LHSI Intern: Cytopathology Imager

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. Darrell Davidson 

Department/Office: Medicine Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Education Section 

Overview of the internship site: Every treatment begins with a diagnosis, almost always based on laboratory results. In the pathology laboratory, cytopathology techniques are used to perform the smallest, safest, and least expensive biopsies. This specialized area of anatomic pathology is evolving rapidly to accommodate new molecular tests and imaging modalities. The intern will use advanced slide-imaging systems to create virtual slides for teaching, distance learning, and research. 

Website for more information: https://medicine.iu.edu/pathology OR https://medicine.iu.edu/undergraduate-health-professions/degrees-and-certificates/bachelor-cytotechnology/curriculum 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: The Student intern will use computer software and a whole slide imaging (WSI) instrument to convert glass histology and cytology slides into a digital format. These images will be used mainly for training local and remote undergraduate students for employment as Cytotechnologists. 

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in a lab setting with dress code: Business casual 

Project-specific qualifications: Interest in developing and manipulating computer graphic files would be an asset for this internship. Ethical handling of sensitive patient health information is a prerequisite for the intern with the required training in the initial stages of the internship. 

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 2026-27 

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.