LHSI Intern: Understanding impacts of space travel

Program Summary:   

This internship is offered as a part of the Life-Health Sciences Internship Program (LHSI). This program connects 125 IU Indianapolis undergraduates per year with internships on campus with faculty and staff in a variety of health and science related campus areas/programs. All LHSI internships start in August 2026 and end in April 2027 and are paid $14/hour for up to 10 hours per week. Work-study is accepted but not required. 

Supervisor: Dr. Tasneem P. Sharma

Department/Office: Medicine Ophthalmology

Overview of the internship site: We focus on pressure associated pathogenesis in glaucoma and Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome Understanding the impact and severity of vision impairment during long-duration crewed Mars missions is a high-priority research area for NASA, given the potential consequences for astronaut health and mission success. Despite growing awareness of spaceflight-induced vision changes, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the underlying mechanisms driving these alterations in the human eye. Our future research aims to address these gaps through a conceptually innovative approach that leverages human analog models to simulate spaceflight stressors. This strategy will enable the identification of causative factors contributing to vision loss, their effects on human retinal cells, and the development of targeted countermeasures for long-duration space missions.

Website for more information: https://www.sharmaneurolab.com/

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

1. Designing, performing, and/or overseeing experiments and data collection.

2. Performing basic molecular, biochemical and cellular assays.

3. Utilizing confocal and fluorescence microscopy to image 3D hydrogels and cells.

4. Utilizing fundamental concepts, practices, and procedures to perform routine scientific research tasks. 

5. Ensuring data integrity, quality control, and protocol compliance.

6. Assist in preparing completed research reports or analyses on each project phase. 

7. Tabulation and computation of project results. 

8. Write results of experiments and assist in writing articles for publication.

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in a lab setting with dress code: Lab setting attire and closed toe shoes

Project-specific qualifications: 1. Maintain knowledge of scientific trends through readings, conferences, and seminars.

2. Review literature to identify suitable procedures and methods. 

3. Promoting continuous improvement of workplace safety and environmental practices.

4. Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.

Hours per week: flexible based on student needs (10 maximum); flexible within regular work hours

By the end of the LHSI program, you will:

• Carefully consider, explore, and articulate your career goals, including an analysis of how you arrived at that path and what steps you need to take next. (Community Contributor, Communicator)
• Understand your role and strengths on a professional team and analyze who you would like to become as a professional. (Communicator)
• Gain and strengthen skills relevant to next steps after graduation, such as communication, collaboration, teamwork, analysis/synthesis/evaluation, independence, confronting/challenging failure, problem-solving and perseverance, and constructive criticism. (Problem Solver, Communicator)
• Convey ideas and knowledge effectively through an ePortfolio and presentation of your internship work. (Problem Solver, Communicator)
• Set and meet your own additional learning goals identified with your supervisor.

LHSI Qualifications   

• must be graduating May 2028 or after (usually a current freshman or sophomore in Spring 2026) 
• Current full time IU Indianapolis undergraduate in 2025-26 
• minimum overall GPA of 2.0 
• All majors welcome

To apply:

LHSI accepts 125 interns per year. All available sites are listed in Handshake and will start with the position title “LHSI Intern.” Complete the application for LHSI at go.iu.edu/lhsi and list 3-4 internship sites on that application. You will meet with at least 2 of these if selected for interviews.