Bioethics
2018 interns
Pictured (L-R): Elena Diller, Rachel Landrum, David Resnik, Melissa Morales, Katie Caudle.
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)
Katie Caudle is currently an undergraduate student at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri studying Biology with an emphasis in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Ms. Caudle graduated as Valedictorian of her class at Stockton High School in Stockton, Missouri in 2017. Ms. Caudle is currently a member of Beta Beta Beta (National Biological Honor Society) and was recently inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success. Based on a lifelong interest in Biology, she plans to pursue a career in research.
Elena Diller is a 2017 graduate of Washington and Lee University, where she majored in Sociology and Anthropology with a double minor in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Poverty and Human Capability Studies. Prior to coming to the NIEHS, she worked at the University of Virginia's Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy as a research assistant for a statewide public health program. While there, she headed two research projects, including one investigating the perceptions of college students on advance care planning. In the past, she provided assistance to an FDA clinical trial at Emory University's School of Public Health and conducted her own research in Chile on migrant health behavior. She is currently applying to MD/MPH programs and hopes to practice medicine within the prison system.
Rachel Landrum is a candidate for an MA in Bioethics and Science Policy at Duke University. She graduated from the University of Louisiana Monroe in 2017, earning her bachelor's degree in Biology. In her time at Duke, Ms. Landrum has joined a research team in the Neurobiology department, and assists in studying the interactions between visual and auditory systems. After finishing graduate school, Ms. Landrum plans to pursue a medical education and a career as a clinician. She plans to use the valuable experiences gained through working at the NIEHS to advocate for responsible, respectful research design and treatment of human research subjects, as well as to be more cognizant of clinical ethical issues in her own future practice.
Melissa Morales is a first-year student in the Master of Arts in Bioethics & Science Policy program, with an academic focus on regulatory law—specifically the regulation of emerging technologies. Prior to this, Ms. Morales received her B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience at the University of South Florida (USF). During college, Ms. Morales served as a research assistant under the head Director of the Criminology Department. She then continued her graduate studies at USF studying Criminology. However, in today’s world of rapid progress in sciences, an increased demand for expertise in complex issues at the intersection of science, technology, and policy are needed more than ever before. That is why Ms. Morales has chosen to dedicate her work on regulatory policies related to emerging drugs and technology.