SDSU Georgia Students Intern at Lugar Center

SDSU Georgia students Natia Inadze and Davit Khutsishvili were selected for an internship at the Lugar Center, under the mentorship of the National Center for Disease Control & Public Health, Georgia (NCDC & PH). 

The internship took place over three weeks, during which time, Inadze and Khutsishvili received hands-on training in a microbiology lab and experience with a variety of advanced tools. The students worked on DNA/RNA analysis of various microorganisms and bacterial detection.

“This program provided an exposure to the type of laboratory work that I have never done before. It enriched my experience in the field of scientific research and expanded my professional horizons,” said Inadze. 

Upon completion of the internship, Inadze and Khutsishvili presented their findings and case studies to the US Ambassador to Georgia, Kelly Degnan, General Director of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Amiran Gamkhrelidze, and other key figures in health research and development in Georgia.

Khutsishvili reflected on the experience, “This was an internship that gave me the perspective that matters. I learned how to think like a scientist. It helped me broaden my understanding of the work the scientists are putting into keeping people happy and healthy... The Lugar lab training motivated me to keep scientific thinking always with me and pursue a career that popularizes and contributes to our communities' innovation and well-being.”