- Program Information
- 2026 Interns
- Prior Interns
- Program Recap
The Stanford Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society (ACS) have collaborated to provide a cancer research internship program. This internship offers a holistic curriculum designed to provide undergraduate students from San Francisco Bay Area schools with the tools and experiences necessary to pursue careers in cancer research.
The program combines mentored research experiences in Stanford Cancer Institute labs with scientific seminars and skill-building workshops. Its overarching goal is to provide hands-on lab experience to non-Stanford undergraduates interested in further exploring cancer-related career tracks. This is a ten-week, in-person program funded by the American Cancer Society.
Key dates:
- Program dates: June 22 - August 28, 2026 (10 weeks)
- Application open: December 8, 2025
- Application close: January 12, 2026
- Virtual interviews: January 20 - 23, 2026
- Decision letters: February 9, 2026
Eligibility:
- Rising sophomore or in the final year at a community college in the Greater Bay Area
- Major is in any STEM discipline (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics)
- In good academic standing with at least a 3.0 GPA
- Full-time student who is not concurrently enrolled in summer courses or another summer research program at Stanford or other institution
- Able to commit 40 hours per week to research
Commitment and expectations:
- Regular check-ins with mentor and lab meetings
- Weekly skill building/professional development workshops, trainings, and Stanford Cancer Institute seminars
- Social events
- Work in the labs with faculty mentor and other scholars (up to 8 hrs/per day)
FAQs:
How are mentors and mentees paired?
A selection committee will pair mentors based on their research interests.
Is housing provided?
No, housing will be the responsibility of the students.
Can I receive academic credit for this summer internship?
No, interns instead receive a stipend of $5,000 for the summer internship.
Is this program offered virtually?
No. This program is an in-person internship where students will gain research experience by working in Stanford Cancer Institute labs.
2025
Launched in 2025 and funded by the American Cancer Society (ACS) Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT), the Stanford Cancer Institute hosts undergraduate students from across the Bay Area for a summer research experience.
2026 faculty mentors
The 2026 faculty mentors were Steven Corsello, MD; Robert Diep, MD; Kyle Daniels, PhD; Mohammad Esfahani, PhD; Pauline Funchain, MD; Vanessa Kennedy, MD; Michelle Monje, MD, PhD.
Students also worked closely with near-peer mentors — graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who support the students’ research projects and activities in their mentors’ labs.
Stanford Cancer Institute Director Steven Artandi, MD, PhD, said, “We are delighted to host undergraduates from outside institutions and to give them experience in a Stanford cancer lab. This year’s undergraduates worked in wet and dry labs that included basic science, genomics, radiation oncology, translation science, and drug development.”
Research and career exploration
Throughout the summer, students participated in scientific seminars, skill-building workshops, and professional development sessions. Topics included responsible conduct of research, cancer advocacy, scientific writing, poster and abstract preparation, and professional relationships.
Professional development sessions introduced students to both nonacademic and academic cancer careers, including clinical research coordinators and life science researchers. Panels with Stanford graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and residents gave students the chance to hear about different career paths and the nonlinear nature of academic careers.
This summer, the Canary CREST Program collaborated with the Stanford Cancer Institute Office of Cancer Research Training and Education Core on professional development activities. Interns from both programs attended career talks hosted by the other program. These talks gave students a chance to learn about cancer research and explore different career paths, including early detection and radiology. The collaboration also brought students from the two programs together, giving them an opportunity to meet, connect, and learn from one another.
Pauline Funchain, MD, Stanford Cancer Institute associate director for training and education, said, “Beyond the bench, successful researchers are skilled in leadership, presenting, writing, engaging others in their ideas, and managing professional relationships across complex organizations. We are proud to collaborate with the American Cancer Society and give aspiring cancer scientists a holistic experience of what a career in cancer research looks like and help them develop the varied skillsets this field requires.”
Charlette Ohioze, MPH, project coordinator for cancer research and training, said, “We hope this experience gives students the opportunity to explore cancer research firsthand, build their confidence, and discover where their interests might take them. It’s rewarding to see students grow over the summer and leave with a stronger sense of what’s possible for their future.”
2026 student experiences
Tha Zin Hteik “Teresa” Htar
Mentor: Kyle Daniels, PhD
Daniels said, “Teresa has been a great addition to the lab. Working with her mentor, Tony Salcido-Alcantar, Teresa has become proficient in cloning transgenes and testing the anti-tumor activity of engineered T cells. Teresa performed an especially exciting experiment in which she demonstrated that CD4 CAR-T cells are incredibly efficient at killing a difficult-to-kill solid tumor line. This is a great contribution of knowledge that may help us create new therapies in the future. And this experience will prepare Teresa to lead an independent research project in the future.”
Htar said, “From this opportunity, I learned and gained so much more than I thought I would. During the first few weeks in the lab, I was observing and prepping for my mentor’s experiment. As we transitioned into starting an actual experiment, I was given an opportunity to come up with my own experiment that I want to test.”
“Since I started this whole process from the very beginning with my mentor’s excellent guidance, from cloning to doing cancer challenges, I have learned so many wet lab skills and data analysis skills that are so valuable to me. Going through an experiment from start to finish within 10 weeks is a big accomplishment for someone who has never had hands-on lab experience before. Experiencing and witnessing all the elements that go into developing and executing cancer research solidified my passion to pursue a career in biomedical research, specifically cell and cancer biology.”
Shriya Thakkar
Mentor: Mohammad Esfahani, PhD
Thakkar said, “My Stanford Cancer Institute experience has deepened my understanding, strengthened my confidence, and connected classroom learning to broader research applications.”
Kristie Wen
Mentor: Robert Diep, MD
Wen said, “This experience has deepened my understanding of the complexities of cancer and inspired me to continue contributing to a field where each discovery advances patient care.”
Diep said, “Kristie represents the incredible talent pool in the Bay Area beyond the undergraduates we typically see within Stanford. A military medic, she balanced those duties with her work at Stanford, bringing her hunger, proactivity, and drive to every project she became involved in.”
“The next generation needs early exposure to research, from bench to bedside in oncology. With just a bit of opportunity here at the SCI, Kristie has grown tremendously. She'll have an exciting career in medicine, proof that talent shines brightest with the right resources.”
