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Loughery ’18 Awarded ORISE Research Fellowship The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) research fellowship will allow her to conduct research at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defense.

Tara-Loughery-600x400 Loughery ’18 Awarded ORISE Research FellowshipTara Loughery ’18

Tara Loughery ’18 has won an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) research fellowship to conduct research at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defense.

Loughery is a double major in neuroscience and sociology and anthropology.

“I will be working in a lab which focuses on the effects of organophosphate nerve agents on the nervous system and looks at potential drug treatments for the symptoms of nerve agent exposure,” said Loughery.

ORISE administers a variety of internship programs for undergraduate students at national laboratories and other federal research facilities across the United States.

In the future, Loughery plans to pursue a Ph.D. in neurobiology or a related discipline.

“This fellowship will allow me to explore a new realm of neuroscience and develop new skills to build on those I’ve gained through my neuroscience research experience here at W&L,” she said. “I am excited about this opportunity and am very grateful to all of the faculty at W&L who helped me get here.”

According to their website, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asset that is dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system by providing world-class expertise in STEM workforce development, scientific and technical reviews and the evaluation of radiation exposure and environmental contamination.