Two Thermo Fisher JIC 2023 alumni who had a summer of science
For those who love science, learning doesn’t stop when school lets out for the summer. This is especially true for some Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC) finalists in 2023 who spent their summer vacations delving into their scientific interests at immersive STEM-themed camps around the country. Here are highlights from two of the finalists’ science-inspired summers.
Claire Xu of San Jose, California (Thermo Fisher JIC 2023) received the second-place engineering award for her project transforming produce waste into sustainable vegan leather. This summer, Claire explored her STEM interests by attending the Stanford Summer Science Internship Program, within Stanford University’s Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences. Through the program, Claire explored the nuanced causes of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
Over two intensive weeks, with full days spanning from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Claire attended lectures given by Stanford researchers and participated in hands-on lab experiments. Among the many topics explored in the program, Claire delved into genetic theory and conducted hands-on experiments on PCR primer design and the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases.
“My Thermo Fisher JIC experience expanded my intellectual horizons, both from presenting to the judges and bonding with my fellow peers,” says Claire. “My choice of summer internship is an expansion of my interests in research and innovation, especially with the unprecedented surge of tech, AI dilemmas and mental health struggles that constantly rewire our minds.”
Though her summer internship has concluded, Claire plans to continue her research on Alzheimer’s disease, aiming to uncover undiscovered new treatments for the one in nine Americans over the age of 65 affected by this tauopathy.
Amritha Praveen of Buffalo Grove, Illinois (Thermo Fisher JIC 2023) earned the second-place award in mathematics for her project on improving mental health outcomes through AI-powered music therapy. This summer, Amritha attended the in-person Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research Camp at Columbia University. Learning from PhD-level instructors with years of research experience, Amritha and her fellow attendees explored concepts of molecular and cellular biology and created original research projects.
Amritha’s experience as a Thermo Fisher JIC finalist played a major role in helping her decide which camp she wanted to attend. “After completing one of our team challenges, I discovered a newfound interest in biomedicine,” she says. “I wanted to explore more about cancer research, which is why I applied for the Rosetta Institute summer camp.”
Typical days consisted of morning lectures that lasted from about 9:00 a.m. until noon on topics such as bioinformatics and the latest advancements in cancer research. In the afternoons, Amritha’s cohort conducted lab work related to concepts and questions introduced in the lectures. Her favorite part was being in the lab, especially learning about gene expression and how to identify cancerous tumor cells in patients. For the camp’s culmination, Amritha completed a research project using everything she learned from her time at the Institute.
For the latest on the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, meet the 2024 Top 30 Finalists and stay tuned to see who wins this year’s awards on October 29, 2024!
