SUMMER SCIENTISTS

SURPINT program provides student research opportunities

“I wasn’t standing in the corner; I was working hands-on as a scientist this summer,” says Natalia Cardenas, a biology major who plans to graduate in 2022. Cardenas participated in the Summer Research Program in Integrative Physiology, or SURPINT.

A new program offered by CONHI, SURPINT had its inaugural year in 2021 and started up again in the summer of 2022. The program was founded by R. Matthew Brothers and Michael Nelson, both associate professors in kinesiology.

The first cohort was made up of 10 undergraduate students from various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. The fellows spent 10 weeks during the summer pursuing individual research projects in the laboratory with distinguished CONHI faculty.

In this format, students not only gained laboratory experience and new research skills, but they also saw firsthand what postgraduate research and education are like.

“Dr. Brothers does an amazing job of incorporating first-generation students and students who don’t have the prior knowledge of what research is and giving those students opportunities to work in the lab,” says Cardenas, who was mentored by Dr. Brothers. “It was truly a highlight of my undergraduate program.

”Julie Mireles, a biological chemistry major also graduating in 2022, studied under Dr. Nelson for her research project on cardiac mechanics.

“Having the opportunity to dive deeper into my fascination about cardiac function has been a great experience,” she says. “Working in the lab has truly aided in my personal growth and allowed me to gain a deeper appreciation for research.”