Interns at the Tulane National Primate Research Center are involved in a variety of projects and will present the results of their work to the center's faculty and staff at the end of the summer.

Students from a variety of backgrounds find their way to the Tulane National Primate Research Center, nestled among the tall pines of the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, for a Summer Research Fellowship Program. This year, seven students are interning with researchers on various projects from observing primate social behavior to analyzing cells and tissue in the lab.

"I thought it was a great opportunity to see the different levels of work in a veterinary environment. There aren't many places like this," says veterinary medicine student Doty Kempf from Louisiana State University. Kempf is spending the summer working in the lab of Tulane researcher Ronald Veazey, while fellow vet student Khush Banajee is shadowing veterinarians at the center.

"I am doing a lot of procedures that I would not have been able to do in another setting," says Banajee.

Each student is working on a project suited to his or her interests. At the end of the summer, they will present their results to the faculty and staff at the center.

"The program is designed for the student to participate in an experiment, learn some techniques and report on their work. It's their project and they should be proud of it," says internship coordinator Pyone Aye.

Aye reports that researchers make more requests for interns than she can fill. The positions are funded primarily through a National Institutes of Health base grant and supplements from research project funding. The program welcomed its inaugural group in the summer of 2002.

The internship program acts as both a way to recruit future scientists and veterinarians and a way to promote opportunities at the center, Aye says. Previous interns have returned to work as technicians and researchers before going on to further education. The interns all agree that the summer program offers them an unusually collegial atmosphere in which to learn new skills and get research experience.

"I was surprised at how warmly we were welcomed. Everyone here has been really nice," says Kempf.

Because of its location, interns at the center often board with researchers or center employees if they don't have family or friends nearby. Likewise, those without a car find center staff very willing to carpool. Although this summer the center is hosting seven interns, Aye says the numbers are usually higher.

The interns include Crystal Quave of Southeastern Louisiana University; Sarah Zohdy of Michigan State University; Joseph Kramer of Tulane; Jay Miller of Louisiana College; and Francisco Ruiz of Argentina.

The Tulane National Primate Research Center is one of only eight federally funded primate research centers in the United States. The center is located on 500 wooded acres near Covington, La. Recruitment for the summer research program begins in the spring of each year. To be eligible, applicants must have completed at least one year of undergraduate biology or biomedical study.