2017 B.S. Bioengineering graduate Jasmine Fuerte-Stone is among four UW students to receive internships through a partnership with the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship and the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI). Each of the interns will spend 10 weeks at IDRI working directly with a mentor towards fulfilling a specific set of scientific goals. The students will work alongside infectious disease experts in a state-of-the-art lab, and gain insight into basic research and product development.
Jasmine is being mentored by Sasha Larsen, Ph.D. in IDRI’s preclinical group. At UW, she was one of the first Washington State Academic RedShirt (STARS) graduates. The STARS program, administered by the UW College of Engineering, aims to increase the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds who graduate with engineering degrees. STARS students participate in a “redshirt” year their first year, and receive extra academic support, including to develop study skills, foundation in math and science, and opportunities for mentoring, community building and funding. Jasmine completed her senior capstone project in Assistant Professor Jennifer Davis’ lab on research related to wound healing and heart tissue repair.
IDRI is a nonprofit global health organization that takes a comprehensive approach to combat infectious disease. Through combining the high-quality science of a research organization with the product development capabilities of a biotech company, IDRI pursues new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. Learn more about IDRI.