Searching for a cure

Christine Carrillo

Nine Orange County high school students ended their six-week

internship at UC Irvine on Monday, leaving with an increased

appreciation for scientists and the research process.

Wearing official white laboratory coats and working diligently in

one of the labs on the second floor of McGaugh Hall, each of the

students tried to soak in as much of the professional world as they

could before returning to school in the fall.

The American Cancer Society’s Youth Science Research Fellowship

Program, which was initially developed 12 years ago for graduate

students interested in cancer research, has become an avenue for the

medical research industry to introduce younger generations to the

challenging field, said Bruce Vancil, director of cancer control for

the society’s Orange County region.

“We decided we needed to be feeding the next generation so that

they would start looking at cancer research as a career,” he said.

“What we wanted to do is capture them to cancer ... and you’ve got to

catch them young.”

The competitive program received more than 200 applications from

high school juniors and seniors throughout Orange County who are

interested in pursuing biology, oncology or other related fields.

Once selected, students are placed in a campus lab based mostly on

their experience and knowledge, and only slightly on their personal

preference. Once assigned, the students then attend weekly group

meetings to discuss their work and experiences with professors and

fellow students.

Although the students had slightly different experiences, each of

them gained much more knowledge about the field.

“I found it a really rewarding experience,” said Faisal Ahmad, 17,

who will continue his research through his senior year. “At the end,

I really did help contribute to finding out how the disease works ...

helping to eventually find a cure.”

The incoming senior at Corona del Mar High School was assigned to

a lab team that worked on constructing a first-time clone of a gene

by cutting and pasting parts from other genes.

Rebecca Cummins, also an incoming Corona del Mar High senior,

worked in another area but shared a similar outlook. Cummins, who

worked on a team that harvested proteins, had previously worked as an

intern at UCI doing Alzheimer’s research.

“Research is the new frontier,” Cummins said. “I’ve developed a

newfound appreciation for scientists and what they do and what they

go through.”

And with the aid of sponsors such as Beckman Coulter, the American

Cancer Society and UCI, students such as Ahmad and Cummins are able

to take advantage of such an experience without having to pay a dime.

“We wanted to make this internship accessible to all the

students,” Vancil said. “We want to be supportive because you never

know which one of these kids will make the next discovery.”

The program’s goal of increasing the number of students who move

into the cancer research field as a profession has proven successful

over the years, encouraging many to pursue an education and career in

similar fields.

“For once, I did something that made a difference,” Cummins said.

“This is science applied.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO is the news assistant. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4298 or by e-mail at [email protected].