LHSI Intern: Research in Epigenetics, Obesity and Metabolic Disease

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. Hyun Roh 

Department/Office: Medicine; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

Overview of the internship site: Obesity and metabolism are among the most critical health issues. The Roh Lab investigates the molecular mechanisms regulating energy homeostasis and nutrient metabolism in cells and examines their impact on metabolic health and disease. The lab focuses on understanding how epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone modifications, chromatin organization and nuclear architecture, regulate nutrient and energy metabolism within cells. The lab specifically studies adipocytes (fat cells), which are central to metabolic regulation and exhibit a remarkably dynamic epigenetic landscape in response to physiological and environmental cues. The lab employs a range of experimental systems, including cultured cells, mouse models and human fat tissue biopsies, to gain a comprehensive understanding of metabolic regulation. The lab is renowned for its expertise in applying next-generation sequencing techniques for epigenetic research. 

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

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: RNA & protein isolation & analysis from cells and tissues; immunofluorescence microscopy; animal handling and tissue dissection. 

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in a lab setting with dress code casual: long pants or skirts with closed-toe shoes. 

Project-specific qualifications: Strong self-motivation and excellent organizational abilities. 

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.