Research Intern (Academic Credit), Guzman Lab

About the Role

We are a leading research institution committed to advancing scientific knowledge and innovation. The Research Internship program provides students and trainees an opportunity to develop basic research skills, experience and observe many different aspects of basic, translational and/or clinical research, and gain knowledge about career options in healthcare research. This program typically lasts no more than a twelve-month period. Under direct supervision, the intern will receive basic research instruction, be oriented to the Institutional Review Board and other Human Subjects courses, and be introduced to new and innovative research practices and techniques.

The Neuropathology Core Laboratory and Alzheimer's Disease Brain Bank within the Department of Neurology provide a unique environment for translational human neuroscience research. This program integrates human brain banking and rigorous neuropathologic characterization with histology, immunohistochemistry, spatial transcriptomics, digital pathology, quantitative image analysis, and molecular data analysis.

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 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.

Key Responsibilities

• Orientation and foundational training in research compliance, laboratory safety, human brain anatomy, brain banking, tissue preservation, and principles of neuropathologic diagnosis and translational research.
• 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.
• Participation in supervised experimental neuropathology projects. Activities may include immunohistochemistry, quantitative image analysis, literature review, data organization, and introduction to spatial transcriptomics datasets and their relationship to tissue morphology.
• 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.
• 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.
• Learn how carefully characterized postmortem human brain tissue can be used to move from clinical and neuropathologic observations to mechanistic research questions.
• Gain experience with brain bank workflows, neuroanatomy, neuropathologic assessment, histology and immunohistochemistry, digital pathology, quantitative image analysis, spatial transcriptomics, and research data analysis.
• Learn to integrate morphologic, molecular, spatial, and clinical information to study selective neuronal vulnerability and mechanisms of neurologic disease.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Neuroscience
• Pathology
• Biomedical Research
• Human Brain Research
• Experimental Neuropathology
• Brain Bank Workflows
• Neuroanatomy
• Neuropathologic Assessment
• Histology
• Immunohistochemistry
• Digital Pathology
• Quantitative Image Analysis
• Spatial Transcriptomics
• Research Data Analysis
• Morphologic Analysis
• Molecular Analysis
• Spatial Analysis
• Clinical Information Integration

Qualifications

• 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.
• Must receive academic credit for the duration of the internship.