In the video above, McKenna Holman reports on interns at the McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls, who recently presented their summer research projects.
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Ten students from all over Montana have spent their summer researching different areas of biomedical sciences at the McLaughlin Research Institute. On Friday, as their summer internship came to an end, they presented their findings to the community and their families.
Dr. Renee Reijo Pera, president and CEO of the McLaughlin Research Institute, said “it's been a really great experience” when asked about working closely with the interns each year.
“Sometimes you read something and it’s negative about the next generation,” said Dr. Reijo Pera. “And when I see the next generation, when I see these interns, I’m very positive that our future looks really good as far as scientific discovery, their ethics, their kindness, determination.”
Amanda Johnson, one of the 2024 student interns, is a senior at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and said this program was transformative for her.
“It’s been really fun. I mean, we get to go to a different lab each week, we get to experience different forms of research and different types of chemicals every week,” Johnson said.
Both the college and high school level student interns spend 8 weeks getting hands-on experience in professional science laboratories learning from the institute’s faculty.
“Hands-on experience is really important; the students learn a lot of techniques. They also learn how to think about the science, and then in addition, I feel very strongly that the students need to know that they can do science in a place like Great Falls, Montana,” said Dr. Reijo Pera.
“I think a lot of times we just assume that we can't go do big things, just because we're not from a place that does that, and so I think having an institution like this that shows you like ‘you can be from here and this is who you can be,’ is super important for the younger generation,” said student intern, Amara Stalsberg, a CMR graduate and senior at the University of Providence.
Student interns in this program get real-life experience among world-renowned scientists who have ties to prestigious research universities across the nation.
“Because of the work they do here, particularly in trying to solve the problem of Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases, it's something that we need to support financially and the community needs to be behind it, and I’ve been happy to do that over the years,” said Gene Thayer, a long time board member and supporter of the institute.
McLaughlin aims to give opportunities for biomedical research and education to even the most rural communities in Montana.
“This program has grown and grown over the years and sitting there listening to these young, young people talk about it, it's very exciting,” Thayer added. “Being a layman, I don't understand why and what they're saying, but their enthusiasm is exhilarating.”
For those interested in supporting the research that goes on at McLaughlin Research Institute, contact Rebecca Brown at (406)454-6045, for information on their Help Expand Research Opportunities (HERO) registry.
