Thanks to funds from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), promising young scientists will dive into stem cell research at City of Hope — when they are still in high school.
CIRM granted City of Hope a $211,200 Creativity Award for a program that immerses high school students in stem cell research under the guidance of research scientists.
High school students learn firsthand about science in City of Hope labs. (Photo by Paula Myers)“The Creativity Award from CIRM complements City of Hope’s own investment in the scientists of the future through our Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy,” said Paul Salvaterra, Ph.D., professor of neurosciences at City of Hope, program director for the academy and principal investigator of City of Hope’s Creativity Award grant.
“The summer academy has been inspiring high school and undergraduate students in the sciences for more than 50 years, and we’re thankful for CIRM’s support to help us expand our curriculum,” he said.
Students in the Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy select a research project in close collaboration with their faculty mentor. They work full time for 10 weeks as a member of a biomedical research team and receive mentoring from physicians and scientists. The students’ collaboration with each other and their mentors fosters valuable relationships for the future.
Many students in the academy are included as team members on published research papers, and some have patented and sold inventions developed with their mentors. The academy was established in 1961 by City of Hope’s director emeritus of neurobiology, Eugene Roberts, Ph.D.
The CIRM award will provide materials and opportunities for students during their summer internships, including a lecture series highlighting local young investigators, ethical issues and future undergraduate educational opportunities. Participants will take on projects that challenge their creativity.
City of Hope has previously received more than $44 million in grant support from CIRM.
