W&J senior selected for competitive internship with Allegheny Health Network

Created: August 20, 2018  |  Last Updated: September 15, 2021  |  Category:   |  Tagged:

WASHINGTON, PA (Aug. 20, 2018)—The Allegheny Health Network (AHN) chose Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) senior Sarah Janczewski ’19 for one of six internships out of a pool of more than 60 candidates.

“This internship was so competitive because it was open to both undergraduate and medical students,” Sarah said. “I was very excited and a little surprised when I found out that I got in. I was excited and felt lucky to have this awesome opportunity.”

The North Huntington, Pa., native applied for the eight-week paid internship with AHN’s Medicine Institute earlier in the year, and was assigned Kevin Kelly, M.D., Ph.D., as a mentor in the program. With Dr. Kelly, Sarah spent the summer researching traumatic brain injuries.

Sarah, a neuroscience major on the pre-health track, worked on the project “The role of neutrophils in post-traumatic epileptogenesis.” The study used ethical research practices and followed experimental protocol set forth by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to examine neuroinflammatory response in rats to determine where white blood cells called neutrophils accumulate in an injured brain.

With further research in the coming years, the study aims to determine if administering a drug will reduce neuro inflammation and prevent the development of epilepsy in patients following a traumatic brain injury.

“I think W&J has definitely prepared me for opportunities like this one,” said Sarah, who is also minoring in French and chemistry. “From how to work in the lab, to how to be professional with physicians and mentors and how to give a presentation, I definitely utilized skills that I’ve learned at W&J.”

This isn’t Sarah’s first internship, either. Last summer, she interned at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh with chief ophthalmologist Dr. Ken Nischal. She plans to enter medical school in the fall of 2019 and become a doctor, and is grateful for the professional opportunities she already has had as a W&J student.

About Washington & Jefferson College

Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.

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