LHSI Intern: Intern Laboratory Specialist

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. Patrice Mimche 

Department/Office: Medicine; Dermatology & Medicine 

Overview of the internship site: Research in the  Mimche's lab focused on deciphering the molecular mechanisms driving pathological inflammation and fibrotic disorders across various organs. The Mimche's lab has discovered a critical non-neuronal function of the receptor tyrosine kinase EphB2 and its corresponding ligands called EphrinB in inflammation and fibrosis/tissue scarring. Our goal is to understand how EphB2/EphrinB signaling promotes inflammation and fibrosis in the context of Systemic sclerosis/Scleroderma and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).  We are also developing drug-like small molecule inhibitors of this signaling system to treat these conditions. 

Website for more information:  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Perform laboratory experiments under the supervision of a senior lab member. 

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in a lab setting with dress code: appropriate for work in a biomedical laboratory

Project-specific qualifications: Attention to detail. Ability to focus on a specific task. Knowledge of molecular biology, immunology, and chemistry. Great organizational and communication skills. 

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.