Biomedical and Applied Sciences
Mentor Name: Chandler Walker, Ph.D.
- Internship Location:
-
Dentistry
- Pre Professional Interests Preferred:
-
Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Veterinary Medicine
- Environment:
-
Lab
- Dress Code:
- Laboratory-safe attire, closed-toe shoes (no sandals), and long pants, as well as provided lab coat, safety glasses, and gloves
- Website:
- https://www.dentistry.iu.edu/index.php/faculty/walker-chandler-l/
- Majors Preferred:
-
Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Neuroscience
- Hours per week:
- 10
- Schedule:
- Flexible within regular work hours
- Summary:
- My work focuses on understanding tissue pathology and repair in peripheral and central nervous system injuries and disease. My primary research emphasis is in peripheral nerve injury and repair, focusing on strategies for neural regeneration and recovery of function. Currently, rodent (rat and mouse) models of facial nerve injury and repair are utilized, as well as cell culture models for mechanistic studies. Surgical techniques, behavioral analyses, and cell/tissue culture approaches are prominent in my research. Future work will involve investigation of dental pulp and sensory nerve repair and regeneration in mouse models of dental disorders.
- Internship Duties:
- Animal handling and behavioral assessment of rats and mice will be typical for this position. Ability to learn to confidently handle and care for small lab animals and to possess or to develop keen observational skills are necessary. Opportunities to learn cell culture techniques and animal surgical approaches are also possible. Basic laboratory experimental techniques such as Western blot, histological staining and immunolabeling, and immunocytochemistry are also utilized and can be learned and applied during the internship.
- Qualifications:
- Experience in introductory basic laboratory techniques (e.g., lab notebook record keeping, pipetting) would be helpful, but not required. Prior experience with advanced lab techniques and animal behavioral analysis would be extremely helpful, but not a prerequisite.
