Community Outreach

BU-BMC HemOnc Summer Outreach Program

 

Each summer, the Hagedorn Lab (with help from other research groups in the HemOnc Section) runs a research program for local high school students, with a particular focus on working with students from underserved communities and underrepresented backgrounds.

Program Summary

Our one-week summer enrichment program offers local high school students an opportunity to immerse themselves within the field of biomedical research. Participating students learn directly (in person) from research scientists at Boston University School of Medicine, including faculty, graduate students and senior research staff. Students participate in hands-on activities and are exposed to a wide-range of research subjects as they begin to think about college and/or explore their future career paths.

The ultimate goal of this program is to advance diversity, inclusion and representation in the sciences, and to inspire the next generation of scientists!

Participating students will: 

  • Engage in a week-long program that introduced various types of research within Boston University-Boston Medical Center’s Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology.
  • Obtain a foundational understanding of genetic inheritance, nucleic acid structure, transgenesis, pH, and embryonic development and tissue microdissection using Danio rerio and Xenopus
  • Gain technical skills in the following disciplines:
    • DNA gel electrophoresis
    • Bacterial transformations
    • Restriction digests
    • Histological staining
    • Aseptic techniques
    • Micropipetting
    • Fluorescence microscopy
  • Perhaps most importantly, establish a long-term one-on-one mentoring relationship with a member of the BU-BMC research community, to support the student’s progress towards achieving their career/life goals.

If you or someone you know might be interested in participating in the summer 2024 outreach program, please send an email to gbeacha1@bu.edu or submit your application here!

This work is funded by generous support from the Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Boston Medical Center, and from a COMPASS Outreach Grant from the American Society for Cell Biology.

Video from the 2022 summer program: