Not many high schoolers get to do cancer research, but that’s exactly the opportunity extended by Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) to a small group of rising seniors from The Preuss School at UC San Diego each summer. In contrast to the two-week program for rising juniors, the senior intern program lets students spend six weeks in the lab full-time, during which they complete experiments using the same techniques that the graduate students who train them use in their projects. 

“I got so much more out of this than I expected,” said Victor Ruiz. “We didn’t just do experiments, we understood the scientific goals. The instructors explained the rationale, and how the results would fit into their overall project.”

Their comprehension was evident in the outstanding presentations the students gave at the end of the program—they were well prepared to answer their classmates’ questions.

Interns gained more than technical knowledge—they came away with a new appreciation of the many steps—sometimes ‘baby steps’—needed to advance cancer research and develop better therapies.

“I used to think that cancer was one disease, and that a cure was just around the corner,” said Gabriel Ramos. “Now I know that it’s really complicated. There are thousands of types of cancer, and tumors adapt to resist treatment.”

Some students were inspired to consider research careers. “I had been leaning toward engineering, but now I see the appeal of research—you get to ask questions and discover things no one knew before,” said Luis Vidal. “Also, it was really amazing when we transfected cells with a gene for fluorescent protein—I made cancer glow!”

Others saw how expertise in biology could benefit their planned careers. “I want to work in the medical field,” said Maricruz Gonzalez. “I look forward to being able to help patients understand their options and what their diagnosis means.”

And the interns weren’t the only ones who benefited—the young researchers in SBP’s PhD program who taught and supervised them grew as well.

“It’s so rewarding to watch the students’ perspective change,” said Monica Gonzalez Ramirez, lead instructor in the program and a graduate student in the laboratory of Guy Salvesen, PhD, dean of the Graduate School. “Being a mentor usually happens later in your career—I feel lucky that I get the chance to do it early on.”

Last school year, Marisa Sanchez, a graduate student in the laboratory of Dieter Wolf, MD, led weekly science lessons at Lafayette Elementary School through UC San Diego’s BioCircuits Institute’s outreach program. We recently spoke with her about the experience—here’s the interview:

What motivated you to participate?

I heard about it when the director of the program came to Sanford Burnham Prebys to recruit volunteers, and it seemed really fun. I like working with kids, and the lessons seemed like they’d get them excited about science. Plus, after the first week, I was hooked—I knew I’d be doing it as long as I have the opportunity. I’m volunteering next year as well, and I’ll get to work with the same teacher.

What was your favorite lesson?

The one on reflection and refraction of light was a big hit—it was basically a game where the kids tried to set up a bunch of mirrors in a way that would get a laser beam to hit a target. I could tell they understood the concepts because they were using them directly.

Were there any breakthrough moments?

When we did a lesson on how much gravity differs among the planets because of their different masses, one kid who’d been quiet all year suddenly got really talkative, sharing all these facts he’d learned from a documentary. Discussing one of his favorite subjects really helped him open up socially.

Were there any funny moments?

During a lesson about frequencies, I tried to explain what a pager was, and the kids had no idea what I was talking about. I switched to a different example—a VHS tape—but that didn’t come across any clearer!

What do you think the kids got out of the program?

It gives them the opportunity to grow with science. Since science is often considered to be so complicated, kids don’t always get to learn about fundamental concepts until they’re older. I could see some of the kids’ interest being sparked—even if they didn’t totally get every aspect, they know they’re interested, so next time it comes up in school they’ll get more out of it.