CSM INBRE Scholar Earns Future Scientist Award
A College of Saint Mary student was one of 10 undergraduate students from six Nebraska universities to receive the 2024 Richard Holland Future Scientist Awards from Nebraska Cures. The Nebraska Institutional Development Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence Program (INBRE) presented the honors.
The students received cash awards totaling $5,000 in recognition of their research work during the summer INBRE program. The awards were presented by David Crouse, PhD, president of the board of directors of Nebraska Cures and one of UNMC’s co-investigators of the original INBRE grant establishing the Nebraska program in 2001.
The awards are named in honor of the late Richard Holland, an Omaha philanthropist and longtime support of research.
The students were judged in two categories. Emily Merten, a sophomore human biology major at CSM, was awarded for her oral presentation. She worked on research for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Primarily for juniors and seniors, Mertens was invited by CSM Professor Ganesh Naik, PhD, director of CSM’s chemistry program, to attend the INBRE Program.
Established in 2001, the INBRE Scholars Program was created to expose students to professional biomedical research and build a statewide biomedical research infrastructure between undergraduate and graduate institutions. It’s a two-year comprehensive program to prepare students for graduate school.
