INDIVIDUALS AFFILIATED WITH W&J
The following individuals are willing to host a W&J student intern during the
summer and/or January Intersession. (Note that this does not guarantee that there
will be projects available for any specific January or summer.)
The exact nature of each internship varies. Only highly motivated students with strong
academic records and a strong work ethic should apply.
Students must seek financial support for these internships if the individual’s
institution does not have a sponsored internship program or the individual does
not have funds available from their research grants.
Possible sources of internship funding include:
W&J College’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Grant
W&J College’s Merck Internships for Excellence in Science program
The Edwin M. Linton Endowment for internships at the Marine Biological
Laboratory at Woods Hole
W&J College’s Franklin Internship Awards
W&J College’s Magellan Project (Geary, Walker, and Kelso Awards)
The individual’s research funds (ask the individual if they can support you on their research
grant)
National organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) or the National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
Professional societies such as the Ecological Society of America (ESA), American Society for
Cell Biology (ASCB), the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB),
the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), or the American Chemical Society (ACS)
Students should begin investigating these internship opportunities as early as
possible.
To apply for an internship with one of these individuals:
-
Identify individuals with whom you would be interested in working.
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Contact Dr. DeBerry for additional information concerning this individual’s laboratory,
internship availability, and writing an inquiry letter.
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Write an inquiry letter expressing your interest, past research and related experience,
career goals, etc. Show your draft to a faculty member for their suggestions.
-
Send your revised inquiry letter to the researchers you have identified to determine
whether they will have space and a project available in their laboratory.
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Once you have found a host laboratory, work with them to write a research proposal and
complete any application materials required (including any official internship application
procedure at the host institution).
-
Read the recent primary literature (research articles) published by this lab to familiarize
yourself with the individual's research. Ask faculty members to help you understand the
literature if there are terms and/or concepts with which you are unfamiliar.
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Ryan Adam
Corporate Recruiter, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., 333 Baldwin Road, Pittsburgh,
PA 15205
Focus: Environmental consulting
José R. Almirall, Ph.D.
Director, Forensic Science Graduate Program and Associate Director, International Forensic
Research Institute, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Florida International
University, Miami, FL, 33199
Focus: Forensic techniques, especially analysis of trace evidence
Erin Livengood (Chemistry ‘03) did an internship there in Intersession 2003
Denah Appelt, Ph.D.
Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19131
Focus: Biology of aging: she is currently investigating connections between Chlamydia
pneumoniae and Alzheimer's Disease
Jon Zahler (Biology ’02) did an internship there in Intersession 2002
Jonathan Arias, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop
Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250
Focus: Identification of gene regulatory networks of plant transcription factors that
control response to infection, wounding, and stress.
Pete Passcuzzi (Biology '97) worked with Dr. Arias studying transcriptional factors in plants
Alistair Barber, Ph.D.
Department of Ophthalmology, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, 500 University
Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
Focus: Neurodegeneration in diabetic retinopathy, focusing on how diabetes
compromises synaptic organization, neurotransmission, structure, and function of neurons
in the retina
Jonathan Benstead
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Box 870206, 1124 Bevill Building,
201 7th Ave., Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487
Focus: The role of coupled cycles of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in food webs
and ecosystem-level processes, with an emphasis on cave ecosystems.
Albert Berrebi, Ph.D.
Sensory Neuroscience Research Center, West Virginia University School of Medicine,
Morgantown, WV 26506
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Focus: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of organization of neuronal
microcircuits in the central auditory pathway
Tom Biksey
Director of Risk Assessment, EHS Support, 311 Crabapple Drive, Washington, PA 15301
Focus: EHS Support is a consulting firm that provides environmental, health, and safety
services to business and industry clients and specializes in identifying potential or actual
environmental liabilities and preventing or correcting them. Specific tasks performed by our
risk assessors include: development of sampling designs to obtain representative
environmental media concentrations at points of exposure to human and ecological
receptors; statistical analysis of the environmental sampling data to develop exposure point
concentrations; fate and transport analysis including exposure uptake and food web models;
research of the toxicological endpoints used to evaluate the exposure and intake dose;
characterization of the potential risks including uncertainty analysis and risk perspective.
Georgia A. Bishop, Ph.D.
Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, School of Biomedical Sciences,
Columbus, OH 43210
Focus: Developmental neurobiology, specifically synaptic roles played by corticotropin
releasing factor (CRF) during development and in the adult cerebellum
Brian Johnson (CMBiology ’02) worked with Dr. Bishop during Intersession 2001
Kenneth J. Blank, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Focus: The genetic regulation of host-virus interactions that occur during infection with
retroviruses
Christine Beattie, Ph.D.
Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH
43210
Focus: Genetic and molecular analysis of motor axon outgrowth during
development and disease using zebrafish as a model system
Anthony Brown, Ph.D.
Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH
43210
Focus: Using live-cell fluorescence imaging techniques in combination with molecular,
biochemical and ultrastructural approaches to investigate the movement of
neurofilaments and other cytoskeletal proteins in cultured nerve cells
Craig Cameron, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 201
Althouse Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802
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Focus: RNA Polymerases and RNA-binding Proteins in Viral Infection and
Mitochondrial Disease
J. Patrick Card, Ph.D.
Center for Neuroscience University Pittsburgh (CUNP), Department of Neuroscience,
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Focus: Functional organization of neural circuits involved in the control of
behavioral state and autonomic function and characterization of the invasiveness
of neurotropic alpha herpesviruses
Katie Davis (Psychology ’04) did an internship there in January 2004
Diane Carlisle, Ph.D. (B.A. W&J College 1996)
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Focus: Lung diseases caused by second-hand smoke, and developing novel therapies
(particularly stem cell therapies) for these diseases
Students who have interned in the Carlisle lab include: Stephanie Rellick (CMBiology ’04);
Rachael Werner (CMBiology ’09); Katie Ryan (CMBiology ’10); Jamey Butala (GBiology &
Psychology ’12); Raelynn Forsyth (CMBiology ’12).
Robert Colvin, Ph.D.
Neurobiology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH
45701
Focus: Molecular pathways of zinc influx and efflux in neurons, subcellular
compartmentalization of zinc in neurons, and zinc homeostasis in Alzheimer's
Disease
Wyatt Cross, Ph.D.
Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
Focus: Food web dynamics and ecosystem ecology: linking species to whole-ecosystem
material fluxes, and examining effects of altered carbon and nutrient regimes on freshwater
ecosystem structure and function.
William Cruikshank, Ph.D. (B.A. W&J College 1977)
Boston University Medical Center, The Pulmonary Center, Boston, MA 02118
Focus: Signal transduction mediated by interleukin 16 (IL-16) and its role in
inflammatory diseases such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. Cruikshank is a W&J alumnus and is particularly interested in students who would like to
continue their internship research projects at W&J, under the joint supervision of Dr.
Cruikshank and a W&J faculty member.
Nick Zane (CMBiology & English ’03) did two internships in the Cruikshank lab; Bo Harstine
(CMBiology ’11) and Patrick Memari (CMBiology ’12) also interned there.
Mary E. Davis, Ph.D.
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Department of Physiology & Pharmacology,
Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center,
West
Virginia University,
Morgantown, WV 26506
Focus: Mechanisms of toxicity of chlorinated environmental contaminants,
interactions among drinking water disinfection by-products, and the role of cardiovascular
control mechanisms in kidney toxicity
Linda Deegan, Ph.D.
The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
Focus: To understand the relationship between ecosystem dynamics and animal
populations, combining the ecosystem perspective of energy and nutrient flows with
traditional population and community dynamics
Josh Hopp (CHM ’04) and Talia Hughes (GBiology ’10) interned in the Deegan lab.
NOTE: Students who are interested in internships with Dr. Deegan must first
contact Dr. March for more information.
Courtney DeVries, Ph.D.
Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH
43210
Focus: Effects of social stress on the histological and behavioral consequences of
experimental stroke (focal cerebral ischemia) in mice; the role of stress hormones in
motivated behaviors such as social bonding and drug-seeking behaviors
Saara DeWalt, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634
Focus: Field research on the island of Dominica in the Eastern Caribbean, specifically:
impacts of hurricanes on rain forest composition and structure, and restoration
ecology, examining patterns of regeneration of native forest after natural and
anthropogenic disturbance
Bonnie McGill (GBiology ’06) worked as a research associate with the DeWalt lab on
Dominica from Summer 2006 – Summer 2007
NOTE: Students who are interested in internships with Dr. DeWalt must first
contact Dr. March for more information.
Stephen E. DiCarlo Ph.D.
Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
48201
Focus: mechanisms of cardiovascular control and arrhythmia suppression
Lynn Dyster, Ph.D. (B.A. W&J College 1980)
Vice President, Drug Discovery, Kinex Pharmaceuticals, Buffalo, NY 14203
Focus: Developing next-generation anti-cancer drugs that target the molecular basis of
disease by generating compounds that inhibit protein kinases and protein
phosphatases; also developing therapies for immunomodulatory diseases
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Dr. Dyster has hosted the following students while they did internships at the HauptmanWoodard Research Institute, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Kinex Pharmaceuticals
in Buffalo, NY: Marijo Bilitski (BCH ’08), Kam Lam (CMBiology ’07); Matt Varacallo (BCH
’09); Elaina Sendro (BCH ’09); and Evan Lutton (CMBiology ’12)
NOTE: Students who are interested in internships in Buffalo facilitated by
Dr. Dyster must first contact Dr. DeBerry for more information.
Drew Ferrier, Ph.D. (B.A. W&J College 1975)
Department of Biology, Hood College, 401 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, MD 21701
Focus: Freshwater ecology, including the use of aquatic macroinvertebrates as
indicators of water quality and effects of acid rain on stream ecosystems
Ada Gray Griffin
Center for Coalfield Justice, 184 South Main Street, Washington, PA 15301
Focus: Outreach, education, and regulatory affairs concerning the effects of coal mining
on the environment and human health.
“January internships with CCJ would entail gathering and transcribing interviews with
regional scientists working in the environmental sciences for an oral history project on
the historic and potential impact of energy extraction on the ecology of Western
Pennsylvania and its neighbors.
Summer internships will involve hands-on experience monitoring streams and
watersheds in Washington and Greene Counties to advance the process of
determining environmental impacts on water quality and microinvertebrate
species and determining the probable causes for these changes. The students will learn
how and be expected to place and maintain water monitoring devises; they will collect, log
and extrapolate data using established data processing systems. Finally, the students will
learn to import data provided by area watershed groups and other data collectors into a
Geographic Information System and publish reports utilizing maps that will be published on
the CCJ website, in the annual SWPA Watershed Atlas and by local media partners.”
Durland Fish, Ph.D.
Yale Vector Ecology Laboratory, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School
of Medicine, 60 College Street, PO Box 208034, New Haven, CT 06520
Focus: Epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens, landscape epidemiology of
zoonoses, population regulation and biogeography of arthropod vectors, including
large-scale field study of tick-borne pathogens in the United States
Olivera Finn, Ph.D.
Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Focus: Human tumor specific immunity: specifically, using human tumor antigens MUC1
and Cyclin B1, and transgenic mouse models that express these antigens and develop
cancer, to test vaccines designed to induce anti-cancer immune responses in the
mouse models.
Brian Moore (CMBiology ’03) interned there in Summer 2001 and Summer 2002; Nick Tyger
(CMBiology ’12) interned there in Summer 2010
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Kerin Fresa-Dillon, Ph.D. (B.A. W&J College 1979)
Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19131
Focus: Effect of age on infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae in mice; the host
immune response. Chronic infection by this organism may be a factor in the pathogenesis
of a number of non-respiratory diseases including Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis,
multiple sclerosis, and cutaneous T cell lymphomas
Dr. Fresa-Dillon is a W&J alumna. She would prefer students who are interested in pursuing
careers in osteopathic medicine.
Dr. Fresa has worked with W&J students Janel Foster, Ben Lewin, Diane Carlisle, Jon Zahler
(CMBio ’02), Francis Burt (CMBio ’02), Taylor Eddens (BCH ’11), and Ian Kohler (BCH ’13).
Taylor Eddens did an Independent Study with Dr. Fresa-Dillon and Dr. Alice Lee, and was
awarded the Trelka Prize for Original Research and Honors in Biology.
James C. Garrison, Ph.D.
Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville,
VA 22908
Focus: The interaction between two major G-protein coupled receptor signaling
pathways in the cell membrane, one utilized by Gi linked receptors to activate
hematopoietic cells and another used by Gs linked receptors to inhibit inflammation
Elizabeth Gettig, M.S, C.G.C.
Director, Genetic Counseling Program, Graduate School of Public Health, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Focus: The process of genetic counseling, genetic education, clinical service delivery,
and the role of community service in patient care
Rachel Steinberg (CMBiology ’02) and Liz Jenkins (CMBiology ’04) did internships with Ms.
Gettig.
Henry Gewurz, M.D.
Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Rush Medical School, Chicago, IL 60612
Focus: Innate immunity, inflammation, and the acute phase response
Joseph C. Glorioso III, Ph.D.
Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
15261
Focus: Molecular and genetics aspects of herpes viruses, specifically: 1) latency and
neurovirulence, 2) viral envelope glycoprotein-receptor interactions during virus
attachment and entry, and 3) development of HSV as a gene transfer vector
suitable for treatment of nervous system diseases such as cancer,
neurodegenerative conditions, and auto-immune brain diseases such as multiple
sclerosis
Kelly Felmet did an internship there during Summer 2000.
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William F. Goins, Ph.D.
Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
15261
Focus: Regulation of herpes simplex virus gene expression in infected neurons
Amanda Boehm (Biology & English ’02) did two internships in the Goins lab.
Brett Goodwin, Ph.D.
Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202
Focus: Spatial ecology of individuals, populations and communities in fragmented
landscapes, including organism movement behavior, census of populations and
communities in habitat fragments, analysis of remotely sensed data using GIS, and use of
individual-based simulation models
Anthony Grace, Ph.D.
Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Focus: Experiments combine electrophysiological recordings of identified neurons with
behavioral and neuroanatomical techniques to study central dopaminergic systems, with the
ultimate goal of determining the neurobiological correlates of mental disorders and
the modes of action of psychotherapeutic drugs.
Mary Patton (Psychology ’10) interned there during Summer 2009 and is currently
employed as a research assistant in the Grace lab.
Daniel Graziano, Ph.D.
Spectra Genetics, 2403 Sydney Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Focus: Biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of
technology for the molecular analysis of gene and transcript sequences, using
tagged genes and Peptide Mass Signature Genotyping (PMSG) for analyzing nucleic acids
extracted from tumor samples
Gerald Grunwald, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University,
Philadephia, PA 19107
Focus: Analysis of cadherin cell adhesion molecule expression, structure and
function during developmental biology and pathogenesis of the eye using cell
biological, immunological, biochemical and molecular genetic approaches
Nicole Bosley (CMBiology '01) did an internship in the Grunwald lab in Summer 2000.
Alison Hall, Ph.D.
Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland, OH 44106
Focus: Understanding how neurons develop and respond to tissue injury
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Robert O. Hall, Jr., Ph.D.
Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071
Focus: Ecology of streams and rivers, including biogeochemistry, production ecology,
and food webs
Graham Hatful, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Focus: The molecular genetics of mycobacteria, evolution of bacteriophage, and
mechanisms of DNA recombination.
Janice Lee (Biology '96) worked with Dr. Hatful over a period of three years; Andy Lepisto
(Biology ’98) also interned in the Hatful lab.
Scott L. Hooper, Ph.D.
Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, 107 Irvine Hall, Ohio University,
Athens, OH 45701
Focus: Rhythmic neuronal activity and its role in sensory processing, motor pattern
production, and attention
Dan Hornbach, Ph.D.
Environmental Studies Department, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
Focus: Freshwater mussels in the St. Croix River, MN and WI, especially freshwater mussel
conservation efforts and the relationship between changing land-use patterns and
the long-term health of mussel communities
Brandon Sansom (GBiology '11) interned there in Summer 2009 and Summer 2010.
NOTE: Students who are interested in internships with Dr. Hornbach must first
contact Dr. March for more information.
Carl Hubel, Ph.D.
Department of OB/GYN and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine and Associate Investigator, Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
15261
Focus: Women whose pregnancies are complicated by preeclampsia and the connection
to increased risk for cardiovascular disease in later life; endothelial progenitor stem
cells and repair of blood vessels in preeclampsia
Erika Beam (GBiology '11) interned there in Summer 2010.
Daniel Johnston, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
Focus: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of synaptic integration and long-term
synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, and its role in learning, memory, and epilepsy
Gilbert J. Kersh, Ph.D.
Activity leader, Q fever Laboratory, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control
9
and Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333
Focus: Q fever, a disease caused by infection with Coxiella burnetii, which is acquired by
inhalation of endospores or contact with body fluids from cattle, sheep, goats and other
domestic mammals.
Ashley Kondas (CMBiology ’11) did an internship there in Intersession 2011.
Alan L. Landay, Ph.D.
Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Rush Medical School, 1653 West Congress
Parkway, Chicago, IL 60612.
Focus: Defining the role of the thymus in the immune system during HIV infection,
and manipulating this for new therapeutic strategies
Michael Liebman, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Windber Research Institute, Windber, PA 15963
Focus: Women’s health, cardiovascular disease, and aging
“WRI collects, classifies and stores biological samples, and processes and analyzes
them at the cellular and molecular level to identify DNA, RNA and proteins that are
dysfunctional or inappropriately expressed. Advanced computational, biological
and bioimaging techniques are utilized to determine how genes and proteins affect
disease development and progression. The information is utilized in disease
management and also for development of new drugs and vaccines.”
Specific programs include: tissue banking; bioimaging, microscopy and cellular
informatics; high throughput analysis of gene and protein expression; mass
spectrometry analysis of biomolecules; and bioinformatics.
Dawn Stein (CMBiology & English ’04) and Brian Moore (CMBiology ’03) interned at
Windber. Contact Dr. Lee for more information about internships at WRI.
Robert F. Massung, Ph.D.
Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), Atlanta, GA 30333
Focus: Tick-borne pathogens
Joshua Courtney (CMBiology & English '01), Jill Montgomery (CMBiology ’02), Brooke Helfer
(CMBiology ’04), and Emily Lapkowicz (GBiology ’04) have done internships in the Massung
lab.
Dana McTigue, Ph.D.
Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair, The Ohio State University Medical Center,
Columbus, OH 43210
Focus: role of adult progenitor cells after CNS injury or disease
Gary Meszaros, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of
Medicine, Rootstown, OH 44272
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Focus: Cellular aspects of diabetic cardiac remodeling, focusing on an animal model
of type I diabetes and how the heart is able to respond to a myocardial infarction
Christine Milcarek, Ph.D.
Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Focus: Regulation of heavy chain immunoglobulin RNA processing, the
development of immunological memory during B-cell development, and gene
regulation by polyadenylation.
Brad Sobolewski (Biology '00) interned in the Milcarek lab.
Penny Miller, Director
Oglebay’s Good Zoo, Rt. 88, Wheeling, WV 26003
Focus: Care and training of zoo animals, public education and outreach
Kelly Holupka (CMBiology '10) and Jamey Butala (GBio ’12) have interned at the Good Zoo.
Charles Mitchell, Ph.D.
Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
27599
Focus: Community ecology of infectious diseases, using viral and fungal pathogens that
infect grasses and other plants as a model system. Current research seeks to answer three
major questions: 1. What determines which host species will function as a reservoir of
pathogen transmission, spreading infection to other host species? 2. What determines the
species diversity of pathogens and other microbes within a host individual? 3. What is the
role of pathogens in competition between native and invasive species? Projects use a
combination of field surveys and experiments, mathematical models, bioinformatics
analysis, and greenhouse and lab experiments.
Christopher Neill, Ph.D.
The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
How human activities alter the structure of ecosystems, including ecological
consequences of deforestation of the world’s largest tropical rainforest in
the Brazilian Amazon, and ecology and restoration of terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems in coastal Massachusetts.
Randy Nelson, Ph.D.
Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH
43210
Focus: Effects of interactions among the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems
on inflammatory disorders including Seasonal Affective Disorder, cardiovascular
diseases, dysregulation of fever, cancer, and stress disorders
Gary D. Niehaus, Ph.D.
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Department of Physiology, Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine, Rootstown, OH
44272
Focus: The role of macrophages in pulmonary microvasculature injury during Acute
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and in scar formation on the cornea when the eye
is wounded
David Provenzano, M.D.
Institute for Pain Diagnostics and Care, Ohio Valley General Hospital, 5 Heckel Road,
McKees Rocks, PA 15136-1694
Focus: Pain diagnosis and therapy, including advanced procedures such as epidural
steroid injection, radiofrequency lesioning, spinal cord stimulation, vertebroplasty, or
intrathecal drug delivery for cancer patients
Luke Nicholson (CMBiology ’12), Evan Lutton (CMBiology ’12), and Mike Lieberman (BCH
’13) have done research with Dr. Provenzano.
NOTE: Students who are interested in an internship with Dr. Provenzano must first
contact Dr. DeBerry for more information.
Alonso Ramirez, Ph.D.
Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00931
Focus: Tropical stream ecology, specifically: the role of fauna in the function of aquatic
ecosystems, including food webs and trophic interactions; the metabolic processes in rivers,
including primary production, respiration and carbon exportation; taxonomy of algae and
insects inhabiting tropical ecosystems; and understanding the effects of human activities on
hydrologic resources and aquatic ecosystems
NOTE: Students who are interested in internships with Dr. Ramirez must first
contact Dr. March for more information.
Philip Raskin, M.D. (B.A. W&J College 1962)
Clinical Diabetes Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at
Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390
Focus: Clinical aspects of diabetes. Interns would get an overview into clinical research,
including: how to do patient evaluations; preparation of regulatory documents for clinical
studies; participation in diabetes-related conferences; and management of databases for
clinical studies.
Matt Pihlblad (Biochemistry ’04) did an internship there in January 2004.
Raymond Roberge, M.D.
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL), Pittsburgh, PA 15236
Focus: The NPPTL is part of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) of the CDC and conducts research on innovative technologies for respiratory
protection, sensors for personal protective technologies, human performance, and personal
protective equipment, including clothing for first responders that provides improved
protection against chemical and biological agents
Amy Rosemond, Ph.D.
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Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
Focus: Effect of variation in landscapes on aquatic ecosystems, with an emphasis on
variation due to human modification
NOTE: Students who are interested in internships with Dr. Rosemon must first
contact Dr. March for more information.
Ken Schmidt, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409
Focus: Ecology of Information: how organisms acquire information to manage their daily
lives of finding food, avoiding predators, selecting habitats, etc., and its significance for
populations, communities, and ecosystems
James Sheil, Ph.D.
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences
Center, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506
Focus: How cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize and respond to foreign
antigens such as viruses, bacteria, and tumor antigens.
Chad Sethman (Biology '98) did an internship with Dr. Sheil.
Kathryn Sieving, Ph.D.
Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
Focus: Conserving and restoring forest biodiversity, especially songbirds, in disturbed,
fragmented, and otherwise human-dominated landscapes in historically forested biomes:
specific topics include ecology of avian nest predation; behavioral landscape ecology
of forest birds; and integration of bird conservation and sustainable food
production
Dr. Contreras collaborates with Dr. Sieving: contact him for more details on research in the
Sieving lab.
Gary Silverman, M.D., Ph.D. (B.A. W&J College 1978)
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, One Children's Hospital Drive, 4401 Penn
Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Focus: Characterizing serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins) in normal tissue,
squamous cell carcinomas, and model organisms including C. elegans and M.
musculus
Dr. Silverman is a W&J alumnus. He is most interested in hosting students for Intersession
and then having them return to the lab for a three-month summer internship.
NOTE: Students who are interested in an internship in the Silverman laboratory
must first contact Dr. DeBerry for more information.
Jaime Fornsaglio (CMBiology '98), Dave Rometo (CMBiology ’02), Diana Dutra (CMBiology
’05) Justin Smith (Biochemistry ’05,) Serena Pace (GBiology ‘06), Chris Edwards (CMBiology
’06), Rica Howarth (CMBiology ’07), Bethany Almquist (GBiology ’08), Christina DiCarlo
(CMBiology ’08), Eric Davis (CMBiology ’08), Erin Bargerstock (Psychology ’08), Deanna
Miller (Biochemistry ’09), Amanda Spector (CMBiology ’09), Karlee Hoffman (CMBiology
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’09), Dan Springer (Biochemistry ’10), Matt Drakeley (Biochemistry ’10), Sharon McCray
(Biochemistry ’11) and Brad Class (CMBiology ’12) have done internships there.
Several students have done independent studies and Honors projects in conjunction with
the Silverman lab (with Dr. DeBerry as on-campus supervisor): Justin Smith as BCH500 and
BCH501 projects with Dr. Silverman and Dr. DeBerry during his senior year for Honors in
Biochemistry; Eric Davis (Biology ’08) as BIO500 during his senior year; Karlee Hoffman
(CMBiology ’09) as BIO500 and BIO 501 in her senior year and for Honors in Biology.
Dennis J. Slamon M.D., Ph.D. (B.A. W&J College 1962)
Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Director for Clinical Research, Jonsson
Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Focus: Developing new treatments for breast and ovarian cancer and identification
of women at high risk for breast cancer. Dr. Slamon is the developer of the breast
cancer drug Herceptin, an antibody to an erb B growth factor receptor.
NOTE: Students who are interested in an internship in the Slamon laboratory must
first contact Dr. DeBerry for more information.
Gina Bernardo (CMBiology '03), Liz Kinsella (CMBiology ’06), Alex Leckie (Biochemistry ’07),
Amanda Steinberger (GBiology ’08), Tyler Frew (CMBiology ’10) and Luke Nicholson
(CMBiology ’12) have done summer internships in the Slamon lab.
Theodore F. Taraschi, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University,
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Focus: Plasmodium falciparum parasites, specifically: parasite protein trafficking
pathways from intracellular parasites to the erythrocyte cytosol and host cell membrane;
hemoglobin uptake and transport by intraerythrocytic parasites; characterization of
parasite DNA repair pathways
Darin Trelka, M.D., Ph.D. (Psychology, ‘92) completed his doctoral research in this
laboratory in 1998. David Braun (Biology '00) did a summer internship in the Taraschi lab.
Richard Ulevitch, Ph.D.
Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550
North Torrey Pines Road,
La Jolla, CA 92037 Focus: Molecular mechanisms of the response of the innate immune system to
infection, specifically identification of cell surface receptors that recognize products
of microbial pathogens, and elucidation of intracellular signaling pathways
responsible for transmitting information from the cell surface to the nucleus.
Bruce H. Wainer, M.D., Ph.D.
Program in Neuroscience, Laboratory for Brain Science, Emory University School of
Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
Focus: Mechanisms of signal transduction and control of gene expression that lead
to neuronal differentiation
Garret Cooper (CMBiology & Psychology ’03) did internships there in Summer 2001 and
Intersession 2002.
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David Walters, Ph.D.
US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave, Building C, Fort Collins,
CO 80526
Focus: Field food web studies of energy and contaminants flux between aquatic
and terrestrial ecosystems; mesocosm (experimental water enclosures) studies of
chemical transformations.
Matt Whiles, Ph.D.
Director, Middle Mississippi River Wetlands Field Station, Department of Zoology and Center
for Ecology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901
Focus: Ecology and management of tallgrass prairie streams, large river floodplain
ecology, ecological consequences of declining biodiversity in tropical streams,
ecological roles of invertebrates and amphibians in freshwater systems, and stream
and wetland restoration ecology.
Justin Wright, Ph.D.
Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
Focus: Understanding the causes and consequences of changing biodiversity. Current
projects examine links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, effects of
invasive grasses on nitrogen cycling in riparian wetlands, latitudinal gradients in
forest succession, and the effects of controlled burns in longleaf pine ecosystems.
Sam Wu, Ph.D.
Department of Ophthalmology, Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
77030
Focus: Neurophysiology of the visual system, specifically: using microelectrode, patch
clamp, and optical recording techniques in conjunction with immunocytochemistry,
fluorescent dye injection, and confocal and electron microscopy to study synaptic circuitry
mediating visual information processing; gene regulation of retinal function and
eye disorders in genetically manipulated mouse models by using electroretinogram (ERG),
patch clamp recording, immunocytochemistry, and molecular biological techniques;
mechanisms of neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma
Dr. William Sheers collaborates with Dr. Wu; contact Dr. Sheers at wsheers@washjeff.edu
for more information.
June Yun, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of
Medicine, Rootstown, OH 44272
Focus: Signaling and regulation of 1-adrenergic receptors, G protein-coupled
receptors involved in cardiac contractility, growth, and disease
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