Undergraduate Summer Program
The Gene Lay Institute sponsors three students each year to participate in the Harvard Immunology Undergraduate Summer Program.
This 10 week internship program integrates faculty lectures, workshops, and Immunology laboratory research to deliver an intensive Immunology training experience.
Please see the Harvard Immunology Undergraduate Summer Program Website for more details and how to apply.
During the past summer, I had the privilege of participating in Harvard's Immunology Undergraduate Summer Program and intern at Dr. Dunn's laboratory within the Center for Brain Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy. Being immersed into the MGH and Harvard Medical School environment provided me with a unique chance to train alongside and engage with renowned researchers whose passion and approach to Immunology was truly inspiring. The way the community collaborates and asks questions that challenge the boundaries of our understanding is highly characteristic and left an impression within me. I’ve fostered a new appreciation for the wonders of our immune system and the potential it has to battle cancer. The experience was undeniably enriching and has influenced my development as an aspiring scientist in the field, the lessons and insights I gained will continue to serve me as I embark on future endeavors. Profoundly thankful to the Gene Lay Institute for their sponsorship throughout the internship and their continued support of the program.
My summer research investigating the role of IL-18 in liver fibrosis was transformational. Although challenging at times, the hands-on research solidified my passion for unraveling the complexities of immunology. I was also deeply inspired by my mentor's guidance and the collaborative nature of the lab environment. Beyond the lab, the program offered seminars, and lectures to engage with esteemed guest faculty from diverse immunology backgrounds. This immersive research community motivated me to continue pursuing a career at the intersection of science, medicine, and service. A particularly memorable experience was attending the weekly lab meetings. I was at first intimidated to present my research progress to Dr. Nowarski and lab members. However, their thoughtful questions and feedback motivated me to think more critically about my project. In one instance, a lab mate suggested an alternative protocol that helped me overcome a technical hurdle I had been facing. The collaborative spirit and mentorship I received during these meetings demonstrated the value of working as a team to advance science. Moments like these exemplified how the program's supportive research environment empowers young scientists. I continue to apply the communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills I honed in those meetings to new challenges in my education. Thanks to this program, I return to my studies re-energized and committed to academic excellence. The critical thinking, technical, and communication skills I developed give me confidence in achieving my goal of impactful research as a physician-scientist.
My unquenchable thirst for scientific knowledge was solidified from the age that I was able to ask enough unanswerable questions about the world to my mother. She was annoyed to the point that she bought me a library card so that I could rent books about my “monthly scientific fixations.” However, these monthly fixations would soon subside due to the loss of two important women in my life to lupus: my own grandmother and my “Lola,” who had also been like a grandmother to me. I have since dedicated my undergraduate career to studying cellular and molecular biology to continue pursuing my childhood dream of leading the fight to solve the so-called “unsolvable.” While I was able to learn a lot from the immunological research that I have conducted in the past and the hundreds of articles that I read, I was left unfulfilled and wanted to contribute to the forefront of immunological inquiry. With the help of Harvard’s Immunology Undergraduate Summer Program, I was able to truly see myself making an impact in the field that I dreamed of contributing to as a child. By working alongside Dr. Alice Horisberger and Dr. Deepak Rao through this program, I have gained the confidence to think of myself not only as a true immunology researcher, but also a person who can always turn their dreams into a reality. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has more than prepared me for my future in this research field. I am very thankful to have been given this chance to experience the joy of being nurtured by a community of scientists that are as passionate as I am about immunology!