Louisiana High School Teachers Complete LSU Health New Orleans Genetics and Biology Research Experience for Teachers (GeneBIORETS) Summer Internship Program
LSU Health New Orleans community members attended the Genetics and Biology Research
Experience for Teachers (GeneBIORETS) annual poster session on Friday, July 17. Participants
shared the research they conducted under the mentorship of faculty and their teams
in the Schools of Medicine, Public Health and Graduate Studies during a six-week on-campus
program.
The teachers' students will benefit not only from the teachers’ newly acquired knowledge and skills, but also from the GeneBIORETS funded supplies for their science classrooms as the program continues throughout the school year.
Since its inception, the GeneBIORETS program has reached more than 1,500 high school students throughout Louisiana during the school year. Teacher participants from the 2024-2026 GeneBIORETS represented the Louisiana parishes of Caddo, Jefferson, Natchitoches, Orleans, and St. Tammany. This program provides training experiences for up to 10 Louisiana teachers per year and has long-term impacts on how teachers impart science education in their classrooms, ultimately inspiring students to pursue and excel in STEM professions.
The program is under the leadership of Dr. Fern Tsien (LSUHSC LCMC Health Cancer Center and Dept. of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology). Co-directors include Ms. Martha Cuccia (School of Public Health), Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman (Dept. of Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Experimental Therapeutics), and Dr. Arnold Zea (LSUHSC LCMC Health Cancer Center and Dept. of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology). More information about the GeneBIORETS Program can be found on their website.
This program is funded by the National Science Foundation.