Greehey CCRI Donald G McEwen Memorial Summer Research Program

Purpose:

The purpose of the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI) Undergraduate & High School Summer Research Program is to allow talented students interested in research the opportunity to spend approximately ten weeks during the summer conducting hypothesis-driven research in childhood cancer in one of the laboratories at the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute. Our institution has been educating the next generation of cancer researchers and has received students from different states and around the world.

Program Focus and Details

Several research-oriented academic institutions offer summer research programs. Still, access to such opportunities in a dedicated children’s cancer research environment is a unique offering. Research conducted in our laboratories utilizes a wide range of techniques and model systems and students can experience a unique firsthand look at both basic science and translational research. Students will have the opportunity to visit our cutting-edge facilities and learn about methods employed in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, structural biology, classical genetics and molecular imaging. Links to detailed descriptions of the faculty research interests can be found under labs.

The 2023 program runs from June 5th through August 11th.

• The number of applications often exceeds the available positions and candidates are selected based on their interest in science, CV and academic performance.
• This year will be hosting up to 10 undergraduate and 10 high school students.
• Each Principal Investigator screens the candidates pool to identify students whose interests best fit their research program. To facilitate the matches, we ask candidates to select key words related to their research interest.
• A stipend is available to successful undergraduate applicants to help defray some of the student’s expenses.  High school students do not receive stipends. Meals, housing and transportation are not provided.
• High school students must be at least 16 years old the day the summer program starts.

Health and Safety Training:

Before conducting independent research, an assessment of potential workplace hazards will be held to ensure that safe work practices and appropriate training are in place. The evaluation will determine what training courses need to be scheduled before the commencement of research.

Communication Skills:

Communicating the results of academic research is an important skill. The summer research experience, to help develop student skills in this area, will culminate in a research symposium, the goals of which are to:

• Teach students to present data and defend conclusions effectively
• Build confidence in public speaking
• Provide a forum in which students can share the results of their summer experience.

2023 Summer Students

2022 Summer Students

How to Apply:

The application window for Summer 2023 Internship Program is CLOSED.

• Personal statement (300-500 words max) describing your career goals, interest in cancer research, what you hope to take away from such an experience, and why you are interested in working at the Greehey CCRI. Please, list one or more of the following keywords based on your interests:  Genomics, bioinformatics, gene expression regulation, DNA repair, RNA biology, structural biology, cell biology, cancer models, and therapy development.
• Unofficial transcript.
• Current resume, including prior research experience (if any).
• Please upload all documents as a single PDF.

For program questions, please contact Luiz O. Penalva, PhD | penalva@uthscsa.edu