While many of her peers may be enjoying a relaxing summer at home or on vacation, Jane Kruchowsky of Glendale is spending eight weeks doing research in a science lab learning about immunohistochemistry.

The 20-year-old ASU West student, who is double-majoring in psychology and life sciences, is one of 16 high school and college science students who are exploring careers in science and medicine as summer interns at the Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City.

"I should be graduating in less than a year and of the two paths I am considering -- university professor or going into research -- this is causing me to lean towards research," Kruchowsky said.

That has been the trend of the interns over the last 10 years, with careers in health care and science pursued by 98 percent of the interns, with many of those advancing to graduate work in the fields.

The summer intern program matches high school and college interns with scientists to work in one of the institute's laboratories, conducting a wide range of research including Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease research, and learning scientific techniques including cell culture isolation and working with DNA. The program continues through July 31.

Interns were selected from among 150 applicants. They will receive a $1,000 stipend at the end of the summer.

Kruchowsky, a graduate of Mountain Ridge High School, said her internship has been a great learning experience. She is working with adult stem cells and contributing to research for Parkinson's disease.

"I haven't had a lot of cellular microbiology, but a ton of general biology, chemistry and genetics," she said. "They are giving me books and papers to read. I love learning, and this is causing me to learn every day."

Elizabeth Carter, 19, of Glendale has returned to intern for a second summer. She is a Mountain Ridge graduate in her third year at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., majoring in biochemistry. She plans to go to medical school upon graduation, possibly get her Ph.D. and conduct research.

Last summer, she worked in the orthopedic gait analysis lab as part of the CORE Institute, where she recorded data that measured  improvements after a knee or hip replacement.

"We created a three-dimensional image of the patient and measured the angles and joints, and it was directly connected to the ortho clinic there," Carter said. "I also got to see some surgeries."

This summer, she is working with Dr. Mohamed Gaballa, a cardiovascular specialist who is using adult stem cells as part of his research in how to repair a heart after a heart attack, by helping in the differentiating of cell types and measuring their progress.

Lihfen Lue, a scientist doing work in the neuroinflammation lab, said the interns' experience with such things as the brain bank, whole body and tissue donations allows them to see how a research lab works, which literature is used and how to think about scientific subjects.

"Every year they give something back by producing data," Lue said. "But what we are most concerned with are that they are stimulated and leave here knowing what research is and how important it is to study human disease."

Lue said the internships provide an outlet to make the institute's work reach further into the community and inspire future scientists.

"We can have our experience and our knowledge help extend to students so they will become future physicians or even researchers," Lue said. "It broadens our purpose ... and makes our mission bigger since we know our experience is viable for future generations of scientists in the making."

Joy Slagowski may be reached at 623-876-2514, or jslagowski@yourwestvalley.com.