Summer Research in the Engman Laboratory, Northwestern Unversity, Chicago, Illinois

The Engman laboratory is engaged in a broad variety of studies on the cell and molecular biology of tropical parasites and the pathogenesis of tropical parasitic diseases.  Projects that are available to summer students involve mechanisms of autoimmune pathogenesis of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), pathogenesis of African sleeping sickness, molecular biology of flagellar biogenesis and biochemistry and structural biology of parasite signalling proteins.  The summer student will spend approximately 80 percent of his/her time doing bench research, under the guidance of a PhD student or postdoctoral fellow, and 20 percent time with critical reading of the literature, planning experiments, and attending seminars, journal clubs and workshops.  The overall goals of the summer experience are (i) to develop experience in the methods of modern biomedical experimentation, (ii) to develop a thorough understanding of the research project so as to be able to describe the work to others in a cogent and stimulating manner and (iii) to develop additional nonexperimental research skills such as scientific reading and writing and presentation skills.