Since its beginning in 1902, Cedars-Sinai has evolved to meet the healthcare needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation, continually setting new standards for quality and innovation in patient care, research, teaching and community service.
Today, Cedars-Sinai is widely known for its national leadership in transforming healthcare for the benefit of patients.
Cedars-Sinai receives consistent recognition for our excellence. Our awards include; being named one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, receiving the National Research Corporation’s Consumer Choice Award 19 years in a row for providing the highest-quality medical care in Los Angeles, achieving the longest-running Magnet designation for nursing excellence in California, and being recognized as The Advisory Board Company’s 2017 Workplace of the Year, an award Cedars-Sinai has won three years in a row. This annual award recognizes hospitals and health systems nationwide that have outstanding levels of employee engagement.
Cedars-Sinai is a leader in the clinical care and research of heart disease, cancer and brain disorders, among other areas. Pioneering research achievements include using cardiac stem cells to repair damaged hearts, developing minimally invasive surgical techniques and discovering new types of drugs to target cancer more precisely.
Cedars-Sinai also impacts the future of healthcare through education programs that encompass everything from highly competitive medical residency and fellowship programs to a biomedical science and translational medicine PhD program, advanced training for nurses and educational opportunities for allied health professionals. Most notably, Cedars-Sinai demonstrates a longstanding commitment to strengthening the Los Angeles community through wide-ranging programs that improve the health of its most vulnerable residents.
About Us:
We are a leading research institution committed to advancing scientific
knowledge and innovation. Our team is dedicated to conducting ground breaking
research and providing meaningful learning opportunities for aspiring
scientists. Join us and contribute to our mission while gaining invaluable
experience in a dynamic and collaborative environment.
The Research Internship program provides students and trainees an opportunity to
develop basic research skills. Interns in this program are provided the
opportunity to experience and observe many different aspects of basic,
translational and/or clinical research. This program offers interns a unique
experience, which is intended to provide a wealth of knowledge about the
numerous options for a career in healthcare research. Typically lasting not more
than a twelve-month period, this internship will expose participants to a
diverse spectrum of clinical and non-clinical based research investigations.
Under direct supervision from the assigned Postdoctoral Scientist, senior-level
Research Associate and/or Principal Investigator, the intern will be provided
with basic research instruction, will be oriented to the Institutional Review
Board and other Human Subjects courses, and will be introduced to new and
innovative research practices and techniques.
Overview of Department & Mentor
The Neuropathology Core Laboratory and Alzheimer's Disease Brain Bank within the
Department of Neurology provide a unique environment for translational human
neuroscience research. The program integrates human brain banking and rigorous
neuropathologic characterization with histology, immunohistochemistry, spatial
transcriptomics, digital pathology, quantitative image analysis, and molecular
data analysis. Samuel Guzman, MD, is a board-certified neuropathologist and
Scientific Director of the Neuropathology Core Laboratory and Director of the
Alzheimer's Disease Brain Bank. His research uses human brain tissue to
investigate Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, ALS,
tauopathies, epilepsy, neuro-inflammatory disease, and other neurologic
conditions.
Role Activities & Timeline
Weeks 1–4:
Orientation and foundational training in research compliance, laboratory safety,
human brain anatomy, brain banking, tissue preservation, and principles of
neuropathologic diagnosis and translational research.
Months 2–3:
Supervised exposure to approved brain bank and neuropathology workflows,
including neuroanatomic sampling, tissue processing, histology,
immunohistochemistry, digital slide review, and organization of de-identified
research material.
Months 3–6:
Participation in a supervised experimental neuropathology project. Activities
may include immunohistochemistry, quantitative image analysis, literature
review, data organization, and introduction to spatial transcriptomics datasets
and their relationship to tissue morphology.
Months 6–9:
Develop skills in image and data analysis and learn to integrate neuropathology
with spatial transcriptomics and other molecular findings. Participate in
research discussions, interpretation of results, and development of research
questions.
Months 9–12:
Complete a mentored research or neuropathology case-based project and prepare a
scientific presentation describing the question, methods, results, and
significance. Opportunities to contribute to abstracts, posters, or manuscripts
may be available when appropriate to the trainee's contribution.
Systems Access: N/A
Role Summary & Objectives
This internship is designed for students interested in medicine, neuroscience,
pathology, or biomedical research who want direct exposure to human brain
research and experimental neuropathology. The trainee will learn how carefully
characterized postmortem human brain tissue can be used to move from clinical
and neuropathologic observations to mechanistic research questions. Under
supervision, the intern will gain experience with brain bank workflows,
neuroanatomy, neuropathologic assessment, histology and immunohistochemistry,
digital pathology, quantitative image analysis, spatial transcriptomics, and
research data analysis. Trainees will learn to integrate morphologic, molecular,
spatial, and clinical information to study selective neuronal vulnerability and
mechanisms of neurologic disease. The primary objective is educational: to
develop practical research skills, scientific reasoning, and an understanding of
how human tissue research can contribute to biomarkers, disease mechanisms, and
future therapeutic investigation.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required Education & Experience
* Must be 18 years of age or older.
* Must have a HS Diploma or GED.
* Must reside in the greater Los Angeles area or surrounding cities while
conducting all activities related to the intern or visitor appointment.
* INTERNS: Those participating for academic credit must receive academic credit
for the duration of the internship.
Cedars-Sinai is a leader in providing high-quality healthcare encompassing
primary care, specialized medicine and research. Since 1902, Cedars-Sinai has
evolved to meet the needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation,
setting standards in quality and innovative patient care, research, teaching and
community service. Today, Cedars- Sinai is known for its national leadership in
transforming healthcare for the benefit of patients. Cedars-Sinai impacts the
future of healthcare by developing new approaches to treatment and educating
tomorrow's health professionals. Additionally, Cedars-Sinai demonstrates a
commitment to the community through programs that improve the health of its most
vulnerable residents.
Cedars-Sinai is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the
U.S., with 915 licensed beds, 2,993 physicians, 4,700+ nurses and thousands of
other healthcare professionals and staff. Choose this if you want to work in a
fast-paced environment that offers the highest level of care to people in the
Los Angeles that need our care the most.
