1. Volume 3, Issue 1
Winter 2012
It’s the 10th Anniversary of the
American Cancer Society-Illinois Division’s
Summer High School Research Program!
Class of 2003: 5 Students with their
mentors
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2003 we started with a class of 5 students from Chicago Public
Schools, and have expanded to include up to 35 students per class,
per year statewide. Some of our first students are completing medical
school and grad school in health sciences. We have 203 alumni
graduates of which 100% attend(ed) college and 88% percent
are/have majored in medicine and/or science---Along the way they
have reached many accomplishments:
Class of 2011: 33 Students! Our alumni have served as, President of the Society of Future
Physicians at University of Illinois Chicago; past President of the
There are many ways for you to stay
CalTech Chapter of American Institute of Chemical Engineering; and
involved as a volunteer
served as members of the Pre-Med Association at Southern Illinois
Annual Summer Career Fair
University.
Come discuss your experiences with
the current class! Some alumni have published their summer high school research in
The Program’s Recognition Dinner peer-reviewed journals, many have presented posters at scientific
Host a presentation room and network meetings, including American Society of Clinical Oncology and the
with mentors from across Illinois American Association of Cancer Research.
Academic Centers.
Research Ambassador for the Other program participants have won prestigious competitions
American Cancer Society including the Siemens Competition in Math Science and Technology,
Gain experience in public speaking and the Chicago Public School Latin Olympics, and Jackson Laboratories
volunteerism while helping promote Summer Student Program.
our program and current research
efforts. We are proud of all of our students’ accomplishments!
Volunteering looks great on college,
graduate school and job applications
We want to stay in contact
Parents- Send us your contact
information—we will have numerous
exciting opportunities to get involved
this year!
Students-Request to be a friend on
Facebook if you have not done so at:
facebook.com/ilhsprogram and let us
know what you are doing!
Mentors and lab participants

2. Featured Mentor: Summer High School
Gayle Woloschak, PhD Research Program
Program Mentor for 10 years
Student Highlights
Position: Professor Meet some of our past students from class of 2011
Department of Radiation Oncology;
Northwestern University’s Feinberg
School of Medicine Connie Liou
This past summer, Connie Liou of
James B. Conant High School in Hoffman
Dr. Woloschak started her career in Some colleges that our
Estates participated in the Summer High School
science as an undergraduate at Research Program along with 32 other high school juniors from
alumni have attended:
Youngtown University in Ohio. She across the state.
had the opportunity to do research in University of Illinois,
Connie worked alongside John Crispino, PhD of Northwestern Chicago & Urbana-Champaign
an ecology lab. University in Chicago. Her research project centered on the campuses
concept that a positive connection exists between Down’s Southern Illinois University
Currently, Dr. Woloschak has two Northwestern University
syndrome and leukemia. During her eight weeks she studied a
main research projects in her lab. One gene called DYRK1A, important in Down’s syndrome, which is Harvard College
project is the creation of small devices Yale University
thought to have a role in leukemia development.
Brown University
(smaller than a virus) to develop new Washington University at St.
When Connie was asked her thoughts on the program, she stated,
tools to treat and image cancer. The Louis
“This program solidified my love for science and has shown me the
devices take advantage of biological endless possibilities to help others—whether through direct care
Duke University
materials and inorganic materials. University of Iowa
or through research. The skills and information that I learned from Columbia University
“Most often we are trying to couple researching for eight weeks have created an essential starting University of Wisconsin-
proteins or DNA to TI02 block for me in my pursuit of a career in patient care.” Madison
nanoparticles”, says Woloschak. In addition to science, Connie is very interested in music. She
Miami University
Eastern Illinois University
recently performed with the Chicago Youth Symphony at the kick-
The second project involves tissue th
Illinois State University
off of their 65 anniversary season. The University of Chicago
from animals that received different
Grinnell College
dose rates of radiation in the 1960’s- Justin Boganey Loyola University Chicago
1990’s. The tissue was part of project Justin Boganey of Chicago, IL attends Chicago Vanderbilt University
run by the Department of Energy to High School of Agriculture and also was Massachusetts Institute of
accepted into the Summer High School Technology
determine the effects of radiation on Program for summer 2011. Rensselaer Polytechnic
cancer and different organs in the Institute
body. Her lab is using the tissues and Participating at Northwestern University, Chicago Campus under Emory University
data to understand how radiation the supervision of Gayle Woloschak, PhD, Justin studied the Princeton University
development of a therapeutic alternative to chemotherapy and University of North Carolina
affects cells at the molecular level. Bradley University
radiotherapy. When explaining his project, he says, “It’s rather
They are using these samples in part complicated; we’re trying to see if we can use titanium dioxide to Kentucky State University
to prevent unnecessary studies on dismantle DNA of diseased cancer cells while not harming the Cornell University
new animals. regular cells.” His project title was: Discovering the Effects of Brandeis University
University of Michigan
Coated Titanium Dioxide Iron Core (Fe3O4@TiO2) Nanoparticles
University of Arizona
When asked why she volunteers to on DNA Cleavage.
Stanford University
mentor in our program each year, Case Western Reserve
When asked about the program he said, “It’s been wonderful. It
Gayle says, “ I hope to give students University
allowed me to better understand the research side of medicine.”
some of the opportunities I had when California Institute of
Technology
I was young. They come in Besides math and science, Justin’s other interests are track and
Colorado School of Mines
enthusiastic about so many different field, basketball, baseball, piano, saxophone and snare drum as
well as the academic decathlon. Justin has not decided where he
fields of study, and often they have
will attend college but he is applying to Yale University, Carnegie
learned science by memorizing the Mellon University, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and
facts. The program allows them to Brown University.
see science in action, up close and
interactive!”
Contact Information: Tyharrie Hill I 225 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 1200 I Chicago, IL 60601
773-279-7392 I Tyharrie.Hill@cancer.org