Research Intern (Academic Credit)

The Merchant Lab at Cedars-Sinai is an NIH-funded translational cancer research laboratory focused on biomarker discovery and development to improve outcomes for patients with cancer. This internship provides a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in clinical and translational research while working alongside a multidisciplinary team of physicians, scientists, and research staff.

The intern will support research efforts involving the collection, processing, and analysis of patient tissue and blood specimens for biomarker studies and will assist in correlating biomarker findings with treatment response. Through this experience, the intern will learn best practices for conducting human subjects research, handling and processing biospecimens, maintaining research data integrity, and adhering to laboratory safety and regulatory requirements.

In addition to laboratory activities, the intern will participate in weekly laboratory meetings, journal club discussions, and research presentations. The intern will receive ongoing mentorship through weekly one-on-one meetings with Dr. Merchant to review progress, discuss scientific concepts, and support professional development. The role also provides exposure to patient-facing clinical research activities and opportunities to observe the integration of research into patient care.

Weeks 1–2

• Onboarding and Research Training
• Complete required training and certifications, including CITI and HealthStream modules.
• Learn institutional policies related to human subjects research, patient confidentiality, biospecimen handling, and laboratory safety.
• Receive orientation to laboratory procedures, workflows, and ongoing research projects.

Weeks 3–9

• Research Participation and Professional Development
• Assist with organizing, sorting, labeling, and cataloging histological slides and research specimens.
• Support the collection, processing, and management of patient biospecimens used in biomarker research studies.
• Observe and interact with patients participating in approved clinical research protocols, as appropriate.
• Participate in weekly laboratory meetings and journal club discussions.
• Meet weekly with Dr. Merchant for mentorship, progress reviews, and guidance on research activities.
• Develop scientific communication skills through formal presentations and discussion of research findings.

• Midpoint Milestone
• Deliver a formal presentation to the laboratory team summarizing learning experiences, research contributions, and key scientific concepts related to the project.

• End of Internship
• Present a summary of completed work, lessons learned, and future areas of interest in translational cancer research.