Intern projects explore bone, brain health at KEYS showcase
BASIS Tucson North graduate Jason Jimenez tests a device that binds to bone with mentor Philipp Gutruf, associate department head and associate professor of biomedical engineering.
The BIO5 Institute invited incoming University of Arizona students to catch a glimpse of game-changing technology at the 20th Keep Engaging Youth in Science Internship Showcase.
The event marks the culmination of the seven-week summer program, which brought 58 high school students from 36 Arizona schools to the university to conduct research in laboratory settings.
“Programs like KEYS create opportunities for talented students to discover their interests, build confidence and see themselves as future innovators,” said Philipp Gutruf, associate department head of biomedical engineering and KEYS mentor. “I have seen firsthand how transformative early research experiences can be.”
Gutruf and BME associate professor Elizabeth Hutchinson mentored two KEYS interns on research projects that improved bone fracture monitoring and explored how brain aging affects ferret hunting behaviors.