INBRE welcomes its youngest scholar to the program

Crystal Vander Zanden has accomplished more than most youth her age.

The 15-year-old has graduated high school, completed two years of college and is spending her summer participating in the INBRE program.

“I love to problem solve and figure out how things work. When I was younger I was interested in how the human body worked,” INBRE participant Crystal Vander Zanden studies under Jack Morris, Ph.D., a plant virology said Vander Zanden, a junior at Doane expert at UNL. College in Crete, Neb. and build a statewide biomedical research Vander Zanden, who has been reading since UNMC welcomes 26 infrastructure between undergraduate and age 3, often spent hours reading a medical graduate institutions. encyclopedia when she got bored. new INBRE Scholars The students, referred to as INBRE scholars, “It fascinated me to read about all the things This year brings an eclectic group of INBRE enter the program after completing their that are going on inside of our bodies,” she scholars to UNMC, Creighton University sophomore year of college and upon the said. Medical Center and the University of recommendation of their professor. -Lincoln to learn about biomedical Vander Zanden was referred to the program research. Once in the program, the students are given by INBRE faculty associate and Doane two-year scholarships worth $11,000. The College professor, Andrea Holmes, Ph.D. The mix of students includes one of the scholarship provides students with $2,500 youngest ever to enter the program, an during each of their next two undergraduate She is assigned to the lab of Jack Morris, expectant mother and a psychology major years and $3,000 during the summers. Ph.D., an expert in plant virology at the who would like to be a dentist. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Students conduct research on their home Established in 2001 in Nebraska, the campuses during the school year, but during There she will conduct research to confirm Institutional Development Award Program the summer, they have the option of staying earlier findings that show how a plant’s (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research on their home campus or going to UNMC, immune system is triggered. Excellence (INBRE) program, which is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln or overseen by James Turpen, Ph.D., professor Creighton University to conduct research. “I hope this experience will help me become of genetics, cell biology and anatomy more comfortable in a lab environment and at UNMC, is funded by a $17.2 million The students’ last day in the lab is July 31. make connections with other researchers,” National Institutes of Health grant. On Aug. 3-6 they will give oral and poster Vander Zanden said. presentations of their work at the annual The scholars program was created to expose INBRE meeting in Grand Island. students to serious biomedical research

majoring in chemistry at UNK. undergraduate faculty. NIH grant to The students come from nine undergraduate institutions and two Sen. Ben Nelson has been a longtime benefit students community colleges – the University advocate of IDeA and led the effort of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of to increase funding for the program, Nebraska at Omaha, the University which supports INBRE. His efforts led to across Nebraska of Nebraska at Kearney, Creighton an increase of $5 million to the IDeA University, Nebraska Wesleyan University, program in fiscal year 2009. The National Institutes of Health recently Doane College, Chadron State College, awarded its largest grant in Nebraska Wayne State College, College of St. “Dr. Turpen is a national leader in the history to a program aimed at producing Mary, Western Nebraska Community area of science workforce development, more scientists in the state. College and Little Priest Tribal College. and his having merited the largest NIH grant in Nebraska history is a testament A significant portion of the grant goes “The Nebraska INBRE has created to the value of this outstanding senior to provide scholarships to the best and opportunities for students throughout scientist. It’s an honor for his department, brightest students from Chadron to the state to develop interests and skills his college and his university to claim Omaha. Because of this grant, these in biomedical research and health Jim as a colleague,” said Thomas students will have the opportunity to professions,” said NCRR Director Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for pursue careers in biomedical research. Barbara Alving, M.D. “The success of this research. network is evidenced by the fact that 75 The $17.2 million NIH grant supports the percent of its graduates pursue careers in “The success of the INBRE program, and INBRE program at UNMC and is funded the fields of science.” the guidance of Dr. Turpen and UNMC through the Institutional Development in bringing this program to Nebraska is Award Program (IDeA) Networks of “The confidence the NIH has in the proving to be an important ingredient in Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) success of the INBRE program in our efforts to strengthen and develop the and comes from the National Center for Nebraska is evident,” said Harold M. biotechnology industry in the state,” said Research Resources (NCRR), which is a Maurer, M.D., UNMC chancellor. Richard Baier, director of the Nebraska division of the NIH. Department of Economic Development. “Dr. Turpen’s leadership has taken this “The goal of the INBRE program is to program to new heights and given create a statewide biomedical research the faculty and students a platform on infrastructure that provides research which to build their biomedical research opportunities for undergraduate students careers,” Dr. Maurer said. and serves as a pipeline for those The Nebraska INBRE is funded through students to continue into graduate “This speaks volumes about our a grant from the National Center for Research Resources, a division of the research,” said Dr. Turpen, principal researchers, their talents and the National Institutes of Health. investigator on the grant and a professor collaborative relationships they have built of genetics, cell biology and anatomy at with the undergraduate institutions in the Director: Program coordinator: Jim Turpen, Ph.D. William Chaney,Ph.D. UNMC. state,” he said. [email protected] [email protected] “The INBRE program has been the So far 148 undergraduate students have Grant coordinator: Editor: impetus on this campus for research participated in the program. Of those, Penni Davis Lisa Spellman change. We have had tremendous 30 percent have gone to graduate [email protected] UNMC Public Affairs growth in undergraduate research,” said school, 30 percent have entered 402.559.3316 402.559.4693 Kim Carlson, Ph.D., associate professor professional school and 15 percent of biology at the University of Nebraska are in the scientific workforce in some Participating Ph.D.-granting institutions: at Kearney. capacity. University of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “The monetary support from the program This is the second time the grant has has allowed us to purchase equipment, been renewed since the program was Participating undergraduate institutions: create new lab space and buy supplies. established in 2001. The first renewal the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Without INBRE we would not have been was in 2004 for $16.9 million. University of Nebraska at Omaha, the able to do any of these things,” Dr. University of Nebraska at Kearney, Carlson said. Creighton University, College of St. Mary, While the students who participate in the Nebraska Wesleyan University, Chadron INBRE program are provided stipends, State College, Doane College, Wayne “The INBRE program has given me a funding also helps support several state- State College, Little Priest Tribal Col- chance to experience research at the of-the-art core facilities, such as the lege and Western Nebraska Community undergraduate level. It has given me DNA microarray facility at UNMC used College. opportunities I feel like I would otherwise by researchers and students around the not have had,” said Becky Fusby, a junior state, and supports the research of 24 2 INBRE scholar pursues a higher calling

Alzheimer’s crept into Natalie German’s life like a thief in the night and robbed her. Not of her memories, but of someone she loved.

Natalie’s grandfather, Clarence Nelson, suffered with the disease for five years. It was tough on German and her family to watch him slowly slip away, mentally Natalie German works in the lab of her mentor, Creighton University professor Julie Soukup, and physically. “We would visit him every Ph.D. Sunday at the nursing home, but it wasn’t the grandpa I remembered,” German said. of neurology and an affiliate member of Soukup, Ph.D., a biochemistry professor at the department of biological chemistry Creighton, doing research in ribonucleic Watching her grandfather suffer with and molecular pharmacology at Harvard acid (RNA) biology. Alzheimer’s gave German the resolve to agreed. pursue a career in scientific research. Dr. Wolfe said that although German’s Ideally, the recent college graduate said, “The INBRE program not only gave her research in Nebraska was in a different she would like to study the mechanisms real world experience, it prepared her for area the two made an instant connection that precipitate the onset of Alzheimer’s one of the top biological and biomedical because a new line of investigation in his and the progression of the disease. sciences Ph.D. programs in the world,” Dr. lab involves the study of the role of RNA Wolfe said. in Alzheimer’s and other related dementias. German, who graduated in May from Creighton University, will do just that in “INBRE was the key to helping me get into “Natalie struck me as a very enthusiastic, the biological and biomedical sciences more biological-related research,” German knowledgeable and poised student, who program at . She is said. “Before that I was doing organic I have every confidence will do very well one of only 57 students accepted into the chemistry-related research.” in our biological and biomedical sciences program. Ph.D. program at Harvard Medical Her experience in the program also gave School,” he said. INBRE she said gave her the confidence German the confidence to apply to schools and skills she needed to apply to the like Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Yale. German’s grandfather would be proud. program. Mike Wolfe, Ph.D., professor German worked in the lab of Julie 2009 Honors and Awards Creighton University in physics; induction into Sigma Pi Sigma, Meg Marquardt – Physics department National Physics Honor Society. UNMC outstanding research in physics award. McKenzie Jarecki – nominee, Barry M. Marko Jovic, Ph.D. - (one of the first INBRE Natalie German - College of Arts & Goldwater Scholarship. scholars who started in 2002), Thomas Sciences senior award (the highest award Kelley Wanzeck – Creighton University Jefferson Ingenuity Award for 2009. given by the college); Honors Program Research Day, best undergraduate poster – Dean’s Award, induction into Phi Lambda basic sciences category; Creighton University University of Nebraska at Kearney Upsilon, National Chemistry Honor Society; Presidential Mentoring Scholarship; Creighton Austin Nuxoll - inducted in UNK’s Creighton University Clare Boothe Luce University Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship Sigma Xi: the Scientific Research Society/ Scholarship for Women in Science; winner for Women in Science; Creighton University honorary; received an “outstanding” on his national Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship; nominee, USA TODAY All-USA College poster presentation at the Sigma Xi national American Chemical Society Undergraduate Academic Award; nominee, Barry M. meeting. Award in Analytical Chemistry; president Goldwater Scholarship. Becky Fusby - inducted in UNK’s Sigma Creighton College of Arts and Sciences Juliane Soukup, Ph.D. - INBRE faculty Xi: the Scientific Research Society/honorary Student Senate; student representative, associate – Creighton University College (the youngest person ever inducted into the Creighton University President’s Strategic of Arts & Sciences award for professional chapter); selected as a UNK Undergraduate Planning Task Force; student representative, excellence in scholarship; nominee, Research Fellow for spring 09. Creighton University College of Arts Creighton University Research Award; chosen & Sciences Dean’s advisory group on as a representative from Creighton to be Nebraska Wesleyan University undergraduate research; American Institute nominated for Carnegie Foundation U.S. Richie Nelson - awarded “best oral of Chemists Award; department of chemistry Professors of the Year award; grant reviewer, presentation by a Tri Beta member” distinguished academic achievement award; National Institutes of Health SBCA study at the West Coast Biomedical Science graduate fellowship to . section. Undergraduate Research Conference at Point Loma Nazarene University. Timothy Smith - physics department award for outstanding scholarship and research 3 New grant proves We now have graduated our first Ph.D. Our scientists also have applied for student who started with the first cohort of stimulus funding made available through program’s success, INBRE scholars and several more scholars the American Recovery and Reinvestment invites new challenges are nearing completion of their degrees. Act.

I am very pleased We have added new faculty on several We have received an award to extend that the Nebraska of our campuses which broadens the our pipeline to the high school level by INBRE grant has research opportunities available for their providing research opportunities to high been renewed for undergraduate students. school teachers and students and we have another five years. three additional funding requests pending We have added a new campus, the -- two in work force development and one The renewal reflects College of Saint Mary, to our network pilot project. the hard work that resulting in the expansion of our INBRE has taken place on scholars program. These initiatives have involved faculty at all of our campuses both our undergraduate and research The IDeA Program has awarded a campuses. and the numerous James Turpen, Ph.D. contributions made new COBRE, the Nebraska Center for by the faculty, staff and students over the Nanomedicine, and we already have The competitive renewal represents past five years. placed two INBRE scholars with scientists in recognition of our successes over the past this program. five years and provides us with new and The success of this project is a result of the challenging opportunities. team effort and the research community We are hopeful that we will be able to we have built over the years and I sincerely work with the Nebraska recipient of the We must build on our past successes and want to thank everyone who has been NCRR supported Clinical and Translational continue with our forward momentum as involved. Science Awardee once funding becomes we help develop the research capacity available. for the colleges and universities here in As we move forward, I believe we will Nebraska. continue to grow and be successful and This initiative will provide opportunities for take advantage of new opportunities as interested faculty and students to become Congratulations to all of you who have

they become available. involved in translational research. made this program such a success.

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