For our 2023 Summer Internship, the program will begin June 26th, 2023. Please check back in December for more information.

Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) is an independent research institute and one of the largest institutes in the nation that focuses on reproductive biology, women’s health, and infant health. Our High School Summer Internship Program provides students with the opportunity to participate in basic, translational, or clinical scientific research with the goal of interesting students in biomedical research as a potential career.

During the 4-week program (160 total hours) each student will have the opportunity to work on their own research project under the guidance of an investigator and their staff at MWRI or Magee-Womens Hospital.

In addition, students will attend informal Lunch & Learn sessions, during which investigators will discuss biomedical science as a career from their personal perspectives and journeys in the field.

At the end of the program, students present their research findings via a PowerPoint presentation to other participants as well as to the MWRI faculty and staff at the annual High School Internship Presentation Day.

The Institute includes basic, translational, and clinical faculty researchers from the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, as well as from other departments at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

We accept applications through March 18, 2022. No applications and supporting documents are accepted beyond the deadline.

Housing is not provided.

• Application is open to high school students interested in learning about biomedical research who are currently in their junior or senior year of high school (ie no “rising juniors”). Our previous experience has found that the summer after junior year is an ideal time for students to be exposed to biomedical research. High school seniors are also eligible to apply and participate in the program in the summer immediately following graduation.

• Place of Residence: All applicants must have permanent/primary residence in the local southwest Pennsylvania region (Counties: Greene, Fayette, Somerset, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Washington, Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana, and Cambria). The program will utilize a hybrid format in which mentors may allow students to work from home for part of the internship, however, in-person attendance should be expected as well.

• Students under the age of 18 who are selected for the program will be required to obtain a work permit card issued by their school district prior to their arranged start date.

Applications must be submitted electronically (in a single PDF file saved as Last Name_First Name Application) to MWRHighSchoolInternships@mwri.magee.edu no later than March 18, 2022.

The application packet must include:

• Application Form
• Demographic Form
• Cover letter including work history (if applicable)
• A one-page personal statement. We are looking for a compelling personal statement that conveys something distinctive about you or your life story and why you are interested in biomedical research and participation in the research program. Please also indicate if you have a preference for basic science or clinical research, or preference for any particular area(s) of research performed at MWRI.
• High school transcript

The internship will begin on June 27th, 2022. Students will be paid an hourly minimum wage. Housing is not provided. Application packets must be complete to be considered (see the check list).

Additional supporting documents must be emailed directly to the program coordinator from the provider (not the student) at: MWRHighSchoolInternships@mwri.magee.edu.

Two letters of recommendation, preferably from science teacher(s) and/or guidance counselor(s). Letters are to be emailed directly to the MWRI High School Program Coordinator at MWRHighSchoolInternships@mwri.magee.edu.

All documents must be provided by the deadline in order for the application to be considered by the review committee.

As in previous years, we anticipate the 2022 program to be highly competitive and less than 8 percent of the students who apply are chosen. (We typically receive over 130 applications.)

• Teaching Healthy Eating Behavior in Low-Resource African American Neighborhoods: The Kids Can Cook Program
• MicroRNAs in Human Breast Milk
• Screening for Novel Fertility Factors Using RNA Interference
• Stem Cell Therapies for Male Infertility
• The Effect of Flow on Glycocalyx Assessments in Preeclampsia and Healthy Pregnancies
• Understanding Critical Design Factors for Development of Antiretroviral Suppositories for HIV Prevention
• Intimate Partner Violence Amongst Female Refugee and Immigrant Patients in Primary Care Free Clinics: A Physician’s Perspective
• Prenatal Support Systems: An Analysis on Doctor-Patient Interactions and Mental Health
• The Effect of 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D on the Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer Patients
• Glycemic Observation and Metabolic Outcomes in Mothers and Offspring
• Educating High School Aged Young Women on how to Care for Their Reproductive Health
• The Relationship Between a Family History of Endocrine Disorders and Menstrual Irregularities In African-American Girls
• Pioneering Protocols for Translational Application in Male Fertility Preservation
• Uric acid in early pregnancy among women with anxiety/ depression: is there a measurable relationship?
• Evaluation of Levonorgestrel Permeability in an Ex Vivo Cervical Tissue Model
• Construction of database to enable the non-invasive detection of circulating cell-free nucleic acids
• The Effectiveness of Lifestyle Training to Reduce Blood Pressure After a Hypertensive Disorder of Pregnancy

• Year the program was established – 1995
• Number of scholars completing the program – 248
• Number of institutions (high schools) scholars have come from – 70
• Number of faculty who have participated as mentors – 60

Jennifer Taafe
MWRHighSchoolInternships@mwri.magee.edu