The Stanford Cancer Institute launched the Summer Undergraduate Program in 2023 to help undergraduate students gain research skills and explore cancer-relevant career tracks. Students are paired with a Stanford cancer faculty member based on the student’s interest areas for a six-week research experience in a Stanford cancer lab. Faculty mentors are actively engaged with one of the Stanford Cancer Institute research programs and have extensive mentoring experience.
Sei Lee, PhD, who serves as the Stanford Cancer Institute point of contact for the students, says, “We are hoping that students explore cancer-relevant career tracks and take actionable steps to get there. For instance, some students who are part of the program have a strong interest in honing their research, which is why they applied to the program. We hope that the participants can further leverage the research lab experience to other research opportunities more broadly, STEM-related post-graduation programs such as medical school.”
Since the program takes place during the summer, undergraduates had the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in a research area they are excited about without having to balance out a typical academic load during the school year. Students were provided a $6,000 stipend with an additional $3,000 allowance for housing so they can devote their complete attention to their research.
Students also attended Stanford Cancer Institute events, such as the Breakthroughs in Cancer seminar series and luncheons with seminar speakers, seminars on topics such as data management and reproducibility and rigor, which are provided in partnership with the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. A program highlight is students have the opportunity to share their summer research project at the Stanford Cancer Institute’s annual Comprehensive Cancer Research Training Program. After the summer program concludes, students are kept informed of relevant opportunities and events through their Associate trainee membership with the Stanford Cancer Institute to continue growing their cancer research skills and knowledge.
The program was initiated by Stanford Cancer Institute Director Steven Artandi, MD, PhD. He says, “We recognize that to make groundbreaking discoveries in cancer science, it’s critical to ensure the next generation has the tools and confidence to tackle the field’s most challenging and pressing questions. We give Stanford undergraduate students real-world research experience in a cancer lab to prepare them for their graduate studies. Our team is pleased to host the Stanford Cancer Institute Undergraduate Summer Program and connect undergraduate students with cancer faculty members. This year’s program has been a success, with both students and faculty members finding the program a meaningful learning experience.”
Lee says they have a competitive pool of applicants each year that continues to grow through outreach efforts and word of mouth. They hope to expand the program by opening it to Bay Area community colleges and universities to provide equitable opportunities for students from underrepresented groups. She says their near-future plan is to secure funding to support a larger cohort of students.
2024 mentee Jason Cui, whose mentor was Artandi, says of the program, “The Stanford Cancer Institute Undergraduate Summer Program provided me an opportunity to conduct meaningful and substantial research over the summer. I made significant progress in my research project, as the summer provided me time to work uninterrupted and full-time. This program also made a significant effort to connect me with other undergraduate researchers and guest speakers, something that was invaluable.”
2024 mentee Upamanyu Dass-Vattam, whose mentor was Steven Corsello, MD, says, “My principal investigator recommended the program to me because he saw it as a great opportunity for me to get funding to continue our work together over the summer. I had the chance to actually devote myself to doing research, in contrast to during the school year where I'm lucky if I can piece together one day of research work a week. I think I am more settled now on applying to PhD programs and realized that I really value the work-life balance of my lab, so that's something I should consider when applying to programs instead of blindly taking the most prestigious or best-funded position.”
Lee speaks highly of the students in the program. She says, “Students are very self-motivated and eager to learn and maximize their summer months, focusing their attention on lab work and honing their research skills. They are also curious to explore novel approaches and techniques with guidance from their mentors, especially from their near-peer mentors, who are central to the summer program. Mentors and near-peer mentors like postdocs and graduate students vary in their mentoring approaches and styles but all have been very approachable and encourage curiosity, which has all helped to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment.”
