Hello! I'm India Robinson and I'm a student at the Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO).  

I twice had the opportunity for summer research training at the CDIPD in 2022 and 2023; the first time was a very hard decision for me to make as I would be away from home, however, I knew that if I were to take this on, the experience would expand my academic skills and connect me with other students and mentors.  Looking back, I am glad that I made the decision to perform research at the Center, which included supportive and meaningful conversations regarding degree and career pathways. For sure, the internships at the CDIPD have given me new skills and a more informed perspective regarding my future career choices.

Hi! I’m Amy Wang and I am a senior at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego.  

I have always had an interest in medicine, anatomy, and healthcare for minorities. Wishing to increase my knowledge about research, I found out about the CDIPD and approached the Center for advice regarding the development of an intervention for schistosomiasis as part of the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation’s 2022 competition to advance synthetic biology. In the summer of 2023, wanting to gain more research experience, I again contacted the CDIPD and had the amazing opportunity to get hands-on training in its research environment that I normally wouldn’t have as a high schooler.  I worked with Trypanosoma brucei that causes Human African trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness). I learned about different kinds of methods, including drug assays and statistical analysis, and I gained a lot of valuable knowledge.  

I’m grateful to everyone I worked with. My experiences with the CDIPD not only taught me numerous scientific skills and knowledge, but gave me more confidence about chasing my ambitions in scientific research.