2019年SRI项目的研究课题获得了多种美国国家级和国际级奖项
毕晓普癌症研究所（MBICR）暑期研究实习项目（SRI）是为期四周的密集培训项目，旨在培养已体现出将来有能力在科研及学术领域深造的中学生。这些富有天赋和自我驱动力的9-12年级学生们将有机会在配备先进尖端设施的实验室里，与知名教授、研究员和科学家一起探索远比高中课程更前沿的科学议题。SRI项目通过极具挑战性的课程设置，包含大量上手实际操作及实验室经验的培训，激发学生对科学的兴趣，促进学生掌握科研技能，同时提升学生对科学方面的求学与职业选择的意识。
MBICR于2019年启动了SRI项目，并接收了四位来自美国的高中生。他们在2019年SRI项目中完成的研究课题随后获得了多种美国国家级和国际级奖项，包括三位学生入围美国INSPO研究和创新赛决赛， 一位入围S. T. Yau高中科学奖的北美区域决赛，一位入围美国少年科学和人文科学论坛（JSHS）的全国决赛，以及一位获得旧金山金门科学竞赛第四名。该项目在2020年因全球疫情的原因未能开展，但在受到这些认可的鼓励之下，我们已经准备好开展2021年SRI项目。
咨询或获取报名材料请发送邮件至：info@mbicr.org 并在邮件主题中标明SRI 2021。
项目介绍原文如下：
2021 Summer Research Internship at MBICR
MBICR’s Summer Research Internship (SRI) is an intensive four-week summer program for students who have demonstrated an aptitude for academic and professional careers in science. Talented and motivated students completing grades 9-12 have the opportunity to work with renowned faculty, researchers and scientists in state-of-the-art facilities while exploring advanced science topics far beyond the courses usually offered in high schools. Through challenging curricula that are both hands-on and lab intensive, SRI fosters its students’ interests, skills, and awareness of educational and career options in science.
MBICR inaugurated the SRI program in 2019 and accepted four high school students from the US. Their research projects conducted during 2019 SRI were honored with a variety of US national and international awards including three finalists of the INSPO Research & Innovation Competition, one North America Finalist of the S.T. Yau High School Science Award, one national finalist of the Junior Science and Humanities Symposia (JSHS), and one 4th place of Golden Gate Science Fair. Encouraged by these recognitions, we are ready to offer 2021 SRI after skipping the 2020 SRI due to the pandemic.
Our Mission
The mission of SRI is to motivate the most creative minds of the new generation of prospective biomedical researchers who will become leaders for the world.
Schedules
February 8, 2021 Application Opens
March 5, 2021 Application Closes
April 12, 2021 Notification of Acceptance
April 16, 2021 Offer Acceptance Deadline
July 5, 2021 SRI 2021 Opening Day
July 30, 2021 SRI 2021 Closing Day
Project 1: Exploiting mechanism-informed phenotypic screening to identify first-in-class drugs that target cancer and other diseases
Prerequisites:
High School Biology
Course Description:
One of the largest and most cutting-edge fields in medicine and pharmaceutical sciences is focused on treating patients and eradicating human disease. From lowering cholesterol to wiping out cancer, designing drugs that interact with a specific cellular target drives a multi-billion-dollar industry. Expanding beyond small molecule drugs, cutting-edge therapies can be designed by understanding how potential targets engage their normal interactions. In this course, we will focus on an important class of proteins, called kinases, which control many signaling events in cancer. You will learn how to study the structure of kinases and their targets to formulate hypotheses on how small molecules inhibitors can be designed. You will also learn about the biology and chemistry behind the drug-making process, design and synthesize your own small-molecule drug, and carry out cell-based assays to test how well your drug works on the identified biological target. This hands-on course will explore the basics of structure-based drug design and how simple biological targets weave complex webs to maintain the engine of the cell. You will learn to use medicinal chemistry and molecular biology techniques to develop a novel drug that targets a specific human disease with the potential to save lives.
Project / Presentation Requirement:
All participants will produce a scientific project. In accordance with the SRI requirements, students will present their findings in a poster format at the SRI symposium.
Project 2: Exploring the targeted drug discovery approach to make the next billion-dollar anticancer drug
Prerequisites:
High School Biology and High School Chemistry
This cluster is for students who want to learn more about how the tools of chemistry can be used to understand and modify biological systems.
Course Description:
In this course, you will have the opportunity to learn the chemistry behind the synthesis of novel anticancer drugs. You will then use your knowledge to design, synthesize and purify novel compounds that may have anticancer properties. Starting from a base molecule, you will learn to derive new chemical structures from that molecule that have never been created before. You will then learn the basics of chemical synthesis, how to make your new molecule in the lab, and the principles that allow you to purify your newly synthesized chemical. Along the way, you will learn how to prove that you have actually synthesized the molecule you designed on a computer. Finally, you will design experiments to test compounds for target engagement, target inhibition and anticancer properties, and then carry out these tests using the molecule you synthesized. Throughout the summer, you will be challenged to think deeply about organic chemistry, biology, and how these fields intersect in life. If things work out, you could end up synthesizing the next billion-dollar oncology drug and help save millions of lives. At the very least, you will get a chance to name the molecules you synthesize!
Project / Presentation Requirement:
All participants will produce a scientific project. In accordance with the SRI requirements, students will present their findings in a poster format at the SRI symposium.
Project 3: Applying the drug repurposing strategy for the accelerated discovery of new therapeutics
Prerequisite:
High School Biology
Course Description:
Drugs are constantly being tested in order to be used for new purposes. This so-called drug repurposing may mitigate failures in drug discovery and allow for more systematic and substantially less expensive methods in the discovery of new treatments for diseases when compared to traditional drug development. Therefore, it has a promising future and is one of the most active areas in pharmacology. The course represents the foundational level of education in clinical research and translational science where discoveries are targeted to benefit sick patients and protect healthy populations from disease. Through case studies and presentations, students will be introduced to critical thinking about research ideas, technologies, and approaches that aim to advance drug repurposing.
During the 4 weeks, students will screen an FDA-approved drug library, identify drugs suitable for repurposing as anticancer therapeutics, and design and execute a clinical trial in mouse tumor models. The proposed project is presented on the final day of the course. By the end of the course, students will gain a greater appreciation of the advantages and challenges in drug repurposing and how the value of new discoveries depend in large measure on how well they are translated into changes in the practice of medicine in our communities.
Project / Presentation Requirement:
All participants will produce a scientific project. In accordance with the SRI requirements, students will present their findings in a poster format at the SRI symposium.