Students participating the the IBA/LSAMP Summer Program had the opportunity to present their research at the Summer Undergraduate Poster Symposium. This event was sponsored by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This year we had 18 students from IBA, LSAMP and Science Alliance presenting posters at this event. See below for the poster numbers and times of presentations or you can reference the program for the event.

To help you sharpen your science skills and develop both professionally and personally, we have worked with Institutes and Centers (ICs) and Training Offices across the NIH to develop a summer-long series of activities. These online offerings will focus on the exciting science we do at the NIH and on important career, professional development, and wellness topics for students at all educational levels. We encourage you to look at all the program offerings and identify events that will help you achieve your scientific and career goals.

This grant will provide underrepresented University of Iowa junior and senior student researchers a generous annual stipend for their research as well as cover a portion of in-state or out-of state tuition. We are excited to begin this next phase and join the community of NIH MARC programs across the US that are working to increase and support the diversity of researchers in the scientific workforce.

IBA and LSAMP had 17 students graduating this Spring! This group of students showed their resiliency weathering the challenges of conducting undergraduate research during a pandemic. We will miss all of these amazing students and we can't wait to see what they will accomplish as the move through their education and careers!

Congratulations to alumna, Rikki Laser, for receiving a 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)! Laser graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. While at Iowa, she was an Iowa Biosciences Academy Scholar and a Latham Fellow (2018-19). She is currently pursuing a PhD in Pyschology at Cornell University.

Congratulations to alumna, Rikki Laser, for receiving a 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)! Laser graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. While at Iowa, she was an Iowa Biosciences Academy Scholar and a Latham Fellow (2018-19). She is currently pursuing a PhD in Pyschology at Cornell University.

Congratulations to Dr. Lori Adams for receiving the inaugural Advancing Understanding in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Award! The purpose of this award is to recognize research, scholarship, or creative expression conducted within the past three-year period that advances our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Congratulations to IBA Scholar, Jia Zhao, for being accepted into the Biology Graduate Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)! Jia is majoring in Biology at the University of Iowa and is an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Dr. Bin He in the Department of Biology.

Congratulations to Dr. Lori Adams for receiving the inaugural Advancing Understanding in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Award! The purpose of this award is to recognize research, scholarship, or creative expression conducted within the past three-year period that advances our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We are sad to announce that Jeff Murray will be stepping down from his role as Co-PI for IBA. Jeff has been involved in IBA’s efforts for over 20 years – mentoring students, assisting with grant writing, providing his perspectives on direct training programs as well as training and preparing future scientists. Although Jeff is retiring, he will continue his research on several grants and will continue to consult for the Gates Foundation.