Areas of Research
As a Research Scholar, you will find a wide array of scientific areas in which you might receive training in basic, translational or applied biomedical research. You may choose to work in any field related to biomedical science, including: cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, structural biology, and epidemiology and biostatistics.

In the laboratory, you may find yourself involved in research to

• identify the function of DNA and RNA sequences important for the regulation and expression of genes;
• use sophisticated proteomics techniques to characterize distinctive fingerprints of rare diseases;
• unlock complex biochemical mechanisms leading to abnormal cell growth in diseases such as cancer;
• characterize the molecular missteps involved in antigen recognition and activation of the immune system in autoimmune diseases;
• produce transgenic mice with selective gene deletions, overexpression, and expression interference;
• explore the genes at the heart of the etiology of emerging viral diseases;
• map metabolic activity in the brain using new imaging technologies;
• analyze the three-dimensional structure and function of enzymes, as the basis for rational drug design.

This list represents only a small sample of the possible areas for biomedical research training. For further information on projects under way at the NIH, and on potential preceptors, you can search:
• The NIH Annual Reports Web site at (intramural.nih.gov/search/) by typing in a topic of interest.
• NIH Research Labs (www1.od.nih.gov/oir/
sourcebook/sci-prgms/sci-prgms-toc.htm) on the Web.
• NIH Home Page (www.nih.gov).

Selecting a Laboratory
Most students take two to three weeks at the NIH to explore various laboratories and meet potential preceptors before deciding what they will do during the year. Some students, however, arrive with a specific scientific interest. The Research Scholars Program can accommodate both approaches.

Prior to your arrival at the NIH, you are assigned a senior NIH investigator as an advisor who assists you with the laboratory selection process. You and your advisor discuss your research interests via telephone or e-mail, and identify potential preceptors whom you should contact to set up interviews. When you arrive on campus, you meet with your advisor to review your progress and proceed with your preceptor interviews. NIH investigators are enthusiastic about working with Research Scholars, so interviews often include spending part of a day in a laboratory with the principal investigator and his or her staff. In this way, it is possible to get a sense of the overall working environment, the research projects under way, and any original investigations you might be able to pursue during the year.

Several lab selection dinners are held during the summer where advisors and advanced Scholars (those who have remained for a second year in the program) give brief presentations, providing their own insight and advice about the lab selection process to the incoming students. The Research Scholars Program Director, academic staff, and alumni can also make suggestions.

You consult with your advisor throughout the laboratory selection process, receive his or her approval prior to making a final choice of a laboratory and project, and meet again during the year to review your progress.

Working in a Laboratory
Laboratories at the NIH vary greatly in size and character. In the larger ones—with 10 to 20 postdoctoral fellows and a number of senior investigators and technicians—the principal investigator may not be involved in all the day-to-day research activities, and you are likely to work more closely with senior investigators and postdoctoral fellows. In smaller laboratories, you may work alongside your preceptor, with frequent interaction. Your particular research interest and the type of training you are seeking will help you determine which environment will be most productive for you.

As a Research Scholar, you are considered an important member of the research team. You participate in the full range of staff activities, including laboratory meetings and journal clubs. Laboratory meetings provide a forum for the group to discuss the progress of various research projects, troubleshoot experiments, and critique research findings or methodologies. Journal clubs enrich your research experience by exposing you to the latest scientific findings in the field.

Photo: Kay Chernush