These ndings may shed light on new treatment targets for some cancers. Our researchers' ability to secure major grants, in the face of stiff competition, is a testament to the quality of research being conducted here. The program will offer Ph. D.-level graduate students the chance to work alongside leading scientists in both academic and industrial settings. Involving Undergraduates in Research Faculty research has an immediate effect on the educational experience of our students.
Research projects support many of our graduate students.
They also provide undergraduates with the eye-opening and exciting experience of working on the outer limits of our knowledge. For instance, Jefferson and Echols Scholar Eric Dunham is helping physics professor Blaine Norum measure the properties of the strong nuclear force using the continuous electron beam accelerator at Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory. Dunham's job is to create a computer simulation that mimics the process, giving researchers the precise settings they need to optimize their results. Another student, Natalie Beckman, is working in the lab of Dr. Thomas J. Braciale, director of the Beirne Carter Center for Immunology Research and an expert on the respiratory syncytial virus. This virus is responsible for a high proportion of hospital stays in children under twelve years of age.