NEW HIGH SCHOOL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM SEES GREAT RESULTS
December 2009
In the summer of 2009, the La Jolla Institute opened its doors to four unique high school students to participate in the Institute's inaugural summer high school internship program. Over the course of seven weeks, the students made real progress in the study of immunology, and changed the lives of their researcher mentors in the process.
The students were selected from over 220 applicants from the San Diego area. Faculty members and mentors conducted their interviews based on the students' interest areas, but their personal qualifications and stories were just as meaningful.
One student told of his struggle with stage 4 neuroblastoma as a small child, which formed his unique interest in biomedical research. In his essay, intern Alex Jesme explained, "I hope to gain the experience that I need in order to succeed in the field of cancer research so I can help others in their struggle with cancer."
The program, funded entirely with philanthropy, was facilitated in collaboration with the San Diego Workforce Partnership's Life Sciences Summer Institute with BIOCOM and the Southern California Biotechnology Center (SCBC). Gifts to the La Jolla Institute have an immediate effect on the types of community programs we are able to offer.
"This program has a very real and tangible effect on sustaining the pipeline of future scientists," said Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer at the La Jolla Institute. "It is very important to the Institute, both as a way to connect our research to real people, but also in raising the public's awareness of the important work we are doing here," said Kronenberg.
The eight-week program provided students with one week of laboratory and work readiness training, followed by a seven-week full-time paid internship at La Jolla Institute. Interns were immersed in the unique collaborative environment at La Jolla Institute, where twenty-three world-renowned faculty study varying aspects of immunology with the goal of finding new therapies and cures for immune system diseases.
"For my seven week internship," said intern Megan Bradley, "I had the opportunity to work alongside some of the brightest scientists in a world renowned research institute, and to do research that only people with Ph.D.s and M.D.s get to do."
Students worked on experimental techniques with their mentors, including tissue culture, hematoxylin and eosin tissue staining (H&E), immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, fluoresence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR), and Western Blot, and more.
"The focus of my mentor's research and my project was examining the role of T regulatory cells, in the suppression of asthma in hopes of finding a new therapy or cure," said intern Jennifer Rubenstein.
Intern Rachel Cotton said "My summer was dotted with ‘Ah ha!' moments, moments of clarity in which what I have been told or taught suddenly clicks."
"When I walked into the lab for the first time, I knew very little about immunology, let alone inflammation biology. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I definitely learned that immunology has it's own ‘language' and it is something you can only understand with a large background in science," said Bradley. "Even so, as I gave my presentation in the last week of my internship, I realized that I had actually learned some of this language that I had once considered so foreign."
The experience was a mutually rewarding one, invigorating mentors' research with the energy and curiosity the interns brought to the table.
"It was great to see the high level of enthusiasm and interest in the sciences from people as young as high school students," said Aaron Tyznik, Ph.D., La Jolla Institute Postdoctoral Fellow and mentor. "I was particularly impressed by their strong desire to learn and the energy they brought with them into the program," said Tyznik.
"Our lab was pleasantly surprised by what an asset Megan was to our group," said mentor Keely-Arbenz-Smith, Lab Manager/Research Tech III. "She not only helped each of our scientists' projects to progress, but she also brought humor and a dependable set of extra hands. We gained as much from learning to be good mentors as we hope she did from her lab experience. The updates and emails that we still get from our intern are extremely rewarding, knowing that each of us contributed in some way to a young scientists future."
"My experience with La Jolla Institute was a once in a lifetime opportunity," said intern Alex Jesme. "Ever since I was young I was fascinated by science and knew I wanted to study it when I got older so having the opportunity to do this was a great experience and I am extremely lucky I got to do so."
HIGH SCHOOL INTERN FEATURED ON COVER OF BIOCOM LIFELINES 2009
One of our high school student interns through the Life Sciences Summer Institute (LSSI) program, Megan Bradley, is featured on the cover with her mentor, Dr. Klaus Ley, on BIOCOM's newsletter "LifeLines" summer edition. There is an accompanying story starting on page six.
SCIENCE ON THE MESA AT THE LA JOLLA INSTITUTE
April 2009
On April 1, 2009, the La Jolla Institute hosted 18 students from Chula Vista High School for a presentation on the use of lasers in research, followed by demonstrations of core imaging and microscopy equipment. The evening, called "Science on the Mesa," was part of the San Diego Science Festival 2009.
La Jolla Institute Chief Technology Officer Steve Wilson, Ph.D. gave opening remarks, followed by a detailed presentation by Leo Fernandez, Director of the Imaging Facility. Equipment tours were given by Cheryl Kim, Zacarias "Sasha" Garcia, Anthony Jose and Kurt Van Gunst.
By hosting the students, the La Jolla Institute hoped to encourage high school students to consider careers in science, opening up the opportunity for them to contribue to the body of knowledge that will find cures for the body's most devastating diseases, including diseases of the immune system. Students were given a glimpse of how laser-based instruments have changed biomedical research, and the specific uses of each type of technology.
Chula Vista High School students and researchers all enjoyed the experience. The La Jolla Institute hopes to expand participation in community education programs such as this with the help of charitable gifts. For more information, contact Erin Righetti, Director of Development, at (858) 752-6542.
Chula Vista High School Students visit the La Jolla Instititute
