Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) is 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 paid 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 February 8, 2023. 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. MWRI will also apply for clearances (ACT #s 33, 34, and 73) for those over 18 years old.
  
• Students must be over 16 years old by the program start date.
• Students who are accepted into the program must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Request for exemption for medical or religious reasons will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

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 February 8, 2023.

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 26th, 2023. 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 2023 program to be highly competitive, and less than 8 percent of the students who apply are chosen. (We typically receive over 130 applications.)

• 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
• A Qualitative Analysis of Varying Methods to Improve Maternal Health in Cases of Hypertensive Disorder of Pregnancy
• The Pregnancy Experiences of Black Women
• Analysis of Mediators of Human Placental Exoome Uptake
• Antibiotic Use in Pregnancy: Indications and Outcomes
• Macrophages and Apoptosis in Vaginal Nonhuman Primate Polypropylene Mesh Samples
• Evaluating Vaginal Films with the Puncture and Disintegration Test
• "Chemosensitivity of Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines with Specific Genetic Traits
• Copy Number Variations Involving 78 ACMG-Recommended Secondary Findings Genes (v3.1)
• Covaris shearing program optimization across various sample sources to improve EM-seq library quality
• "Developing Vaginal Films using Levonorgestrel and Dapivirine"
• The Evolution of Acute Postoperative Pain to Chronic Pain in Gynecological Cancer Patients

• Year the program was established – 1995
• Number of scholars completing the program – 259
• Number of institutions (high schools) scholars have come from – 70
• Number of faculty who have participated as mentors – 60

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Bailey Snyder
MWRHighSchoolInternships@mwri.magee.edu