Instructor
Jared Almandinger
jalmandinger@waukeeschools.org
Time
Medical and Bioscience Research is offered Blocks 1-2 and 3-4 during the fall and Block 3-4 in the spring.
Location
Waukee Innovation and Learning Center Research Lab, 295 SE Ashworth Road, Waukee, IA 50263
Course Description
The Medical and Bioscience Research course is hands-on, inquiry-based research within health and biosciences including a laboratory component. Students will interact with business partners that have laboratory project needs in the area of tissue cell culture (examples: cancer cells, animal cells, or plant cells), DNA, natural products discovery, protein and cellular regulation, diagnostics tests for bacteria, food contamination, fungal disease, and more. These biotechnology concepts can transcend medicine, biology, chemistry, and all health and bioscience research career areas. Students will become familiar with using biotechnology equipment such as incubators, laminar flow hoods, pipet technique, gel electrophoresis, purification, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
Career Opportunities
Students will be connected to industry partners to explore projects and career opportunities such as microbiologist, chemist, parasitologist, zoologist, genetic counselor, botanist, medical and clinical technologist, veterinarian, plant scientist, medical scientist, nurse, and physician.
Curriculum Advisory Team
- Holly Showalter, Ph.D., APEX Instructor, Waukee Community Schools
- Michelle Hill, Director of Waukee APEX, Waukee Community Schools
- Cindy Snell, APEX Instructor, Waukee Community Schools
- Kari Hensen, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, Des Moines Area Community College
- Michael Lentsch, Director of Enrollment Management, Des Moines Area Community College
- Tina Schmitt-Loyd, AP Biology and Honors Biology Teacher, Waukee High School
- Pramod Mahajan, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Drake University
- Elitsa Ananieva, Ph.D., Asst. Professor of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Des Moines University
- Sarah Clayton, Ph.D., Asst. Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology, Des Moines University
- Suzanne Bohlson, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Des Moines University
- Idit Hazan, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Grandview University
- Catherine Renner, Ph.D., Director, Office of Research, UnityPoint Health
- Brindha Narasimhamoorthy, Ph.D., Associate Director, Specialty Crops, Kemin Industries
- Ajith Anand, Ph.D., Research Scientist, DuPont Pioneer
- Peg Armstrong-Gustafson, Business Development Manager of Waukee APEX/President and Founder of Amson
- Technology, LLC