(Posted October 9, 2006)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Jessica Mann, a senior at Juniata College from Northampton, Pa. studying biochemistry, received the National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship, an undergraduate award that will pay part of her tuition to Juniata and guarantee her a postdoctoral position at one of the Institute's laboratories.
Mann, the daughter of John and Lisa Mann, received an $11,000 scholarship, which she will apply toward her tuition at Juniata. In addition, in exchange for the scholarship award, Mann will attend a 10-week summer laboratory experience at one of the NIH labs in Bethesda, Md. after her senior year at the college. She will then attend graduate school to pursue a doctorate in biochemistry. The NIH scholarship also asks that all scholarship winners spend one year as a postdoctoral researcher at an NIH lab after completing graduate school.
"This is the first award I've received with such a large scholarship," Mann says. "The fact is that this scholarship means that I will have a postdoctoral position lined up, which is a big relief."
Mann will attend the 10-week summer laboratory experience, where she will be able to choose between a variety of research labs. Mann is interested in studying the interactions of pathogens and host organisms, such as how viruses infect a human being.
Mann has done extensive research at Juniata, working on an organic chemistry project synthesizing ninhydrin analogs with Richard Hark, associate professor of chemistry at Juniata. She also worked in a summer research experience with Penn State biochemist Donald Bryant on a project tracing the gene pathways in algae cells.



Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.