2026 NMRC Interns Conclude Summer Program, Present Work for Navy Medicine R&D
Interns presented posters summarizing work across multiple research areas in support of U.S. force readiness, including infectious disease, undersea medicine and neurotrauma.
NMRC summer interns put their skills toward the challenges facing Navy Medicine, and assisted the command mission to ensure the health of U.S. service members. Over the course of the summer, their mentors also shared information on opportunities with the Navy and within military medical research.
“I learned a lot,” said Yana Baranwal, a SEAP intern and rising high school senior who worked with NMRC’s Clinical Trials Center (CTC) over the summer. “I think when most students think about a career in science, they’re envisioning the lab. There’s a lot of other important parts of the scientific process, and it was a great opportunity to see all the environments where you can work within science.”
The NREIP and SEAP programs at NMRC pair students with command mentors throughout multiple research areas. These mentors provide interns with practical hands-on experience in the military medical research environment, and help familiarize interns with research and laboratory techniques.
“This program does more than just teach; it empowers,” said Lt. Sara Tuck, a microbiologist, and co-coordinator for NMRC’s internship program. “By engaging these gifted young minds in our active research environment, we provide the opportunity to learn directly from our brilliant, experienced mentors, fostering a lifelong passion for science, and developing future leaders.”
NMRC’s internship coordinators also organized direct guidance sessions with command staff and a tour of the National Museum of Health and Medicine to further interns’ education.
“This program represents a direct investment in the future of the Navy and Navy Medicine R&D, ensuring continuity of our the research pipelines,” explained Maj. Janas Gray, co-coordinator for the internship program. “An important long-term goal is retention of this exceptional talent. Some interns are known to return as civilian/contractor scientists or military personnel, such as Lt. Tuck. This is a true testament to the program's success and lasting value.”
Tuck, as an NREIP intern, previously worked with the Office of Naval Research. Less than two years after her commissioning, she now demonstrates the achievements possible through U.S. Navy STEM opportunities.
NMRC uses multiple channels to recruit and retain critical U.S. Navy medical support personnel. The research commands reach out to the next generation of scientists through conferences, STEM events, internships and career days, and support recruiting efforts early in undergraduate and graduate programs.
NMRC, headquarters of Navy Medicine Research & Development, is engaged in a broad spectrum of activity from basic science in the laboratory to field studies in austere and remote areas of the world to investigations in operational environments. In support of Navy, Marine Corps and joint U.S. warfighter health, readiness and lethality, researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, operational mission support and epidemiology.
Navy Medicine’s 44,000+ talented and ready forces optimize health readiness, deliver quality healthcare, and provide global expeditionary medical support to warfighters.
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