Undergraduate students involved with the CU LABCOATS program "rolled up their sleeves" July 30 to do community service as part of Colorado Cares Day.
The LABCOATS are high achieving students who love science and want to embark on biomedical research careers.
LABCOATS is a National Institutes of Health or NIH-funded program that supports students as they embark on biomedical research careers. The official NIH program name is the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD). The goal of IMSD is to increase involvement of students who are traditionally under-represented in science including first-generation and low-income students.
During a recent meeting, several LABCOATS students suggested a group project to foster a greater sense of community. Through a referral from the CU Denver Experiential Learning Center ten students gathered as part of Colorado Cares Day to support The Extreme Community Makeover.
LABCOATS Coordinator Shawna McMahon, PhD says "this volunteer experience helped students forge important bonds outside of the school and laboratory setting."
Students join the LABCOATS program in their freshman or sophomore year to complete pre-requisite requirements for participating in mentored research. Undergraduate junior and senior students work in labs with researchers at the Denver and Anschutz Medical Campuses on biomedically-related projects.
Photo: Michael Flowers (l to r), Lindsey Overton, Lacy Franks, Tiffany Pointon, Chi Huynh, Nema Sobhnai, Kyle Day, Tanya Liakhova, Greg Mahaffey, and Zack Moumen