Program Information
The Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) hosts five rising second-year medical students each summer from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) partner institutions. Rising second-year medical students are matched with a Stanford Cancer Institute faculty member for an eight-week, full-time, on-campus research program funded by the Stanford Cancer Institute.
The summer program aims to foster lifelong interactions and collaborations between the larger Stanford Medicine community and HBCU partner institutions. Scholars participate in learning and networking opportunities, including luncheons with the Stanford Cancer Institute leadership team, the Stanford Cancer Institute Breakthroughs in Cancer seminars and luncheons with seminar speakers, the Comprehensive Cancer Research Training Program, and other Stanford School of Medicine level events with other HBMC medical students matched with different School of Medicine departments.
- 2025 Cohort
- 2025 Recap
The Stanford Cancer Institute launched the summer research experience with Historically Black Medical Colleges (HBMC) in 2023. The program is part of the Stanford-HBMC Summer Research Program, which helps scholars obtain valuable research experience and grow their professional networks.
The 2025 faculty mentors were Pauline Funchain, MD, Amanda Kirane, MD, PhD, FACS, FSSO, Melody Smith, MD, MS, Melissa Bondy, PhD, and Natalie Lui, MD.
Pauline Funchain, MD, Stanford Cancer Institute associate director for education and training, says, “This program is a great example of what we are here to do at Stanford and HBMCs. We aim to educate the next generation of physician-scientists who will change the landscape of medical knowledge.”
The scholars participated in other Stanford learning and networking opportunities, including Stanford Cancer Institute Breakthroughs in Cancer seminars, luncheons with seminar speakers, luncheons with the Stanford Cancer Institute leadership team, and Stanford School of Medicine events attended by other HBMC students matched with different departments.
The scholars requested one last connection opportunity before leaving Stanford. In response, the program managers organized a coffee hour meet-up with faculty members, including Howard alumnus Candice Thompson, MD, so scholars could have an open discussion and seek career advice from different perspectives.
Sei Lee, PhD, who serves as the Stanford Cancer Institute point of contact for the SCI-HBMC cohort, says, “We support the scholars not only through a stipend but also by inviting students to foster long-term relationships with the Stanford Cancer Institute principal investigators, which can translate into other academic, personal, and professional development opportunities.”
Q&A with 2025 scholars and mentors
Scholar: Crystal Griffith (Howard University)
Mentor: Pauline Funchain, MD
Title: Identifying Patterns in Immune-Related Adverse Events
Crystal Griffith
How was your experience as a mentee under Dr. Pauline Funchain?
Coming into Stanford, I felt the pressure to shine, the sense that people would be watching closely, ready to notice the gaps in my knowledge or the mistakes I made. Like many in medicine, I wrestled with some imposter syndrome. Dr. Funchain brought a refreshing approach to mentorship. She made me feel capable, valued my dedication, and encouraged me at every step. She was warm, approachable, and down-to-earth in a way that made it easy to learn from her.
What were some highlights from the project(s) you worked on?
It was a new challenge, and I loved that, because it meant an opportunity to grow. This was my first experience with clinical research. Before this, my work had only been in basic science. Give me cells and pipettes, and I was in my element. Here, I found myself studying workflows from admissions to treatments to labs and medications. It was the closest I’d been to patient care itself, and it taught me so much about how medicine flows behind the scenes, how teams communicate, and more about oncology, which is my area of interest.
Are there skills and/or knowledge you gained during your time as a Stanford Cancer Institute HBMC scholar that will help you in your future career?
I learned how many hats a physician wears, and how the issues we see in clinic often spark the research we end up doing. I also got to see the real value of collaboration, especially in tumor board discussions, where everyone brings their own lens to figure out the best plan for a patient.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Stanford was a wonderful experience, especially because of the people. After finishing my first year of medical school, I was feeling some burnout. This opportunity was reinvigorating and gave me a fresh, optimistic start to the new year.
Pauline Funchain, MD
How was your experience as a mentor for your Stanford Cancer Institute HBMC scholar?
It was so incredible to see this brilliant medical student dive into the research world and become a pro in data collection and analysis in a short eight-week period. Crystal knocked it out of the park. I am such a proud mentor!
What were some highlights from the project(s) your scholar worked on?
Because myocarditis is known to occur both from viral infections and as a side effect of immunotherapy, Crystal used an enterprise-level patient database to see if there was a relationship between immune-related myocarditis and viral infections. She was also able to quantify year-by-year trends in immunotherapy-related myocarditis. Because this particular immunotherapy-related adverse event has a mortality rate of about 50%, it is so important to understand the changing incidence of myocarditis as well as any other factors that may affect the incidence.
Scholar: Alexxandra Hurtado (Charles Drew University)
Mentor: Amanda Kirane, MD, PhD, FACS, FSSO
Title: Spatial Analysis of Macrophage-Tumor Cell Interactions in T-VEC Treated Melanoma
Alexxandra Hurtado
How was your experience as a mentee under Dr. Kirane?
I am so grateful for Dr. Kirane’s mentorship. She met me where I was, helped me navigate the learning curve in tumor immunology, immunotherapy, and spatial biology, and always made time for thoughtful feedback. I also had the opportunity to shadow her in surgery and observe tissue collection, which gave me a first‑hand view of how translational clinical trials operate at the interface of patient care and research. Additionally, the entire Kirane Lab was so welcoming, multidisciplinary, collaborative, and generous with their time. It was a pleasure to spend this summer with them!
What were some highlights from the project(s) worked on?
Highlights include learning new spatial analysis tools and techniques, and contributing to a streamlined workflow that the team is building to study tumor‑associated macrophages (TAMs) in melanoma. My work has involved processing sequential immunofluorescence images, extracting single‑cell features, clustering immune and tumor populations, and examining how their spatial relationships may shift with treatment. I’m grateful for the chance to apply these skills within a patient‑focused, translational project.
Are there skills and/or knowledge you gained during your time as a Stanford Cancer Institute HBMC Scholar that will help you in your future career?
Yes! I built core skills in spatial biology and computational analysis, and also gained practical insight into the translational pipeline from OR tissue collection to data analysis and interpretation. I also learned to engage with the field more effectively, for instance, by following key journals, presenting at lab meetings, and staying current with advances in immuno‑oncology. These experiences are directly shaping my path toward physician training, and I plan to build this into my medical school thesis.