Westminster Senior Virtually Interns at UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – A Westminster College molecular biology senior participated in an eight-week summer internship project titled “Genetic Determinants of Infertility” at UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital as part of its research into infertility loss in couples.

Emily Lamark of Hickory, Pa. got the opportunity to apply her class skills in the real world through her internship.

“Westminster’s curriculum prepared me for this internship with the biology and genetics courses I took,” said Lamark. “Without the basics I would not have understood this project.”

Lamark used bioinformatic techniques in her research to determine if genetic variants found within couples were pathogenic towards infertility. More specifically, she focused on infertility later in the process, such as recurrent pregnancy loss or early conception losses.

Although the internship was virtual, Lamark had weekly meetings with her team and go to present her findings at the end of the eight weeks.

Not only did Westminster’s curriculum prepare Lamark for this opportunity, but so did her research adviser Dr. Karen Resendes, director of the Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research, and the Professional Development Center —an on-campus resource for students that offers resume reviews, mock interviews and much more.

Lamark found her love for research during this internship> She intends on applying to medical school.

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