Summer Research Program Seeks Faculty Mentors

This June a group of high schoolers will spend the bulk of their days inside research laboratories, not on the local beaches, as part of the Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR).

Immersive lab work may seem like an unusual way to enjoy summer break, but for these students it’s a rare opportunity to work alongside Stanford scientists and do impactful work in an academic setting.

The eight-week program is designed to provide hands-on experience to a diverse and underrepresented group of juniors and seniors, explains Program Director PJ Utz, MD (professor, Immunology and Rheumatology). Each student is assigned to a specific lab and paired with a postdoctoral or graduate student. Each is also expected to work on an independent research project.

Unlike many summer programs, SIMR pays students for their work, and offers participants a chance to do real biomedical research alongside Stanford luminaries. “Students are doing research here, instead of just learning things in a classroom,” Utz says. “They’re actually doing real experiments, and a subset of them will even co-author papers. And they’re working in the labs of Nobel laureates or National Academy of Science members.”

It’s not all lab work, though. Students also take safety training courses, attend seminars, listen to lectures, and present their work at a final poster session. And the program often serves as a springboard to national science competitions. 63 attendees have been semi-finalists or finalists in the national Siemens or Intel competitions. Utz recalls one student, Julia Ransohoff, who made a discovery about stem cells and traveled to Washington, DC to present at Intel. “While in DC, she stayed a 5-star hotel, and met Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But she said the real highlight was meeting Barack Obama on the same day that he repealed the stem cell bill.”

Students aren’t the only ones who benefit from SIMR. The program also provides younger faculty and postdocs with a chance to hone their teaching and mentoring skills. “They learn important skills that most people haven’t developed early in their careers – how to manage time, how to design a project, and how to mentor,” Utz says.

Assistant Professor Purvesh Khatri has worked with SIMR students for the past five years, and he says the experience is rewarding. “These are fantastic students. They’re energetic and open to new ideas. I would definitely encourage every faculty member to get involved.”

SIMR is seeking labs and mentors for the 2017 summer session.  If you’re interested in hosting a student, email simr-program@stanford.edu or contact Utz directly at pjutz@stanford.edu.