SciComm Internship

Indu Bhatia, Ph.D. grew up in India and attended Delhi University before earning her Ph.D. in Structural Biology from the National Institute of Immunology. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Chazin Lab at Vanderbilt University, where she studies how Staphylococcus aureus bypasses nutritional immunity by characterizing zinc metallochaperones. Through her research, Indu aims to utilize X-ray crystallography and in silico tools to uncover mechanistic insights into metal transfer, ultimately identifying new targets to combat bacterial infections.

Jia Mei grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and attended Colorado College, where she majored in Molecular Biology and minored in Asian Studies. She is currently conducting research in Dr. Jim Cassat's lab, studying how Staphylococcus aureus survives antibiotic treatment during bone infections. Through this internship, Jia aims to develop skills in video production, graphic design, and science writing to strengthen science communication, build community, and expand outreach efforts.

Sydney Henriques, Ph.D. earned her B.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, respectively. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Yull Lab at Vanderbilt University, where she conducts research at the intersection of cancer biology, ultrasound imaging, and targeted drug delivery, with a focus on developing targeted microbubbles to improve ovarian cancer detection. During her doctoral training, Sydney studied biomaterials and cancer immunotherapy in the Giorgio Lab. Through this internship, she aims to expand her science communication skills beyond traditional written formats by exploring multimedia storytelling and developing accessible, engaging content that connects scientific discoveries with broader audiences.

Morgan Ottley earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Vanderbilt University’s Neuroscience Graduate Program. She conducts research in Dr. Richard Sando’s lab, where she studies how disease-associated mutations in CELSR adhesion G protein-coupled receptors can be utilized to understand receptor structure-function relationships. Morgan also brings experience in graphic design, marketing, outreach, and community engagement through her work with Black Grads Connect and Bridges to Belmont. Through this internship, she aims to combine her scientific background and creative communication experience to develop engaging written, visual, and multimedia content that makes science more accessible to diverse audiences.