Rosa smiling at the camera, wearing glasses and a white shirt. Blurred background.

Research, Mentorship, and Impact: Rosa Gerdts’ Journey

2 minutes
Rosa reflects on her internship experience, highlighting the skills and relationships she gained, and how it ultimately led to a full-time role after graduation.

Rosa Gerdts was an M-ASCEND intern in summer 2023. At the time, she was also a student at Pomona College, majoring in Psychological Science and minoring in Biology.

In 2023, I joined the Program in Health Disparities Research (PHDR) as an undergraduate intern for M-ASCEND. During my time as an intern, I acquired professional development in community-based participatory research (CBPR), mentored high school M-ASCEND interns, and engaged with researchers involved in the Center for Chronic Disease Reduction and Equity Promotion Across Minnesota (C2DREAM).

Through the program, I was matched with Dr. Sandra Japuntich, PhD, who served as my mentor. My work with Dr. Japuntich included work on the study A Pragmatic Trial of Chronic Disease Approaches to Ameliorate Tobacco Related Cardiovascular Disease. The study investigates smoking cessation interventions for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). As a bilingual research intern, I assisted in recruiting and obtaining informed consent from participants who spoke both Spanish and English. I also attended staff meetings, formatted manuscripts, and participated in other administrative tasks. At the culmination of my summer internship, I analyzed preliminary recruitment data and a pilot intervention to improve recruitment mailings. I presented a poster on these findings at the University of Minnesota Summer Undergraduate Research Expo (SURE).

Rosa and Dr. Japuntich pose for a photo in front of a poster board.

Following my internship, I maintained contact with Dr. Japuntich and the Behavioral Health Equity Research Group (BHERG) at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI). During this time, I presented updated findings at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) in Edinburgh, Scotland. When I graduated from Pomona College in 2024, I was excited to accept an offer to join the BHERG full-time, and I am currently a senior research assistant working with Drs. Sandra Japuntich and Andrew Busch.

The M-ASCEND internship provided me the opportunity to witness the impact of research, develop my skills as an emerging researcher, and deepen my long-term commitment to behavioral health research. Through this experience, I was introduced to CBPR and learned how research can be shaped by—and held accountable to—the communities it aims to serve. The mentorship I received from Drs. Sandra Japuntich, Andrew Busch, and Rodolfo Batres, along with the support from study staff, peers, and co-investigators, helped me build confidence and navigate unfamiliar spaces. Ultimately, it affirmed that research grounded in fair access, local solutions, and collaboration is where I feel most inspired and motivated.