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UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences

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Translate fundamental research into innovative product candidates, technologies, and services that deliver benefits to human health and well-being

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IALS is helping drive UMass Amherst’s vision for the future of food.

As a key partner in the new Paul and Dianne Manning Center for the Future of Food, IALS will connect cutting-edge research with real-world applications, advancing innovation in nutrition, food safety, sustainability and food production to create healthier, more resilient food systems.

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a month ago

Introducing Jenna, the Marketing & Communications Core Summer Intern!

Jenna is a rising senior majoring in communication, and this is her first experience with IALS. Jenna has spent her summer conducting interviews and photoshoots of the Core Summer Interns to create profiles on them, creating engaging graphics to advertise relevant events and information, posting on various social media platforms, and working directly with the Marketing & Communications director on any other projects as they arise.

Jenna was drawn to this internship because of how unique the experience appeared. “When I looked into this role, I could tell I would get much more from it than from the roles I was seeing advertised. As a student with a primary academic focus within the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, I found that this would expose me to a side of UMass that I was entirely unfamiliar with. The opportunity to learn about all of the fascinating scientific developments and groundbreaking research occurring just across the street from where I spend most of my time (without the pressure of having to comprehend every detail) was so appealing.” When she first began her internship, Jenna was most excited to interview all of the Core Summer Interns and tell their stories.

Jenna would recommend this program to other students, “especially those interested in delving into a specialized area of communications. I’ve been provided countless opportunities to strengthen my understanding of business communications by improving my graphic design skills, learning branding guidelines, and observing metrics and engagement statistics, all while exercising a new skill in science communication. Additionally, the CSI program provided me with the ability to connect with so many people I likely wouldn’t have otherwise met, from my fellow interns to professionals with a variety of backgrounds.”

In her free time, Jenna’s been exploring Amherst and its neighboring areas. She loves going on long outdoor walks, listening to music, and hanging out with her friends at the beach, watching movies together, or getting ice cream.

My Core Summer Internship: FULFILLING

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2 months ago

This afternoon, IALS Core Summer Interns participated in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Symposium here at UMass!

The REU program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

This event featured our CSI students presenting posters on the research they completed this summer in their respective cores, alongside other interns, students, and faculty!

#csiumass by @umassials

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2 months ago

Introducing Haeun, one of the Electron Microscopy Core Summer Interns!

Haeun is a rising senior majoring in chemical engineering, and this is her second CSI experience with Electron Microscopy! She was previously part of Professor Clark Chen’s lab. In Electron Microscopy, Haeun’s responsibilities include sample prep and analyzation, imaging on the microscopes, working on her research project, and shadowing the lab’s technician.

Haeun was initially interested in joining the lab after hearing some friends within her major describe their experiences within the Core Facilities. “I was talking to the seniors within my major, and they were talking about the Core Facility internship. There was Zaw, who was the intern for Electron Microscopy, a senior who did the Light Microscopy internship, and another who did the NMR Chemistry internship. It sounded like an amazing opportunity; this was a chance where I could really focus on an instrument.” Her favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the Thermo Fisher Volumescope 2, because it has a large chamber, meaning that it can analyze bigger samples. When she first began her internship, Haeun was most excited to learn to independently operate the microscopes and learn so much about them.

Haeun would recommend this program because “it’s a very special opportunity to work so closely with these instruments as an undergraduate researcher. Few undergraduate opportunities allow students to develop such an in-depth understanding of both an instrument and the science behind its applications. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to continue this work for two summers and throughout the school year. It has been truly amazing to see such a wide range of samples and to learn how each lab is developing new knowledge and technologies that could contribute to a better future.”

Outside of the lab, Haeun enjoys reading, watching movies, crafting, and baking for her friends! She’s been exploring Amherst by visiting Puffer’s Pond, Amherst Cinema, and GoBerry ‘n Cream. She loves joining her fellow lab members for outings to Chili’s or to get ice cream together.

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@umassengineering by @umassials

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2 months ago

Introducing Ana, one of the Electron Microscopy Core Summer Interns!

Ana is a rising sophomore majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, and this is their first experience working with a Core Facility! In Electron Microscopy, Ana’s responsibilities include looking at samples on the Cryo-EM, helping prepare grids for screened samples, and refilling liquid nitrogen.

Ana was interested in electron microscopy after meeting their supervisor through an extra credit opportunity “We were in a biology lab looking at some bacteriophages, and they were imaging it for us, so we got to come in. I went over to talk to her, heard her mentioning the internship, and asked about it. I asked how she got to where she was, and she thought I’d be really interested in what we’re doing here. Because of my major, going into a lab like this made a lot of sense, because they were doing something called structural biology, which is looking at a protein and seeing what it looks like in a 3D space.” Their favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the Vitrobot because there’s so many steps to it. When they first began their internship, Ana was most excited about being here so early in their college experience and gaining a background in the lab.

Ana would absolutely recommend this program to other students. “It is an incredible opportunity to learn and live with other people who are just as motivated as I am. Working with other UMass students is amazing, because we all have the shared experience of going here as well as being in the internship program. Working with someone who got her biochemistry and molecular biology degree from UMass Amherst, then got her PhD, and then came back to do this where I’m interning under her - having that person as a mentor is amazing.”

Outside of the lab, Ana loves playing video games with their friends, especially storyline based games where they get to figure out the lore as they play. Their favorites are Bioshock, Subnautica, and now Subnautica 2. They also love hanging out with their friends and going paddle boarding on some local ponds and lakes.

My Core Summer Internship: INTERESTING

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@umasscns by @umassials

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2 months ago

Introducing Nishat, one of the Center for Human Health and Performance (CH2P) Core Summer Interns!

Nishat is a rising senior majoring in biomedical engineering, and this is her first experience working with a Core Facility! She’s also involved with Professor Dmitry Kireev’s lab, which mostly focuses on wearable devices and bioelectronics. In CH2P, Nishat’s responsibilities include helping set up the rooms and calibrate the machines for participant visits, and cataloging all kinds of devices and wearables.

Nishat was interested in this lab because “It goes really well with my major. I got to know about this opportunity from Professor Kireev, he told us about it, and it seemed really cool. I want to be able to work in this after I’m done with my education, so I knew this experience would do really well for me.” Her favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the Parvo because it’s fun to set up. When she first began her internship, Nishat was most excited to work with participants.”

Nishat would recommend this program because “Going in, I didn’t expect I’d get to work directly with human participants, and that hands-on exposure has been one of the most valuable parts of the experience.”

Outside of the lab, Nishat is interested in F1, MotoGP, and reading. Her top two book genres are horror and murder mysteries. She enjoys going for coffee walks with her fellow interns and chatting in between tasks when she has the chance.

My Core Summer Internship: REWARDING

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@umassengineering by @umassials

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2 months ago

Introducing Malachi, one of the Center for Human Health and Performance (CH2P) Core Summer Interns!

Malachi is a rising junior majoring in computer science, and this is his first experience working with a Core Facility! He previously participated in the URV program and worked remotely with a research lab. In CH2P, Malachi’s responsibilities include working on software-based projects for mHealth, building a knowledge portal for CH2P, guiding participants through exercises, and cleaning up equipment.

Malachi became interested in this lab because he wanted to find a non-traditional tech role where he could still utilize his computer science skills. “For me, it was important to find some intersecting areas where I could apply my computer science knowledge to a field that’s not as tech-centric. That was what I was looking for when I was applying; something where I can still use the skills that I’ve built up over the last couple of years, but for something that feels a bit more human, a bit more grounded than super theoretical, conceptual creations.” His favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the Parvo system because it’s an interesting part of setting up the VO2 max test. When he first began his internship, Malachi was most excited to get hands-on experience in a field that’s a bit wider than what he’s used to.

Malachi would definitely recommend this program because “it is not only a great way to get real lab experiences, it’s also a great way to meet more like-minded people who have similar interests to you. Getting the experience of having a team and having to work with others is really important. Getting to understand the system of research that exists for computer science students was also pretty big for me.”

Outside of the lab, Malachi is usually playing guitar, video games, or disk golf, on Logic Pro, riding his bike, or at the gym. His favorite movie right now is Backrooms, and his current favorite book is called Exhalation. In the lab, he likes to make progress on the knowledge agent he’s been working on with his fellow interns, and go for coffee walks with them for fun.

My Core Summer Internship: GROWTH

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@manningcics by @umassials

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2 months ago

Introducing Ava, one of the Center for Human Health and Performance (CH2P) Core Summer Interns!

Ava is a rising senior majoring in computer science, and this is her first experience working with a Core Facility! She previously participated in the URV program and worked on her own computer science research project, and was more recently involved with a kinesiology lab. In CH2P, Ava’s responsibilities include helping with participant visits by setting up equipment, setting up the room calorimeter, and assisting with running the visit. She’s also working on building a knowledge assistant for people to find specific documentation.

Ava was interested in this lab because she wanted to grow her research experience. “After my past experience, I realized that I wanted to get more into research. The first two years of college, I didn’t really see research as an option for computer science majors, but it definitely is. I wanted to get more involved with exercise science, because it’s something I’m very passionate about, and I’m also very passionate about tech, so I want to combine those passions. I’m very interested in wearable devices, and mHealth does a lot of work with wearables.” Her favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the Parvo machine, because it’s fun to set up and calibrate. When she first began her internship, Ava was most excited to observe the actual studies and learn how various tests are done, including VO2 max tests and general fitness tests.

Ava would recommend this program students “interested in research. It’s a very unique program where you get to work in state of the art research facilities, learn from experienced researchers, get hands on experience with real projects, work with and get to know other interns, live on campus, and gain better insight into the career path you want to pursue.”

Outside of the lab, Ava’s main interest is fitness - she’s been weightlifting for the past six years. If she’s not at the gym, she’s likely meal prepping or coding typically fitness-related projects, such as building personal apps to help her track her training and nutritional plans.

My Core Summer Internship: PURPOSEFUL

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@manningcics by @umassials

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2 months ago

Introducing Shailey, the Raman, IR, and XRF Spectroscopy Core Summer Intern!

Shailey is a rising junior majoring in food science and biochemistry & molecular biology, and this is her first experience working with a Core Facility! She was also involved with the Zhou lab, which sought to find bacteria in species. In Raman, IR, and XRF Spectroscopy, Shailey’s responsibilities include working on core projects, which includes taking data and making reports, or assisting with different projects by making samples or helping anyone around the lab.

Shailey was interested in this lab because of the benefits of the research produced. “This work can support the development of safer and better products in areas like food, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and environmental science. Accurate material analysis helps researchers make informed decisions.” Her favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the Raman, because you can go through data and see the depth and the composition of what you’re looking at. When she first began her internship, Shailey was most excited to try all of the machines, because they’re top-quality technology that she isn’t able to use in most of her classes, so the experience would be something new.

Shailey would recommend this program because “it provides hands-on experience with advanced instruments and real samples. It also helps students build technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.”

Outside of the lab, Shailey enjoys spending her free time hanging out with friends, baking, watching movies, and trying new foods.

My Core Summer Internship: INSIGHTFUL

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@umasscns by @umassials

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3 months ago

Introducing Patricia, one of the Sleep Monitoring Core Summer Interns!

Tricia is a rising senior majoring in psychology and philosophy, and she’s worked with the Sleep Monitoring Core Facility before on the Female Emotional Memory and Sleep (FEMS) women’s health study. In Sleep Monitoring, Tricia’s responsibilities include data collections at night, and scheduling, recruitment, flyering, data organization, cleaning, and setting up during the day.

Tricia was interested in continuing to work with the lab after her previous experience, “I took a class with Carolyn Davies, Adult Psychopathology, and realized that caught both my interests, and that anxiety disorders and positive psych can be integrated. I’m really interested in sleep research and I knew they were going to be testing a device for women’s health this summer.” Her favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the Embletta screen, because you can see live brain waves, and showing that to participants is really cool. When she first began her internship, Tricia was most excited to help with recruitment, which she didn’t have previous experience with.

Tricia would recommend this program because “even if you are in an academic research lab or it’s your first experience, you will get such a wholesome look at the whole human research process, and sleep psychology is so cool! We are doing some really great studies to test devices to help menopausal women’s sleep quality, adults with mild sleep difficulties, and older adults with and without cognitive impairments! Sleep is important for all people of all ages and helping us better understand how that looks in different groups and devices that can improve this is so important!”

Outside of the lab, Tricia loves hanging out with her fellow interns by picking lavender, going to the beach or to Flayvors of Cook Farm, and really just exploring what it looks like to be in Amherst for the summer! When she’s not working, she loves reading, preferably outside, spending time with her own or volunteering at the dog shelter, or working on her Honors thesis for next year.

My Core Summer Internship: TRANSFORMATIVE

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@umasshfa by @umassials

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3 months ago

Introducing Nina, one of the Sleep Monitoring Core Summer Interns!

Nina is a rising senior majoring in psychology and sustainable food & farming, and she’s worked with the Sleep Monitoring Core Facility before on the Female Emotional Memory and Sleep (FEMS) women’s health study. In Sleep Monitoring, Nina’s responsibilities include data collections, running participants in the lab, and working with her fellow lab members for recruiting and scheduling participants.

Nina was interested in continuing to work with the lab after her previous experience. “I first came into the lab in a women’s health study that studied emotional memory and ovarian cycling hormones, and that was super interesting. I did have some previous research experience and really fell in love with working with participants, I love working with the community and interacting with people. I also get to be in conversations with these amazing researchers and listen to what they’re researching, what they’re interested in, and it is just a really great environment to be in. It’s amazing to be surrounded by such amazing, intelligent, curious people.” Her favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the ambulatory polysomnography because she finds it cool to be able to see people’s brain waves in real time. When she first began her internship, Nina was excited to explore industry, since she had no previous experience working with outside companies.

Nina would recommend this program because “its a great way to explore your passions and connect to other curious people. Everyone in the lab comes from a very different background. There’s people who have a background in academia, some in physiological, some in clinical, so I’m surrounded by different people with different perspectives. The program itself feels well-rounded; I get workshops, I get different connections, so it feels really nice.”

Outside of the lab, Nina loves creating art and being in nature with her friends. She craves time at Lake Wyola with her girls or reading a good book. Yoga and mediation are practices she loves doing for self care with her friends.

My Core Summer Internship: ILLUMINATING

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@sesumass by @umassials

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3 months ago

Introducing Leela, one of the Sleep Monitoring Core Summer Interns!

Leela is a rising junior majoring in neuroscience, and this is her first experience working with a Core Facility! She’s also involved with Dr. Ready’s Cognition Culture and Emotion lab. In Sleep Monitoring, Leela’s responsibilities include enrolling and scheduling participants, and data collections at night.

Leela became interested in this lab because of the research experience she would gain from it. “This lab is really interesting to me because it’s a neuro-psych lab, and I’m really interested in those topics. I’ve considered working with athletes in the future, and obviously sleep is super important. It’s very important for everybody, but especially athletes, so I was curious to learn more about that and get involved in research relating to that. It’s really cool that the lab has a lot of different studies going on, so there’s a lot of different directions you can go.” Her favorite piece of equipment in the lab is the polysomnography, because it’s been fun getting more comfortable with the technology. When she first began her internship, Leela was most excited about deepening her understanding of the Embletta system and the different measures that are used to analyze sleep.

Leela would definitely recommend this program to others, “This experience has been really enjoyable. Not only are the people kind, intelligent, and welcoming, but the lab work itself is incredibly interesting and important. Ultimately, the work done will impact society by validating devices that improve sleep quality and/or quantity, as well as provide general research on sleep and women’s health.”

Outside of the lab, Leela loves jiu-jitsu, reading, lifting, hiking, crocheting, taking care of her plants, listening to music, calling friends & family back home, and spending time with animals. She spends time with her fellow interns at the beach or getting ice cream. One of her favorite movies is the Princess Bride, and recently, she’s been listening to Ethel Cain.

My Core Summer Internship: BRILLIANT

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@umasscns by @umassials

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3 months ago