Morales receives national award from the NIH
By Cristin Carr
If commitment and determination define the requirements of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship, than Melissa Morales '03, winner of the 2002-03 national award is a perfect fit.
Numerous achievements at Brandeis have marked her career with excellence, distinguishing her as one of the nine recipients, who were selected from a national pool of 160 applicants.
"There was an intense interviewing process for the award, in which I met with six scientists at the NIH's main headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland," said Morales. "It was just so amazing to be considered for the award and even more incredible to learn that I was a recipient of the scholarship."
The NIH Undergraduate Scholarship, geared towards individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, is awarded to students who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, or social science research. Scholars receive up to $20,000 a year to cover the cost of tuition and educational expenses. Recipients also participate in a 10-week internship, where they train under the guidance of an NIH principal investigator. After graduation awardees continue working at the NIH as part of a one-year, paid, research training period.
Morales, a Los Angeles native, will be the first person from her family to graduate from college. She attributes the support and encouragement received from her close-knit family to her success.
"I've been given so many opportunities including this amazing award because of the strength I've received from my family and the opportunities I've received by attending Brandeis University," said Morales.
During freshman year she received the Gates Millennium Scholarship, a grant funded from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for minority students demonstrating strong leadership potential. She was also named a Brandeis McNair Scholar, a program that encourages first generation college students to pursue doctoral studies and to consider careers in academia. Morales also works on campus as a science tutor in the Student Support Services Program and she has volunteered as a publicity coordinator for Brandeis's family weekend.
"Melissa loves the sciences and is driven to excel but she is also giving, warm and friendly and has a deep desire to give back to her community," said Lesola Morgan, associate dean for student enrichment services.
Since enrolling at Brandeis Morales has spent every summer strengthening her career through various educational programs. As a participant in UCLA's premedical enrichment program, she was involved in a unique summer internship program that allows students to focus on science and medicine through the investigation of patient case histories.
She also participated in Columbia University's Minority Medical Enrichment Program, an eight-week intensive summer internship and the Howard Hughes summer internship program, which supported an independent research project conducted within the lab of John M. Lowenstein, professor of biochemistry. Her research involved the analysis of a small regulatory protein called HINT (histidine triad nucleotide binding). Morales plans to apply the research skills gained in Lowenstein's lab towards a career in immunology or cardiology.