Name: Audrey Pfister
Class Year: 2028
Majors: Neuroscience, German Studies
Internship Organization: Engert Lab, Harvard University
Internship Title: Research Assistant
Location: Cambridge, MA
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!
This summer, I am working in the laboratory of Professor Florian Engert at Harvard University, under the supervision of Research Fellow Dr. Christophe Dupré, to map the neural circuitry underlying somersaulting behavior in the freshwater polyp Hydra vulgaris. My work builds on the electron microscopy (EM) tracing I completed last summer, in which I mapped synaptic connections between sensory neurons, interneurons, and glue nematocytes involved in tentacle attachment during summersaulting.
My primary tasks include tracing individual cells in electron microscopy (EM) data using the VAST software platform, slice by slice, to identify synaptic connections; producing 3D reconstructions of traced cells using MATLAB and 3ds Max; and augmenting an existing connectivity matrix. I am particularly focused on two sensory neurons, SN5 and SN6, which converge onto many of the same downstream glue nematocytes, and whose coordinated role in tentacle attachment during somersaulting is a central question of this project.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I first applied for this internship in the spring of 2025 because I knew I wanted to work in a biology lab, as I was interested in STEM. I chose the Engert lab specifically because I am interested in their research on brain circuits, as they allow me to better understand complex behaviors. Dr. Christophe Dupré’s research on the Hydra vulgaris stood out to me because it was a model organism I had not heard of before, and there was not as much research on its neural circuit as other model organisms like C.Elegans and zebrafish.
Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?
I am learning both my technical skills and my conceptual understanding of neuroscience research. On the technical side, I will continue to develop proficiency in electron microscopy data analysis and in VAST, a specialized software platform for tracing and reconstructing neural structures. I will also gain experience with MATLAB and 3ds Max to produce 3D reconstructions of traced cells, building skills in scientific visualization that are broadly applicable in biological research. Additionally, I will gain experience constructing and interpreting connectivity matrices, which is a vital tool in connectomics for representing synaptic relationships across a neural circuit.
More broadly, I expect to develop a stronger understanding of how individual synaptic connections scale into circuit-level function, and how a simple organism like Hyrda can serve as a powerful model for studying fundamental questions in neuroscience. Working with Dr. Dupré in an active research environment will also give me insight into the day-to-day practice of scientific inquiry, from forming hypotheses about circuit organization to working through data in EM slices.
What is most rewarding about your internship?
The most rewarding part of my internship is knowing that by studying simple organisms like the Hydra vulgaris, I am working to further the field of Neuroscience. As I am interested in working in the research field post-grad, I know how important it is to get hands-on experience, and I am grateful for this opportunity. Being my second summer working under Dr, Dupré, it is especially exciting to be continuing the same research and building my experience and interest in the field. The tools I am using are ones that will be useful in future research, and to those I would like to conduct on my own.
This summer, I had the opportunity to intern in the Archives and Conservation Department at the Museum of Science and Technology in Vienna, Austria. It also gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the work that makes museums more than just places to view history, they are places where history is actively preserved. Most of my work focused on protecting historical collections for future generations. I digitized archival documents, photographs, and other historical materials to improve accessibility while reducing the need to handle fragile originals.
One of the biggest surprises during this internship has been how much care, precision, and documentation are required for every task, even something as simple as removing metal fasteners from historical documents. I also did not realize how much planning goes into preserving both physical and digital collections, including video game materials. I have handled these challenges by paying close attention to detail, asking questions whenever I need clarification, and taking the time to learn the reasoning behind each conservation practice so I can perform my work accurately.
During my internship, I have developed valuable archival and conservation skills, including digitizing historical documents, photographs, and ephemera, handling fragile artifacts using professional preservation standards, and assisting with preventive conservation by removing metal fasteners that could damage materials over time. I have also gained experience maintaining accurate documentation, organizing collections for future research, and learning strategies for preserving digital media.
At SCI Austria, I support the administrative and operational side of running an NGO. This means I am working with platforms like ERAMUS+ and YouthPass, adding and tracking participants for volunteer camps. It means I spend a fair amount of time in Excel, but I am also on-site and help prepare the host location for these camps. An example of one of these camps is Clown For Peace, and it is all about how clowning can be used as a form of peaceful protest to make a political statement. Just hearing about this camp exposed me to new ideas. Both organizations are incredibly international, and I have learned to navigate environments where people bring very different ideas about how work gets done. I have gotten to learn more about project management and realize that it is definitely something I want to consider for my professional future. Helping SCI Austria prepare for incoming volunteer groups has given me a personal look at how the camps I see on their website actually come together.
At my second internship, The EU Research and Development Agency, I review and format learning documents that are used for projects. Like one of the projects, Eco Vogue, where participants learned about sustainable fashion and shared their own sustainable-designed outfits. During my time here, I have been able to learn how EU-funded organizations operate day to day, including the gap between how things look on paper and how they actually run. One of their projects, Sky Harvest, which is all about transparent land use when it comes to sustainable agriculture, is something I want to explore more in my academics, with my focus on food systems.
My major is International Studies with a focus on global systems, trade, and cross-cultural exchange. I applied because I wanted to understand what international organizations actually look like from the inside. I wanted to experience the operational reality of how people coordinate across cultures, languages, and funding structures to get things done. Not only did I want to learn how an NGO operates from day to day, but I wanted to be uncomfortable. Bryn Mawr has given me a strong academic foundation, but there is a specific kind of learning that only happens when you are the newest person in the room, in a city where you don’t speak the language, trying to figure out what you can contribute. I am living through so many firsts, and it forces me to grow at a rate that comfort doesn’t accommodate.
