A Summer Devoted to Science—Senior Jacob Rosales Participates in a Prestigious Internship at the National Institutes of Health

posted August 22, 2016 



Senior Jacob Rosales ’17 discovered his love for science just as he was beginning his high school career at Red Cloud Indian School. Dreaming of a career in biology, he absorbed as much as he could through his classes. When he heard from his friends about a summer internship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), he became curious about what the experience could teach him about a career in medicine and decided to apply.

This summer, Jacob spent eight weeks in a lab at NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA) working alongside some of the world’s top scientists seeking breakthroughs in the fight against Parkinson’s Disease.

For Jacob, being able to support potentially lifesaving research opened his eyes to a new side of himself.

“On my first day in the lab I remember putting on my lab coat and I really felt like one of the scientists. I was working with a lot of really important figures in the field—people who have done so much to improve our understanding of genetics. It was really inspiring and, suddenly, it really felt like home,” he said.

For most of the last decade, Red Cloud students and graduates have participated in summer programs at NIH that offer promising youth the opportunity to work at the highest levels of biomedical research. Researchers at NIA are international leaders in the fight against diseases often connecting with aging, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Summer interns explore possible careers in the biomedical sciences as they work side-by-side with world-renowned scientists to support their ongoing research.

After arriving in DC and settling in with his host family, Jacob began his NIA internship. He was paired with his mentor, Dr. Monia Hammer, a prominent figure in the field of neuroscience and genetic research. Jacob spent the first few weeks working through practice research problems to hone his skills. Then, he began actively supporting Dr. Hammer’s research, studying gene mutations that can dramatically increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s.

“I focused on working with data on genetics from Dr. Hammer’s experiments. Essentially, I studied the DNA from a family in Greece that has a very high incidence of Parkinson’s. Dr. Hammer has been working with her team over the last few years to figure out why this family is so susceptible to the disease. I helped to first measure the DNA in her samples, then put them through a number of machines that amplify and clean the DNA, and finally, produced and reviewed graphs to verify whether certain mutations exist in the gene Dr. Hammer is studying,” explained Jacob. “Working with her was such an honor. She is so well-known for her contributions to the field. It was a humbling experience and I learned so much.”

Being in a lab at NIH deepened Jacob’s knowledge of scientific research methods, but he says it also fostered in him skills that will help him outside the lab as well.

“Building relationships and communicating with colleagues, maintaining contact throughout the summer, learning how to network—I know how important all of that is when you’re trying to build a career in the research field, and those are some of the most valuable things I learned this summer,” said Jacob. “But I also learned how to have fun while contributing to this field. Researching is great, but having a good time while doing it makes it even better.”


READ MORE!

Red Cloud Student and Graduate Speak at Rapid City’s first TEDxYouth Event

 

Renovations Bring New Life to Volunteer Housing

 

Third Annual Lakota Language Summer Camp Continues to Grow and Inspire


← BACK TO NEWS


Photos © Red Cloud Indian School