Posted: Aug 02, 2018

Summer Internship Spotlight: Katrina Hartman

Summer break is about more than having fun in the sun. For a number of Simpson student-athletes, the summer months provide an opportunity to prepare for their career. This year, SimpsonAthletics.com is taking a closer look at how eight student-athletes are making the most of their summer.

Katrina Hartman

Sport: Volleyball
Hometown: New Prague, Minn.
Class this Fall: Junior
Major: Neuroscience (pre-Med)
Internship: Participant in the Mentored Student Research Program at Des Moines University

What are your primary responsibilities?

Responsibilities include working in the lab on my project: exploring how estrogen affects the polarization of microglia to regulate hypertension.

How does this position help with your career goals?

I am learning so much about the mechanisms behind hypertension, which will definitely help me in my goals to become a physician. I am also gaining networking opportunities with DMU students and faculty here at the medical school.

Did Simpson play a role in helping you get these internships? If so, how?

I learned about the program from a student who researched here last year, and I received a lot more information about it from my advisor, Dr. Brittingham.

How has your experience as a student-athlete been helpful in this position?

My role as a student-athlete has definitely benefited me in this position, because it has instilled in me values of collaboration and determination. Every procedure in the lab has countless steps; there are so many things that can go wrong, so collaborating with other researchers and not giving up on the project is essential.