WiNterns Dignity Butts and Bella Thomas scrubbed in and ready to observe neurosurgery.
Dave Clarke, MD, with Hepsiba Barar (left) and Whittney Barry (right), WiNterns who worked on his pediatric epilepsy project.
Several members of our pediatric neurosciences team have embraced Women in Neuroscience (WiN), an Austin-based organization whose mission is to encourage young economically disadvantaged, first-generation, and underrepresented minority high school seniors or college women to pursue careers in neuroscience or neurology.
WiN offers a $3,000 stipend to support eight-week summer internships (thus “WiNterns”) during which each student works in a neuroscience-related research laboratory or on a clinical research project. Additionally, the program offers seminars and tutorials designed to facilitate professional development and leadership skills and provides ongoing mentorship.
WiN was established in 2018 to honor Harvey Nudelman, PhD, a neuroscience researcher and teacher who died from progressive supranuclear palsy. The organization partners with the University of Texas at Austin Department of Neuroscience, the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School, Huston-Tillotson University, and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.
Audrey Brumback, MD, PhD, who has been hosting WiNterns since the program began, teaches skills such as PCR genotyping of transgenic mice and quantification of behavior in mouse models of autism. In 2021, three students worked on Dave Clarke, MD’s Discrepancies and Disparities in the Care of Children with Epilepsy project. Among the program’s seminars and tutorials was a half-day biomedical writing workshop taught by E. Steve Roach, MD, and tutorials by Brumback and Clarke.
For additional information on WiN, see www.neurowomen.org or follow the organization on Twitter at @helloneurowomen.
