Applications for 2024 Summer Internships Close End of February

Students need to take note that applications for summer internships at TRI close on February 29th (2024 is a leap year, so you have an extra day!). Please contact us if you would like to apply.

TRI is committed to educating the next generation of scientists, and education is a key pillar of the Institute’s overall mission: ‘Research, Education and Service’. TRI Princeton has been and continues to be proud to be able to offer internship opportunities for graduate and post-graduate students interested in gaining laboratory skills in skin and hair science, and other applications.

Over the years, TRI has provided paid internship positions to students from the US and around the world (Brazil, France, Italy and UK - alphabetical). Recruiting interns from outside the US has many challenges with respect to US work visas, travel costs and accommodation costs, but, solutions can be found for the right candidates.

Internships usually last 2-3 months, and usually take place over the summer. However, they can, if suitable, take place at other times of the year.

Applications for 2024 summer internships need to be received before the end of February.

If you are interested in an internship at TRI, please contact us including your updated Resume plus an explanation for why such an internship would help you in your career.

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If you are interested in an internship at TRI, please contact us.

Things I Never Knew – Summer 2023 Skin & Biosubstrates Research Internship

My name is Casey Posner, and I am a rising senior studying Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design at the University of Toledo in Ohio. I have spent the past three months as the intern for the Skin & Bio-Substrates team, and let me tell you, I was exposed to a whole other world.

As a kid, I was always intrigued by how things were made. This curious nature of mine continued as I grew. My infatuation with chemistry flourished as I went through my classes, but I truly had an admiration for the hands-on applications. Something about mixing things together and seeing what happens fuels a fire within my soul.

In studying cosmetic science, I knew there would be a chance for me to create. Through my course work I get to see the formulation and testing processes, but here at TRI I got to experience creativity in an analytical sense. Here I got to utilize techniques such as spectroscopy and chromatography to analyze hair, skin, and cosmetic formulations. I learned more about hair and skin in my three-month tenure than I have in my entire life, and I still have much to learn.

TRI has shown me that no matter how much time one has spent on a subject, there is still so much to uncover. Research is a world of unknown. Scientists chip away at pieces of these unknowns and develop well-formed stories to explain why. In my time at TRI, I was lucky enough to help in method development across a couple different forums. One being the identification of active ingredients through the epidermis via HPLC. Others including penetration of different materials, such as amino acids and dyes, through hair fibers. As well as learning about clinical methods, microscopy, protein analysis and many other analytical techniques.

While I have gained many skills at TRI that I can place on a resume, there are others I cannot. Throughout the method development process, I learned to let my creativity be an asset and not a hinderance. I have grown to accept failure and let it guide me towards success rather than letting it deter me from figuring things out. Being surrounded by such incredible scientists and people is an experience for which I will always be grateful.

During my first week, I met with David, and he said something to me that I truly took to heart. He told me to “be a sponge” and to “soak up as much as you can”. Three months is a relatively short period of time, but I did my best to learn as much as I possibly could. I wish I could say all my questions have been answered, but their answers have only sparked more curiosity inside me, and I cannot wait for that cycle to continue.

Moving 450 miles from home was a difficult choice, but now I know it is the best choice I could have ever made. A big thank you to Dr. Jessica Turner for being an incredible mentor and taking me under your wing this summer as your intern. Thank you to the director of the Skin & Bio-Substrates team, Dr. Samuel Gourion-Arsiquad for believing in me and choosing me as the Skin & Bio-Substrates intern this summer. Another thanks to the Skin & Bio-Subs team; Dr. Larry Senak, Vanessa Castro, and Dr. Marcella Gabarra. Lastly, a huge thank you to TRI as a whole for all your support and kind words.

I have genuinely enjoyed my experience here and have an insurmountable sense of pride and pleasure when I reflect on my time at TRI and all it has awarded me.

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For more information about TRI and our internships click here.

My Experience As An Intern at TRI Princeton: The ‘That's Funny…’ Moments

By Sharon Sango, July 2023

My Name is Sharon Sango, and I’m a sophomore at Trinity College, Harford, CT. Before coming to TRI Princeton for my summer internship, I liked the idea of being a scientist. What that meant did not really sink into my brain until I started this internship. I started with the enthusiasm to learn and understand what this field would demand from me. As a Biochemistry student at Trinity College, Hair Cosmetics was not the field that I was well equipped for. I have approached my scientific endeavors with a strong desire to achieve flawless results in my experiments. However, over the past month, I have begun to adopt the wisdom expressed by Isaac Asimov in his statement: "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'eureka!' but 'that's funny...'” In embracing Asimov's perspective, I have come to realize that the pursuit of perfection is not the ultimate goal in science. Instead, it is the cultivation of an inquisitive and receptive mindset that allows for the recognition and exploration of the unexpected. By welcoming the "that's funny..." moments, I am more likely to uncover novel insights, push the boundaries of knowledge, and contribute to the exciting journey of scientific discovery.

As an intern, my "that's funny" moments are often accompanied by words and phrases such as "Why?", "What?", "how?", "I don't understand", "hmmm", "I am going to search for that", or "I will read this book". These expressions have elevated my perspective and understanding to a higher level compared to before, especially in Cosmetic Chemistry. Initially, I expected to receive complete formulation procedures for the lip balm formulation project. However, I've learned to start from the beginning by reading articles and determining suitable percentages. My early trials were imperfect, leading to my first "that's funny" moment. These weeks were frustrating as I desired quick success. Despite eventually achieving the correct formulation, satisfaction arose from gaining an understanding of formulations, particularly what doesn't work.

From this initial project, I have moved on to different projects that were insightful and exciting which include:

• Cysteic acid analysis using FTIR where I did the testing to evaluate the difference between dog hair from different dogs, human virgin hair, and bleached hair.

• An ongoing project: the "Rinsibility Project," which aims to evaluate the speed at which various shampoos rinse out from hair. This project has provided me with numerous amusing moments, but more importantly, it has given me a profound understanding of the perseverance and resilience required to be a scientist. It has taught me the invaluable lesson of going back to the drawing board and starting anew, armed with the knowledge of what doesn't work.

• Evaluation of Tress Surface Friction for Smoothness – where I did some dry friction runs and was included as a contributing scientist in the report.

• Training that includes hair pollution (making dirty hair), the 3-point bending test (evaluates the stiffness of hair before and after treatment), crimping training (clamping a hair strand between two clamps to use to evaluate the strength of hair), the basic operation of a camera that I will use in the upcoming hair bounciness project.

• Color cosmetics where I used a calorimeter to evaluate the transferability of lipsticks after application.

Through the ‘that’s funny’ moments I have been able to fulfill most of my initial goals from this internship which includes developing proficiency in doing basic analytical chemistry skills by completing a series of online tutorials and demonstrating the ability to perform basic tasks independently. Also gaining an understanding of the requirements for chemical industry operations and practical experience in using advanced analytical instruments for chemical analysis e.g., the FTIR. To develop skills in conducting literature reviews by reading papers on hair research that are related to the projects by the end of the internship.

My experience at TRI has been truly exceptional, thanks in large part to the invaluable support and mentorship of my supervisor, Dr. Xuzi Kang. Under her guidance, I have been able to thrive and develop as an individual that pays attention to details. Xuzi has not only provided me with scientific guidance but has gone above and beyond to coach me in various aspects of life. Her mentorship has allowed me the freedom to explore and make discoveries on my own, fostering a sense of independence. I greatly appreciate the space she grants me to have those moments of curiosity and amusement, where I can ponder and question before she offers guidance or answers. Her unwavering support and insightful feedback have been instrumental in my growth as a scientist. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work under her guidance, as she has played a significant role in shaping my experiences and fostering a positive learning environment.

I truly enjoyed the experience I have had at TRI.

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For more information about internship positions at TRI please go to our internships page.