LHSI Intern: Dental materials research team member

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 2025 and end in May 2026 and are paid $13/hour for up to 10 hours per week. Work-study is accepted but not required.  

Supervisor: Dr Monica Yamauti 

Department/Office: Dentistry; Biomedical and Applied Sciences 

Overview of the internship site: I'm an open-minded professional who has studied dental materials in clinical settings and focused on addressing clinical and patient-centered issues in different countries. My research has focused on dental adhesion and adhesive systems, including polymerization techniques, light-curing units, evaluation of bond strength to enamel and dentin, and the durability of resin-dentin bonds. Additionally, I have initiated studies on dental developmental defects. I aim to enhance commercial materials by incorporating different materials and particles and to develop new materials that promote better adhesion to defective dental substrates. 

Website for more information: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0886-4407 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Laboratory responsibilities include supporting graduate students' research projects and assisting with sample preparation and testing. Attending to seminars and contributing to the organization and maintenance of the lab is also expected. 

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in a lab setting with dress code white coat and PPE 

Project-specific qualifications: Attention to detail, organization, teamwork, and critical thinking skills are welcome. 

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 2027 or after (usually a current freshman or sophomore in Spring 2025)   

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.