From Lab to Bedside: Exploring Neuroscience Research and Patient Care</h1> <article> <h1>From Lab to Bedside: Exploring Neuroscience Research and Patient Care</h1> <p>kviancou — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 18:01:53 +0000</p> <span>From Lab to Bedside: Exploring Neuroscience Research and Patient Care</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-16T14:01:53-04:00" title="Monday, March 16, 2026 - 14:01">Mon, 03/16/2026 - 14:01</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Anna Fritz ’26 is a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience">neuroscience</a> major who grew up in �鶹��Ƶ, Ohio, and competes on the women’s varsity track and field team. Last summer, she participated in the Boston University Summer Program in Neuroscience, an intensive eight-week program based at Boston University and Boston Medical Center.</p><p><strong>Can you describe your summer internship?</strong></p><p>My internship at Boston University combined individual mentored research, clinical shadowing across a range of neuroscience specialties, and weekly didactics and professional development seminars. I worked in the STEPP Lab, a sensorimotor rehabilitation engineering lab, on a project related to speech disorders in Parkinson's disease. </p><p>Along with my cohort, I also had the opportunity to observe neurosurgeries and shadow neurologists, neurocritical care specialists, neurosurgeons, neuropathologists, psychiatrists, ENT physicians, neuropsychologists, and ophthalmologists. It was hands-down the most amazing experience I've ever had.</p><p><strong>How did �鶹��Ƶ influence you to pursue your internship?</strong></p><p>My studies in neuroscience at �鶹��Ƶ motivated me to seek hands-on experience in research and clinical environments. Although I found this program while browsing summer opportunities online, my experiences with professors like Michelle Johnson and Gunnar Kwakye encouraged me to look for opportunities like this in the first place.</p><p><strong>How did your internship align with your post-college goals?</strong></p><p>I became confident that I want to pursue patient-centered care in a neuroscience specialty while conducting translational research into neurodegenerative diseases.</p><p><strong>What surprised you or made a big impression?</strong></p><p>Shadowing at Boston Medical Center—a safety-net hospital serving predominantly low-income and underinsured populations—left a lasting impression on me. It was eye-opening to see how structural inequities in healthcare impact patient outcomes in treatment, recovery, and long-term support.</p><p>The resilience of patients and the resourcefulness of the care teams reinforced my commitment to pursuing a career where I can address both the biological and systemic realities of neurological disease.</p><p><strong>How has your liberal arts education shaped the way you think about science or research?</strong></p><p>It taught me to approach science not just as a technical discipline but as a human-centered, ethical, and socially informed endeavor. Courses outside neuroscience, such as Topics in Philosophy of Mind with Professor Todd Ganson, pushed me to ask deeper questions about the context and consequences of scientific work, including research with laboratory animals, sometimes described as “sentience candidates.”</p><p><strong>What drew you to your major?</strong></p><p>I have always been fascinated by the brain, but experiences at �鶹��Ƶ—such as Professor Kwakye’s Laboratory in Neurotoxicology and Neurodegeneration and Professor Michelle Johnson’s Developmental Neurobiology—solidified my interest. Working as a nurse aide during the pandemic and volunteering at University Hospitals further deepened my interest in clinical care.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Anna Fritz ’26 studied Parkinson’s disease and shadowed specialists across multiple fields at Boston Medical Center.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-16T12:00:00Z">Mon, 03/16/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4075">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4093">Internships</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Anna Fritz interned in a neuroscience program at Boston University.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Anna Fritz</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Flourishing Through Fieldwork</h1> <p>kviancou — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:53:01 +0000</p> <span>Flourishing Through Fieldwork</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-13T14:53:01-04:00" title="Friday, March 13, 2026 - 14:53">Fri, 03/13/2026 - 14:53</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Building on her classroom studies at �鶹��Ƶ, fourth-year student Vivian Friedman spent last summer interning as a research assistant at NYU’s Cognitive Development Lab.</p><p>The Brooklyn, New York, native—who double majors in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology">psychology</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/sociology">sociology</a>—was inspired to pursue the internship after taking <a href="/nancy-darling">Professor Nancy Darling</a>’s course Development in a Cultural Context. </p><p>“This class really opened my eyes to the importance of culture, especially within the field of research,” Friedman says. “My biggest takeaway from this course was just how insular the field of psychology—developmental psychology, specifically—can be, with most participants coming from very similar backgrounds.”</p><p>Friedman carried this revelation with her as she undertook her fieldwork, ensuring that her research took diversity, as well as social and cultural factors, into account.</p><p>“I helped with recruitment online, through social media, and in person, going to New York City zoos and parks to ask families if they would like to participate,” she explains. </p><p>Friedman collected data by facilitating interviews and recording participants’ answers, she says.</p><p>“One of the most interesting parts of the internship was seeing how the answers differed based on the participants' age,” Friedman says. “The projects I worked on focused on children’s explanations, growth mindset beliefs, and understanding of gender differences.” </p><p>She was particularly interested in “how exposure to diversity as a child impacts the development of critical thinking,” she says. “I believe that understanding how children learn and develop is vital in better understanding our world.”</p><p>Through her time at the NYU Cognitive Development Lab, she also learned how collaborative and gratifying the research process can be.</p><p>“Before I began, I thought that research was way more individualistic, and that people would be pretty focused on their own topics,” Friedman says. “But I was pleasantly surprised by how much the researchers helped each other—giving advice, feedback, and lending a helping hand.”</p><hr><p>To learn more about internship opportunities for �鶹��Ƶ students, check out <a href="/career/set/summer">Career Exploration and Development</a>. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Vivian Friedman ’26 spent the summer of 2025 at New York University, gaining valuable insight into the research process.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-13T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/13/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">By Danielle Frezza</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4093">Internships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4071">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4340">Sociology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2403">Career Exploration & Development</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/sociology" hreflang="und">Sociology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"> Abe Frato '26</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>From “The �鶹��Ƶ Review” to HarperCollins</h1> <p>kviancou — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:04:20 +0000</p> <span>From “The �鶹��Ƶ Review” to HarperCollins</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-12T17:04:20-04:00" title="Thursday, March 12, 2026 - 17:04">Thu, 03/12/2026 - 17:04</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Travis O’Daniel ’26, a </strong><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/writing-and-communication" target="_blank" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="94b725db-a34a-423d-943f-069f5446b5ab" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Communication Studies"><strong>communication studies</strong></a><strong> major from Louisville, Kentucky, has written and edited for </strong><em data-start="172" data-end="192"><strong>The �鶹��Ƶ Review</strong></em><strong> for three years, most recently as managing editor. Last summer, he interned at HarperCollins Publishers, gaining firsthand experience at a major publishing house. Here, he reflects on that experience:</strong></p><p>Last summer, I interned at HarperCollins Publishers in both an administrative and editorial role. On the administrative side, I assisted the president of the Harper Group and his assistant, which gave me an incredible behind-the-scenes look at how a major publishing house runs. In my editorial position with Harper Influence, I read book proposals and manuscripts, wrote offer and rejection letters to authors, and helped organize our pipeline for upcoming seasons. I was also lucky enough to work closely with editors and contribute feedback on projects as we continued to grow the imprint.</p><p>Being the managing editor of <em>The �鶹��Ƶ Review</em> definitely helped prepare me for this kind of work. That role taught me how to juggle big-picture planning with crucial small editorial details—from managing production schedules and delegating tasks to doing deep reads and meeting tight deadlines. Working on a student-run publication gave me the confidence to take on large-scale, high-stakes projects like those I encountered at HarperCollins.</p><p>This internship aligned with my post-college dream of working in publishing, ideally in an editorial role where I can help bring thoughtful, engaging, and diverse voices into the world. One thing that really stuck with me was how collaborative the editorial process is—it’s not just about having good taste, but about knowing how to champion a project and build a team around it.</p><p>As a liberal arts student, I learned to think critically about language, media, and power structures, which was hugely helpful in evaluating proposals and thinking through what kinds of stories we were choosing to uplift. I was originally drawn to communication studies because I’ve always been fascinated by how ideas circulate, who gets to tell stories, and how media shapes culture. Last summer felt like an exciting, real-world continuation of those questions, and I can't wait to keep exploring them.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">How a communication studies major turned editorial leadership on campus into a hands-on publishing internship in New York.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-12T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/12/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4093">Internships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4263">Communication Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/writing-and-communication" hreflang="und">Communication Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Travis O’Daniel ’26, in the red striped shirt, was among this group of summer interns at HarperCollins Publishers in New York.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Travis O'Daniel</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Rethinking Antibiotics</h1> <p>kviancou — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:13:59 +0000</p> <span>Rethinking Antibiotics</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-11T11:13:59-04:00" title="Wednesday, March 11, 2026 - 11:13">Wed, 03/11/2026 - 11:13</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Caitlin Kluger ’26 is a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology">biology</a> major with minors in gender, sexuality, and feminist studies and comparative American studies. Originally from New York City, Kluger is involved with OSCA and works as a barista at Azariah’s Café. She answered these questions about the summer internship she held before her senior year at �鶹��Ƶ.</p><p><strong>Can you describe your summer internship?</strong></p><p>I was a research assistant at Mass General Brigham, where I studied alternatives to treat bacterial infection by employing non-traditional techniques to protect the body’s healthy flora. Rather than using antibiotics, the lab targeted bacteria by inhibiting quorum sensing, which prevents communication and inhibits their virulence. Antibiotics are not a sustainable form of treatment, both due to the fact that they are not specific to the bacteria they target and because bacteria can develop immunity, so it's important to explore alternative forms of treatment. </p><p><strong>How did �鶹��Ƶ influence you to pursue your internship? </strong></p><p>My work in <a href="/alexandra-pike">Alex Pike’s lab </a>taught me how to generate my own research questions and apply related procedures in order to produce meaningful results. Alex taught me how to critically think through protocols and how to execute them as productively as possible. I’ve been a member of her lab since my sophomore year, and she has been formative in preparing me for this internship.</p><p><strong>How did your internship align with your post-college goals?</strong></p><p>It taught me what full-time research looks like. Although I don’t yet have defined post-college goals, I know that I’ll use this experience to help shape my future. </p><p><strong>What surprised you or made a big impression?</strong></p><p>The experience reinforced the importance of genuinely understanding every step you take in a procedure. Research is not personally valuable unless you truly understand the role that each step plays in the experiment. This is a concept that can be applied beyond the lab to other academic procedures and will be valuable to me in my future endeavors. </p><p><strong>What drew you to your major?</strong></p><p>I’ve had a passion for biology for as long as I can remember. Many of my family’s dinner table conversations revolved around scientific discoveries we were passionate about, so it was unsurprising when I chose biology as a major. I’m excited by the prospect of understanding how things work, breaking them down to their most basic level, and then reapplying these findings to improve quality of life on a large scale. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Through a summer internship at Mass General Brigham, Caitlin Kluger ’26 explored new ways to fight infection.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-11T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/11/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4064">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4093">Internships</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Caitlin Kluger</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> </main></body></html>