Having earned two coveted spots in Magee-Womens Research Institute's competitive summer internship program, rising OC seniors Zeinah Browne and Maggie Storti recently completed their four-week immersion in the biomedical field. Over the course of the month, each student worked on their own personal research project under the guidance of a mentor, attended 'Lunch and Learn' sessions with career scientists, and presented their findings to an audience of peers, faculty and staff.

For her project, Zeinah chose to study "The Outrageous Divide in Maternal Mortality Rates of Black Woman in America." Zeinah says she saw the potentially life-altering effects such research can have on the world through the lens of this experience. She also learned a valuable lesson about trial and error: "The best advice that I learned from my mentor, Dr. Willa Doswell, is that making a mistake is alright. Even the best of those make mistakes and have to re-do and revise some of their best work."

Maggie, whose research was titled "The Effect of Air Nanoparticles on Placental Cells," performed two surgeries on mice models and a placental biopsy in the lab at MWRI. She found her time at MWRI inspiring: "My experience in placental research opened my eyes to the whole world of how life is created. It's completely fascinating. To help sustain the longevity of life through the earliest stages of pregnancy is something I want to be a part of."

Both students enthusiastically recommended the program to future upperclassmen and said they can see themselves pursuing this scientific field in the future. We can't wait to see what you accomplish!