Student Takes Part in Prestigious Research Internship

Over the summer, sophomore Sarah Joseph had the opportunity to learn as part of a select group from around the world as part of the Stowers Summer Scholars program at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

The institute, located blocks from the Rockhurst University campus, invites outstanding undergraduate students to be part of an intensive eight-week experience learning from and working alongside researchers in the center’s labs.

It was not Joseph’s introduction to the Stowers Institute. Arriving at Rockhurst having had some previous lab experience in high school, Joseph was looking to build her skills as a researcher. Her faculty adviser at Rockhurst, Laura Salem, Ph.D., professor of biology, provided a critical connection, introducing Joseph to Sarah Zanders, a primary investigator at Stowers. Joseph soon joined a team investigating how DNA functions in yeast — work that could offer insight into the behavior of human DNA.

“If we're able to better understand how the genome in yeast works, then we can get a better understanding of how it translates to human genomes,” she said.

It was through that lab work that Joseph learned of the Stowers Summer Scholars internship. She knew she wanted to apply, seeing another opportunity to build skills in the lab setting. One of 21 scholars from across the globe chosen to take part in the summer 2023 cohort, Joseph said being part of that select group was about more than an accolade. It also allowed her to take on more responsibility in the work she was already doing with the genetics of yeast.

“Part of working in a lab is figuring out what to do when things go wrong,” she said, smiling, “because things never really work out the way you want them to when it comes to science.”

The Summer Scholars cohort members came from all over — Florida to California, India to Chile — and because they stayed in the Townhouse Village on Rockhurst’s campus, Joseph said she was often among the first people the other scholars met in Kansas City.

“It was so cool because for a lot of the other people in the group, it was their first time in the U.S.,” she said. "And I actually got to be the point person for checking people in because I was at Rockhurst already, so I was one of the first people they met.”

Through a series of activities and living in close quarters, Joseph said the members of the cohort developed close relationships, learning about each other’s cultures and about the work they were doing. In addition to being personally inspiring, Joseph said the experience also solidified her commitment to make research part of her career, even if she decides to stay on the path to medical school.

“I do think that I want to be able to do research, even if I choose to pursue a medical degree,” she said. “I definitely have a bigger appreciation for it after this experience.”