Clinical Nurse Manager Alexander Njunge, center, and Lindia Engram, an occupational health nurse, answered students’ questions about what it’s like to work in a research environment. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw / NIEHS)
Students toured the NIEHS campus and the Clinical Research Unit. The unit helps researchers translate discoveries from the lab to patients. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw / NIEHS)
Panelists described their career paths and the collaborative nature of the Clinical Research Unit. From left-to-right: Heidi Rogers, clinical research nurse; LaShawn Ruffin, nurse practitioner; Lindia Engram, occupational health nurse; and Alexander Njunge, clinical nurse manager. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw / NIEHS)
Clinical Research Unit nurses meet with students
Eleven high school students from the Summer Springboard pre-college enrichment program, hosted by Duke University, visited NIEHS July 16. The visit was part of a two-week program at Duke for students to engage with university professors and experts in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Upon request, the tour and information session were organized by the NIEHS Office of Science Education and Outreach.
As a part of the Summer Springboard curriculum in nursing, students were eager to learn more about different career paths in health care and nursing. The visit included a tour of the NIEHS campus and an opportunity to hear from members of the institute’s Clinical Research Unit and the Occupational Medical Service during a panel discussion.
The students expressed enthusiasm about the experience, noting how valuable it was to hear directly from those working in research to improve patient care.
NIEHS tours and information sessions continue to highlight the institute’s commitment to education and mentorship — inspiring future generations to pursue careers in science, health care, and research.
Olivencia Alvarez earns Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Erixberto Olivencia Alvarez recently won the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship to complete graduate studies at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The highly competitive scholarship will enable him to pursue a Master of Philosophy degree in embryogenesis and reproductive biology.
Olivencia Alvarez was an Intramural Research Training Award postbaccalaureate fellow in the NIEHS Placental Cell Biology Group led by Carlos Guardia, Ph.D. For the past two years, he explored how factors such as maternal exercise influenced fetal and placental development.
(Susan Cosier is a contract writer for the NIEHS Office of Communications and Public Liaison.)
