Student presents research during internship at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Posted August 19, 2016Communications and Marketing Department

GREENVILLE, Pa.—Morgan Murphy ’17 completed a competitive national summer internship program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at The Research Triangle Park in Durham, N.C.

As part of her internship, Murphy participated in a poster session where she presented a summer research project titled “Role of E.coli dgt Gene in Mutagenesis and dNTP Pool Regulation.” It was a continuation of the research she conducted at Thiel with Assistant Professor of Biology Sarah J. Swerdlow, Ph.D.

“As Morgan’s research adviser, I am very proud of her accomplishment of being accepted into this highly competitive program,” Swerdlow said. “Based on her poster presentation, it was obvious that she fully understood her project. This internship provided her with the opportunity to work with scientists from all over the world and gave her the experience of working at a national laboratory.”

The summer program provides internships to high school, undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing careers in the biomedical and biological sciences. The internship gives those students the opportunity to work on a research project that entails exposure to the latest biochemical, molecular and analytical techniques in a given field. Participants are selected by scientific mentors from the institute’s division of intramural research.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is one of 27 research institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mission of the institute is to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives.

Murphy, a biology major from New Castle, Pa., is a 2013 graduate of Shenango High School.

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Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.



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