Copyright © 2004 NLThomas
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Garrett Mouse, a 20-year-old junior attending the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, wants to make a contribution to the Cherokee Nation's health like the native doctors made when the Indian Health Service treated him in childhood. The nine-week summer internship that he just completed in a National Institute on Aging (NIA) lab will give him a big head start whether he decides to become a doctor, a physical therapist, or a medical researcher, he said.

"I had never been involved in a lab, so I expected everyone to be quiet and to keep to themselves. But everyone was active and helpful," Mouse said of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics in NIA's Intramural Program. "I learned about Alzheimer's disease (AD) and about recognizing the APP protein which is characteristic of AD. I spent the summer learning lab techniques like the Western Blot test. The lab staff was a very diverse group with people from China and Japan."

Mouse describes John Hardy, Ph.D., lab chief, and Huaibin Cai, Ph.D., his mentor, as brilliant and dedicated. "They come into work at eight in the morning and work until eight at night. They see a purpose in their work. A lot of the time I felt like I was on information overload."

While Mouse learned some unexpected things about the lab, the lab researchers learned some unexpected things about Mouse. When some of the researchers who experiment with mice saw Garrett Mouse's name, they thought they'd tease "the little guy." But then Mouse, all 6'5" of him, showed up and that plan was quickly scrapped.

Mouse participated in the NIA summer intern program through the Washington Internships for Native Students (WINS), which places native students throughout the Federal Government. American University (AU) operates the 12-year-old, yearround program, which placed four summer interns at NIH. In addition to spending 40 hours a week in the lab,Mouse also took an evening course in Indian policy at AU, earning a total of 6 college credits.

"I made so many friends, especially among other people in the WINS program. I got to meet Dave Anderson, the assistant secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs," Mouse said. "It's a great program for native college students from the junior level all the way through graduate school." In 2004, WINS sponsored 77 students. Mouse's younger brother, a high school junior interested in science, might also participate in the program in a few years, he said.

"I like Washington, D.C., because there are so many things to do, but it's exhausting after a while. Everything is so fast-paced," Mouse said. The first thing he'll do when he returns to Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is to "get a big steak and drive my truck," a big red Chevy. "I have a month off until school starts on August 23, so I'll probably make some money hauling hay or mowing lawns."

Mouse said he wants to return to the NIA next summer to continue learning about research. "Working in the lab has made my interest in science grow even more," Mouse said.

Related Cherokee Nation contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org