Students Experience Cutting-Edge Research
Alex Yu works in the Evan Lab at UCSF. His study of the inhibition of Myc, a protein that affects gene expression and is linked to causes of cancer, is a step toward developing a type of cancer therapy.
He also just happens to be 17 years old.
While other rising seniors may have found a summer job, Yu, as an SEP intern, spent two months working alongside program mentor Nicole Sodir, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar.
"It was nice to see him becoming more independent," said Sodir. ""He now has almost a full understanding of the project and he can critically perform an experiment."
The internship application process is highly selective, but unlike other summer pre-college programs, SEP does not evaluate transcripts or test scores. Instead, SFUSD teachers nominate students with a strong interest in science.
"The students we try to select are those for whom this will make critical differences in their lives," said Jean MacCormack, an SEP academic coordinator. "