internship Archives - Sanford Burnham Prebys

Tag: internship

Institute News

Summer interns gain invaluable hands-on research experience at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorGreg Calhoun
Date

August 7, 2024

2024 Preuss interns
The 2024 Preuss interns

Aspiring biomedical researchers and health care professionals spent up to six weeks at Sanford Burnham Prebys participating in meaningful experiments and learning about career opportunities

This summer, Sanford Burnham Prebys welcomed high school students to the Institute to participate in one of two internship programs. One group came from the Preuss School, which is located on the University of California San Diego campus in La Jolla and educates students striving to be first-generation college graduates. Participants in the Preuss internship program gained valuable experience while spending three weeks in Sanford Burnham Prebys laboratories learning research techniques and contributing to ongoing projects. This program is generously funded by Peggy and Peter Preuss, and Debby and Wain Fishburn. 

The Institute welcomed its third cohort of interns this year for the Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge (SPARK). SPARK is an initiative by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) that provides research opportunities for high schoolers from underrepresented groups throughout California. The SPARK participants completed six-week internships at Sanford Burnham Prebys and completed projects under the supervision of their faculty mentors. 

The Preuss and SPARK interns delivered poster presentations at a joint event held on campus on July 26, 2024. The students detailed their projects and what they had learned over the course of their internships. 

“I enjoyed the experience and know it will help me in the future,” says Lizeth Villa Bardeles, a Preuss intern who worked in the lab of Sanju Sinha, PhD, an assistant professor in the Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program. “I also learned that artificial intelligence and computational biology methods are important for the future of biomedical research.” 

“The whole internship was super fun,” says Saanvi Dogra, a SPARK intern who worked in the lab of Sanjeev S. Ranade, PhD, an assistant professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program. “I loved being in the lab and trying to get things to work. It really improved my ability to solve problems and confirmed how exciting science can be, and that it could be a great career path for me.” 

SPARK interns 2024

The 2024 SPARK interns with (at left) Evan Snyder, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine and a professor in the Human Genetics Program, and (second from right) Sanjeev S. Ranade, PhD, an assistant professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program.

In addition to working in labs, the Preuss and SPARK interns had other educational opportunities such as conversations with scientists and staff members with a variety of roles supporting research. 

“The career talks were really helpful as a way of seeing how many kinds of expertise are needed to run a research organization,” says Fernando Pech, a Preuss intern who worked in the lab of Peter D. Adams, PhD, director of the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program. “I believe you can find your passion at Sanford Burnham Prebys, so I would recommend this experience to other students.” 

The Preuss and SPARK interns delivered poster presentations at a joint event held on the institute campus on July 26, 2024. The students detailed their projects and what they had learned over the course of their internships.

“I believe this was an outstanding chance for these students to learn if research is a potential career they would like to pursue,” says Donmonique Chambliss, a senior administrator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Education and Training Programs in the Institute’s NCI-designated Cancer Center, and the coordinator of the Preuss internship program. 

“These students are amazing,” says Ranade, the director of the SPARK internship program. “They are so motivated already as high school students. They all will go on to do great things, and we’re thrilled that several students are staying on to continue conducting research with their mentors.” 

This year’s SPARK internship culminated with a group trip to the University of California Riverside on August 6 for CIRM’s annual SPARK conference, where the participants from Sanford Burnham Prebys presented their work and networked with interns from other institutions across the state. 

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys’ Shadow Day supports diversity and inclusion in STEM education

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

November 20, 2023

Caroline Kumsta speaking to STEM Shadow Day students in her lab

Creating an inclusive environment in STEM is crucial for ensuring a broad range of perspectives and ideas, ultimately contributing to the advancement of scientific research and innovation.

This month, Sanford Burnham Prebys’ DEI Education & Training Committee hosted more than 20 high school and college students from historically underrepresented backgrounds for a day of lab tours and workshops. The event was sponsored by the San Diego MESA alliance, and faculty, staff and current trainees came together to help make the event possible.

“The sponsorship by the San Diego MESA Alliance demonstrates the collaborative efforts between organizations to support diversity and inclusion in STEM education,” said Paula Checchi, PhD, administrator in the Institute’s Office of Education, Training and International Students and leader for our DEI Committee. “Such partnerships play a vital role in breaking down barriers and providing resources to underrepresented students to overcome challenges in pursuing careers in science and technology.”

STEM Shadow Day at Sanford Burnham Prebys serves as a model for other institutions seeking to enhance diversity in STEM fields. By actively engaging with students from underrepresented backgrounds and providing them with meaningful experiences, the Institute is contributing to a more inclusive and equitable future in science and research.

After the opening comments from Checci and Alessandra Sacco, Ph.D, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Director and Professor of the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, high school students attended a workshop on networking skills and mentorship. Meanwhile, college students divided into groups and went on guided tours of labs across campus, where they saw firsthand how researchers are solving pressing problems in medicine.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to go into a biomedical research career,” said Owen Kelly, a high school student at High Tech High in Chula Vista. Kelly “Coming here and seeing how things really are in laboratories is very cool—it makes me even more excited to think about a future in science.”

The event ended with a networking lunch followed by a poster session, featuring work by graduate students and alumni of this summer’s SPARK internship program—a six-week, fully paid internship open to high schoolers from San Diego and Imperial Counties.

“Diversity is a huge resource, especially in scientific research,” Sacco said. “If you’re asking questions nobody has the answer to, and everybody in the room is from the same background with the same mindset, you’re less likely to less likely to find creative answers. Diversity enriches the scientific discussion, and we’re all part of the same research community.”

Institute News

SPARK interns ignite their passion for research at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

August 2, 2023

2023 SPARK interns

The SPARK program aims to train tomorrow’s experts in regenerative medicine.

Sanford Burnham Prebys welcomed its second cohort of SPARK interns this summer. SPARK, which stands for Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge, is an initiative by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to provide research opportunities for high schoolers from underrepresented groups throughout California. The SPARK interns completed a six-week project under the supervision of a faculty mentor and presented their work to scientists at the Institute.

“It was great connecting with everybody in the lab and learning about their background, why they came here, and what they’re trying to learn,” says SPARK intern Katelyn Gelle. “Getting to compare their experiences with mine was really inspiring, because there’s so much to learn from other people who love science.”

Sanford Burnham Prebys is one of 11 institutions throughout California that hosts SPARK interns, and the program was funded by a grant from CIRM. This year’s interns were the second cohort of five to be supported by that grant.

“Last year’s SPARK program was a great success, and we’re so happy to be able to keep up the momentum with another group of bright, talented interns,” says Program Director Paula Checchi, PhD Checchi is an administrator in the Office of Education, Training and International Services at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Paula developed and oversaw the educational components of the internship program.

SPARK students worked in labs learning the hands-on techniques that scientists use to study degenerative diseases—with the goal of finding new approaches to treat the millions of people affected by these conditions. Completing an individual project with a faculty mentor gave interns the chance to experience the real-life ins and outs of research.

“It was really unexpected how much refining and editing it takes to get a result from experiments” says SPARK intern Medha Nandhimandalam. “You don’t cure cancer in a day.”

The internship also included other educational opportunities, such as a tour of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine and a Diversity in Science seminar series. The program culminated in a final celebration at the Institute where students had the chance to share the results of their work and what they’ve learned from their time in the lab.

“The lab itself was my favorite part of the experience – not just the academic side but the whole lifestyle and experience of working with the scientists and spending time with them day to day” says SPARK intern Rini Khandelwal.

As a final capstone to the internship experience, the students will travel to Los Angeles August 8–9 for CIRM’s annual SPARK conference, where they presented their work and networked with interns from other Institutions across the state.

Institute News

Preuss internship celebrates 15 years of inspiring young scientists

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

August 2, 2023

2023 Preuss Interns

“I liked how hands-on everything was,” says Preuss intern Amayrani Calderon “The scientists would show us how to do the experiment but then let us do it ourselves. I’d never had that type of experience in a lab before.”

Each year, Sanford Burnham Prebys welcomes a cohort of high school interns from the Preuss School, whose students strive to be the first in their family to graduate from college. This year’s Preuss interns learned hands-on research skills from scientists at the Institute’s NCI-designated Cancer Center and about career possibilities in STEM beyond research.

“My favorite part of the program and about Sanford Burnham Prebys is all the diverse people I met,” says Alejandra Ruiz Ramirez, who is first-generation Mexican American. “I had mentally prepared myself not to see any scientists that look like me, or to potentially be stereotyped as a Mexican American woman, but that isn’t what happened at all. Everybody I met was very welcoming.”

The Preuss internship is an intensive three-week program designed to jumpstart the careers of the next generation of scientific researchers. This year, the first two weeks were spent learning state-of-the art research techniques, such as staining cells for immunohistochemistry and separating proteins with gel electrophoresis.

“Seeing a real lab was a lot different than what I expected,” says Preuss intern Mohamed Haghi-Mohamed. “At school we just do labs on our desks, but seeing the incubators and other machines really changed my perspective and on how science works in the real world.”

For the final week of the program, interns shadowed staff scientists working in various labs throughout the Cancer Center, where they saw the research process firsthand.

“Consuming a lot of media makes you see science as always exciting and fast-paced, but it’s a very different experience actually working in the lab day to day,” says Preuss intern Juan Lomas Hoeung. “Sometimes there’s a lot of downtime but other times things are hectic.

The Preuss internship program also included activities outside of the lab, including panel discussions with scientists, a tour of the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, and a workshop on diversity and equity and STEM. The interns also had lunch with Institute staff each day, where they had the chance to learn and ask questions about varied STEM careers such as research administration, science communication, and philanthropy.

“We wanted the students to see that there are varied paths to a career in STEM, and that these paths aren’t always linear,” says Victoria Carrillo, senior program administrator for the Cancer Center, who oversaw the Preuss internship along with faculty organizer Svasti Haricharan, PhD.

The program culminated in a celebratory luncheon with students, researchers and Institute staff, where the interns had the opportunity to share what they’ve learned from their experience at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

“This was the best environment to learn in because the people here are some of the most expressive and passionate people I’ve met when they’re in the lab talking about what they do,” says Hoeung. “Everybody was so enthusiastic.”

Institute News

STEM Shadow Day gives diverse students an inside look at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

December 2, 2022

Michael Jackson, PhD, explaining the Institute's drug discovery research at the Prebys Center

As part of ongoing efforts to increase the diversity of the Institute’s trainees, Sanford Burnham Prebys’ DEI Education & Training Committee hosted 36 high school and college students from historically underrepresented backgrounds for a day of lab tours and workshops. The event was sponsored by the San Diego MESA alliance, and more than 20 faculty, staff and current trainees came together to help make the event possible. 

“It’s critical for all students to have opportunities to learn more about scientific research at an early phase in their academic career,” says Paula Checchi, PhD, an administrator in the Institute’s Office of Education, Training and International Students and a leader of our Education & Training Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. “Diversity in the lab contributes so much, both to the trainees’ success and to the overall progress of biomedical research. If we’re going to create a more diverse research community, we need to work from the ground up and support young scholars from all backgrounds every step of the way.”

The day began with an introduction by Hudson Freeze, PhD and a keynote address from Alessandra Sacco, PhD, who spoke to the challenges she’s faced as an Italian American and as a woman in science. 

“My parents When I was younger, some of my relatives asked me why I even wanted to study this because the role of women in science was very different then,” Sacco said. “When I started, I was the only woman in the lab, and that made it difficult to integrate. I didn’t think I’d last a week, but day by day you learn to overcome those challenges in front of you, and it gets a little easier, and it becomes an exciting opportunity to grow.”

She also spoke to the importance of diversity in STEM.

“Diversity is a huge resource, especially in scientific research,” Sacco said. “If you’re asking questions nobody has the answer to, and everybody in the room is from the same background with the same mindset, you’re less likely to less likely to find creative answers. Diversity enriches the scientific discussion, and we’re all part of the same research community.”

After the opening comments, high school students attended workshops on networking skills and mentorship. Meanwhile, college students divided into groups and went on guided tours of labs across campus, where they saw firsthand how Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers are solving pressing problems in medicine.

“It’s so exciting that researchers like Dr. Haricharan are looking at breast cancer in Black and brown women and really getting down to the fundamental biology, not just focusing on socioeconomic factors,” says Shadow Day participant Serina Cuza, referring to recent research from the lab of Svasti Haricharan, PhD “I know there could be pushback, but that’s how you know the research is potentially a breakthrough.”

The event ended with a networking lunch followed by a poster session, featuring work by students in the Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and alumni of this summer’s SPARK internship program.

“I really enjoyed all the people that I met today,” said Shadow Day participant Yaritza Rubio. “I like that there are so many people from so many different parts of the world here.” 

Institute News

New internship program ignites a SPARK

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

August 8, 2022

SPARK interns group standing in front of Prebys center

For the first time, Sanford Burnham Prebys hosted high school interns from the SPARK program, an initiative by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) that provides biomedical research opportunities for underrepresented groups throughout California.

The SPARK interns each completed a six-week project under the supervision of a faculty mentor and presented their results to scientists at the Institute as well as at CIRM’s annual SPARK conference. 

“Our SPARK program selects diverse students from San Diego and Imperial Valley, and we were proud to have these students at Sanford Burnham Prebys as the inaugural class,” says Program Director Paula Checchi, PhD Checchi is an administrator in the Office of Education, Training and International Services at Sanford Burnham Prebys. She developed the educational components of the program and also organized several community outreach events for interns.

SPARK stands for Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge, and students worked in labs learning the hands-on techniques that scientists use to study degenerative diseases—with the ultimate goal of finding new approaches to treat the millions of people affected by these conditions.

“I had no idea that people even worked on zebrafish in labs,” said SPARK intern Ameera Ali, who used zebrafish as a model to study heart disease in the lab of Karen Ocorr, PhD “Traditionally in science you only hear about lab mice and lab rats, but zebrafish are so much more interesting. I can’t wait to work with them again.” 

For intern Saranya Anandakumar, who studied in the lab of Victoria Blaho, PhD, the best moment was a simple one. She says, “My favorite part of the internship was getting to see human blood under the microscope! Seeing all the different types of cells was the coolest thing ever.”

Ameera Ali presenting her research

SPARK intern Ameera Ali presents her research

Four interns from high schools in Imperial Valley had the added experience of living away from home for the first time. Samantha Alvarez, who completed her internship in the lab of Brooke Emerling, PhD, stayed with a family in the San Diego area.

“I loved it,” says Alvarez. “I got a chance to take a peek at what it’s going to be like in my adult life once I graduate and I’m independent.”

At Sanford Burnham Prebys, the internship program culminated in a final celebration where students had the chance to share the results of their work and what they’ve learned from their time at the Institute. The students then traveled to Northern California August 2–3 for CIRM’s annual SPARK conference, where they presented their work and networked with interns from other Institutions. 

“My biggest takeaway was all the cultural diversity on campus and in the lab,” says Alvarez. “One of my mentors is from Barcelona, and it was so interesting to compare cultures and experiences. Everybody was so nice and welcoming. It was great.”

Institute News

Preuss internship inspires young scientists

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

August 1, 2022

Preuss interns

Future first-generation college students gained valuable research experience and learned what it’s like to be a scientist.

Each year, rising high school juniors from the Preuss School come to Sanford Burnham Prebys to try their hands at biomedical research in an intensive three-week internship program. This year, students performed a two-week laboratory course followed by a rotation in six labs at the Institute’s NCI-designated Cancer Center, where they learned about state-of-the-art techniques used in cancer research.

“This experience has been great,” says Preuss intern Brian Pham. “I love that we get to learn from people who are actually doing science instead of just hearing about it in a classroom.” 

Students from the Preuss School, affiliated with UC San Diego, strive to become the first in their families to graduate from college. The Sanford Burnham Prebys Preuss internship program helps train the next generation of scientists by inviting students from the Preuss school to work alongside Institute scientists.

“I got to hear from other first-generation scientists,” says Preuss intern Vickey Martinez. “They didn’t know anything about science or college or anything when they were younger, and that’s kind of my story. It’s nice to know that there are people with similar backgrounds.”

Preuss intern Lilly Hoang with (left to right) Wainwright Fishburn, Malin Burnham and Max D’Angelo, Ph.D

Preuss intern Lilly Hoang receives a certificate of completion. (l-r) Wainwright Fishburn, Lilly Hoang, Malin Burnham and Max D’Angelo, PhD

The students also got to get their hands “wet” by doing real experiments alongside Senior Scientist Marcela Raices, PhD, and graduate student Stephen Sakuma, both researchers in the lab of Maximiliano D’Angelo, PhD.

Preuss students and Marcela Raices

Preuss students with the Laboratory Course Director Marcela Raices, PhD

“We want to teach the students practical skills that will come up in their research careers so they can get a taste of what scientists actually do day-to-day, and have the satisfaction of getting results,” says Raices. “We also wanted to make it clear that anybody can be a scientist—it’s just about putting in the work and learning the skills.”

Topics for the lab workshops included separating proteins with gel electrophoresis and performing Western blot tests with fluorescent proteins. Understanding the proteins involved in the development and growth of cancer is an important approach to finding new treatments.

“The students have been so enthusiastic, and we hope that carries over into their future careers,” says Sakuma.

The internship program culminated in a celebratory luncheon with students, researchers and Institute staff, where students had the opportunity to share the results of their experiments and what they’ve learned from their experience.

“This internship was eye-opening for me,” says Preuss intern Angelina Solis. “As a first-generation student, it’s really hard to imagine yourself in different careers because you don’t even know what’s possible. It’s like an unexplored area of life.”

The 2022 Preuss High School summer internship program was carried out by Sanford Burnham Prebys’ NCI-designated Cancer Center under the direction of Maximiliano D’Angelo, PhD, associate professor and associate director of Education and Training.

Preuss interns Bryan Pham and Vivana Espino work with Marlenne Perales

Preuss interns Bryan Pham and Vivana Espino work with Marlenne Perales, a research assistant in th lab of Ani Deshpande, PhD

Institute News

New CIRM grant to fund research internships for underrepresented high school students

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

January 25, 2022

Male student in a lab coat at the lab bench working on his research

Thanks to a new grant awarded to Sanford Burnham Prebys by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), 57 California high school students from underrepresented groups will have the chance to complete a paid internship at the Institute for the next five consecutive summers.

The $509,000 grant was awarded to Paula Checchi, PhD, Alessandra Sacco, PhD, and Evan Snyder, MD, PhD

The mission of CIRM is to accelerate stem cell research and provide treatment to patients with unmet medical needs. And although CIRM directly funds faculty, many of their initiatives also focus on training the next generation of stem cell researchers. Late last year, Sanford Burnham Prebys received $5 million from CIRM to fund new training programs aimed at PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.

“One of the benefits of a program like this is that we’ll be able to inspire students early to pursue biomedical research,” says Checchi, a principal investigators on the grant and longtime educator of high school and undergraduate students. “A lot of students might not even realize that pursuing a STEM degree is an option for them, and that’s something we want to change.” 

The new grant was awarded as part of CIRM’s SPARK Training Program, a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative that targets high school students without access to summer research internship opportunities due to socioeconomic constraints. This grant is one of 11 awarded by CIRM to research institutions across California.

“At the high school level, a lot of research internships are unpaid, which can alienate a lot of students, especially if they’re also part of a group that isn’t represented well in scientific research to begin with,” says Checchi. “Programs like this help flip that script and will contribute to increased diversity in science over the long term.”

In addition to getting hands-on research experience, interns will also participate in community outreach, patient advocacy and other educational activities under the mentorship of experienced professors.

“The research element is obviously important, but programs like this also help students develop into confident, capable young scientists who are able to inspire those around them,” says Checchi. “We’re trying to plant the seed for these bright young minds to flourish.” 

Institute News

Alumni adventures: Catching up with student intern Daniel Million

AuthorMonica May
Date

March 23, 2021

Daniel Million in lab wearing lab coat and smiling

Million reflects on how a summer internship at Sanford Burnham Prebys accelerated his scientific career.

Daniel Million was always fascinated by biology. But, like most high school students, he wasn’t sure what life as a scientist was really like. That all changed when he had the opportunity to complete a summer internship at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

“We thought it would be a strict environment where we were all very serious, with nobody talking,” says Million. “But my mentors both made the work in the research lab exciting. They taught me early on that you can have fun while doing great science.”

For six weeks during the summer of 2013, he and nine other classmates from the Preuss School at UC San Diego—a charter school for students who would be the first in their families to graduate from college—gained valuable laboratory skills while working directly with cancer researchers.

“Now that I’ve had the opportunity to do biological research in college and grad school, I look back and am amazed at what we were able to accomplish while in high school,” says Million. “We were doing PCRs, gel electrophoresis—techniques you usually don’t get to experience until college. They gave us a great preview of what it’s like to work in science.”

Million believes that this experience gave him a leg up that led to his acceptance to the University of Southern California, and to his receipt of a prestigious GATES Millennium scholarship, which covered all of his college costs through graduation. The benefits also extended to when he arrived on campus to start his degree.

“When you go into a research lab, that can be an intimidating place,” says Million. “If I didn’t get the chance to build my confidence in the research setting, I don’t feel that I would have performed as well when I got to college.”

Today, Million is wrapping up his master’s degree in infectious disease at Keck Graduate Institute. Whatever his future holds—perhaps medical school, or a master’s degree in public health—he remains a supporter of the internship program.

“This experience not only changed my life but changed a lot of students’ lives at Preuss,” says Million. “For a student who is going to be a first-generation college student, and who is already going to have a lot of barriers entering higher education, this is the extra push and extra knowledge they need to be successful.”

This internship was funded by the National Cancer Institute’s Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program, which supports training and career-development opportunities from middle school through junior investigator levels with the goal of increasing diversity in the cancer research workforce.

Institute News

Summer program inspires a new generation of scientists

AuthorMonica May
Date

July 24, 2019

SBP Preuss interns 2019

Usually the opportunity to experience research firsthand is reserved for college seniors or recent graduates. This summer, however, nine talented high school students had the unique opportunity to work alongside scientists conducting cutting-edge biomedical research through the Institute’s Preuss program. 

Hailing from The Preuss School UC San Diego—a distinguished charter school for students who would be the first in their families to graduate from college—the soon-to-be juniors spent two weeks rotating among four labs at Sanford Burnham Prebys. 

Working with fruit flies, worms, zebrafish and mice—excellent models for understanding the heart, aging, tissue regeneration and the immune system, respectively—the students used sophisticated laboratory techniques such as micropipetting, microscopy and gel electrophoresis to experience how biomedical researchers uncover the underlying causes of disease. This was the first time the participants had set foot inside of a real lab. 

At the program’s conclusion, the students presented their research findings to Institute scientists, staff and supporters, including Malin Burnham; the Preuss School’s director of development, Tamika Franklin; and the students’ family members. All attendees were impressed by the students’ grasp of the complex science they learned during the two-week program. 

The Preuss program launched in 2008 thanks to the generous contributions of Peggy and Peter Preuss and Debby and Wain Fishburn. For more than a decade, this summer program has inspired future scientists by introducing high school students to laboratory research. 

Thank you to the labs of Malene Hansen, PhD, Rolf Bodmer, PhD, Duc Dong, PhD, and Linda Bradley, PhD, for hosting the program’s participants.