Kirby members as well as our partners in Workforce Development and Human Resources at Boston Children's Hospital.
WORKSHOPS
Customized, periodic workshops foster the scientific and professional development of our interns. Among the topics covered are science communication, critical reading of the scientific literature, and career development. Workshops are led by Kirby members and collaborators in other institutions of the Harvard system.
Kirby labs and their research interests may be found here. We are interconnected with communities that include Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and the Division of Sleep Medicine of Harvard Medical School. Thus, interns have opportunities to connect with the wider research community.
The Team
Directors
Michael Do
Kristin Driscoll
Michela Fagiolini
With gratitude to those who helped launch the program: Judith Steen, Elizabeth Engle, and Paola Matos-Ruiz.
Administrators
Karen Caballero
Amy Weinberg
These individuals have put extraordinary care into crafting effective experiences for our interns and volunteers.
Curriculum Developers
Yvanka de Soysa
Martine Therrien
Alicia Walker
Sarah Murphy
Curriculum Directors
Fall, 2021
Yvanka de Soysa
Martine Therrien
Spring 2022
Alicia Walker
Sarah Murphy
Tina Yang
Summer, 2022
Jill Falk
Sindhuja Gowrisankaran
Angelica D'Amore
Summer, 2023
Jill Falk
Sindhuja Gowrisankaran
Angelica D'Amore
Mentors
We are indebted to those who have served as mentors within host labs.
Fall 2021 and Spring 2022: Nickesha Anderson, Mustafa Hameed, Franklin Caval-Holme, Yvanka de Soysa, Kyle Higgins, Mark LaCoursiere, Arthur Lee, Philippe Morquette, Volha Shubina-Aleinik, Patric van Zalm, and Alicia Walker.
Summer 2022: Dario Figueroa Velez, Mustafa Hameed, Nate Hodgson, Patricia Awad, Sara Hakim, Mariel Seiglie, Erin Johnson-Venkatesh, Ilaria Barone, and Danilo Predes.
Summer 2023: Angelica D'Amore, Rasheen Powell, Nate Hodgson, Mustafa Hameed, Alexandra Hochstetler, Dharmendra Puri, Christopher LaCoursiere, Catherine Salussolia, Henry H.C. Lee, and Anastassiya Kokhanova.
Interns and Labs
Fall 2021
Kendra Morrison, Do lab
Ivan Santiago, Poduri lab
Jawahir Noor, Sahin lab
Carla Dos Santos, Stevens lab
Jason Saturno, Steen Lab
Spring 2022
Anna Kwon, Engle lab
Timothy Cha, Geleoc lab
Iman Cherif, Kreiman lab
John Colangeli, Rotenberg lab
Nitara Vishwanath, Do lab
Summer 2022
Adrianna Bethea, Lehtinen Lab
Tiffany Gosheff, Rotenberg Lab
Nevalee Hawkins, IDDRC Physiology and Behavior Core
Drew Nelson, Woolf Lab
Isabel Rodriguez, Umemori Lab
Melissa Roe, Lipton Lab
Zahraa Salloum, X. He Lab
Summer 2023
Abrielleliah Caze, IDDRC Physiology and Behavior Core
Cesar Orellana Aguilar, Rotenberg Lab
Courtney Chimamaka Obiajulu, Lehtinen Lab
Dagmawi Haile, Engle Lab
Jenna Russo, Poduri Lab
Jessica Schneider, Woolf Lab
Nicee Roger Zoyem, Sahin Lab
Teaching Volunteers
Special thanks to those who have taught in the boot camp and curriculum.
Fall 2021 and Spring 2022: Lauren Ayers, Yvanka de Soysa, Angelica D'Amore, Sara Hakim, Aakanksha Jain, Erin Johnson-Venkatesh, Audrey Kim, Tomasz Kula, Yisi Lu, Sarah Murphy, Veselina Petrova, Tammy Ray, Israel Robinson, Sandeep Satapathy, Erin Schoenbeck, Poppy Sephton-Clark, Alicia Walker, Dosh Whye, and Tina Yang.
Summer 2022: Aditya Gautham, Israel Robinson, Carl Nist-Lund, Hannah Blume, Ilaria Barone, Selwyn Jayakar, Rasheen Powell, Whitney Gibbs, Erin Johnson-Venkatesh, Isabel Haviland, Caitlin Green, Angelica D'Amore, and Leeyup Chung.
Summer 2023: Jill Falk, Lauren Miner, Katrin Wenger, Rasheen Powell, Tomasz Kula, Tiffany Berry, Huixin Xu, Takuma Sonoda, Hannah Blume, Isabel Haviland, Erin Johnson-Venkatesh, and Tobias Henke.
Contacts
BHCC Students
Please contact your institution's Learn & Earn representative for more information about this program.
You need not join the Kirby-BHCC internship program to be part of our community. Please reach out to Kirby labs that interest you. They may have internships of their own to offer. If so, let us know so we can try to involve you in program events (contact Michael Do).
Kirby Members
We welcome your involvement and any feedback you may have on how to improve the program further. Please contact Michael Do or Kristin Driscoll.