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Enrichment Volunteer
The Enrichment and Behavior staff
is responsible for maintaining high enrichment standards for
the nonhuman primates housed at SFBR. These include
feeding, social, and structural enrichment.
Duties may include making, delivering, and distributing enrichment,
cleaning, observations, and clerical duties. Volunteers
may spend time with baboons when distributing
enrichment. Qualifications:
A positive attitude and appreciation for animal
behavior. Must attend safety training and provide evidence
of a negative TB result within the last 6 months.
Duration
of internship:
Flexible. Volunteers can start any time of the year, and
usually commit 2 hours once or twice a week.
How
to apply: Send a letter, resume, and list of references
to: Director of Behavior and Enrichment,
Department of Comparative Medicine,
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research,
P.O. Box 760549,
San Antonio, TX 78245-0549
Internship in Primate Skeletal Biology
Osteoporosis (also known as "fragile bone disease")
is an age-related health
problem of immediate public health concern that, according
to the National
Osteoporosis Foundation, results in 1.5 million fractures in
the U.S. each
year. Osteoporosis and associated fragility fractures are of
increasing
public health concern as the U.S. population (and the world
population in
general) ages. The number of individuals in the U.S. alone
whose well-being
is threatened by the fragility of their skeleton is expected
to increase
from 43.6 million in 2002 to 61.4 million in 2020. Dr. Havill's
research with humans and baboons centers on identification
of
factors, both environmental and genetic, that contribute to
variation in
bone health. There are a number of current research projects
in which
interns can be involved. One body of research involves determining
the
degree to which various measures of bone strength are due to
the effects of
genes. The traits being examined include cortical bone microstructure
and
remodeling, mechanical and material properties of cortical
and trabecular
bone, and degree of bone mineralization. A second body of research
employs a
novel method to discover genes that affect bone health. RNA
is extracted
from bone and other relevant tissues and is then used to obtain
whole genome
transcriptional profiles for the specific tissue. Gene expression
is then
examined relative to the trait of interest to identify genes
that are
correlated with variation in the trait. The mechanisms underlying
these
correlations are then pursued. As an intern with Dr. Havill,
one would have
the opportunity to learn standard lab techniques, skeletal
anatomy and
biology, how to implement cutting-edge high throughput genetic
analysis
tools, and the application of all of these to the study of
bone health. Description of duties: Duties
can be tailored to the interests of the intern as they fit
with project needs and progress. These duties may include processing
skeletal materials, data collection, data analysis, written
presentation of study results, etc. Qualifications: Qualifications
include an interest in scientific research and in skeletal
biology. Interns must be enthusiastic and willing to learn
the appropriate data collection methods. Prior experience in
these methods is not necessary or expected. Advanced high school
students, undergraduates, and graduate students will be considered. Duration
of internship: Internship duration is variable, but
generally ranges from 16 to 32 weeks. How to apply: Send
a one paragraph note of interest to Lorena M. Havill, Ph.D.
via e-mail at the contact address below. Further materials
may be requested before the internship begins (e.g. transcripts,
references). Contact: Send e-mail to lhavill@sfbrgenetics.org.
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