Since 2017, Harvard professor Sam Kunes and educator Pei Yen have run the BioResearch Academy summer program, inspiring and enlightening young scientists for a biology research career. It's alumni attend universities such as: Stanford, MIT, Duke, Columbia, UChicago, USC, UCLA, NYU Abu Dhabi, Wesleyan, Minerva, and more.
The program is designed for:
- high school students passionate about the biological sciences
- have preparation in molecular and cellular biology
- want to express their interest in future research and/or science competitions
The curriculum allows students to:
- develop an understanding of a wide range of experimental methods
- develop an ability to interpret complex experimental data, including from papersconduct research to hone problem-solving skills
- refine original thinking around experimental design challenges, real data, and interpretable results
- delve into the core group research topic of Alzheimer's disease, among other topics
Dr. Kunes will lead the teaching of the program along with highly trained teaching assistants who serve as role models, including in prior year programming, former BioResearch Academy students now studying biology at MIT and other research universities. They will help ensure students build confidence and teamwork skills to match their curiosity. Advanced research concepts and research papers are made accessible to students through pre-program readings, during lectures, and via teaching assistant support.
