CWS Global Engagement Internships

Children’s Hospital – Boston February 3, 2012

Dana Farber Harvard Children’s Cancer Care includes the Pediatric Oncology Department at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Children’s Hospital Boston (CHB).  All staff and faculty carry joint appointments at both institutions and with the Department of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. This 68-year old Hematology/Oncology program is among the oldest in the country and is internationally recognized for its research in pediatric blood diseases, cancer, and stem cells. It was founded by Dr. Louis K. Diamond, who is often said to have been the father of Pediatric Hematology, and by Dr. Sidney Farber, who originated cancer chemotherapy. The modern program dates from 1967 when Dr. David G. Nathan replaced Dr. Diamond as Division Chief and assumed responsibility for all Pediatric Oncology at CHB and the DFCI. Soon thereafter, a bone marrow transplant program was begun. Current Chiefs include Drs. Stuart Orkin and David Williams.

The Division of Hematology/Oncology and the Stem Cell Program at CHB/Dana-Farber houses a rich collection of researchers in the areas of stem cell biology, development, biochemistry, hematopoiesis, transcription, immunology, cancer genetics, cell cycle analysis, cancer genomics, and tumor biology. The division has trained 10 members of the National Academy of Sciences or Institute of Medicine, 11 members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and almost 60 deans, department chairs and division chiefs. There are 42 women faculty in the division. The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology faculty at the Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute receive more than $32 million in research support per year, the majority from the National Institutes of Health. The total research space supporting the Division of Hematology/Oncology is 45,000 square feet in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. The CHB Stem Cell Program is located in adjacent space and occupies an additional 6,240 square feet.

Advanced Project Description for 2012
The internship provides an opportunity for students to learn skills related to basic, translational and clinical research in pediatric blood diseases, cancer and stem cell biology. Basic research is laboratory-based research of normal biological processes and the mechanisms of disease. Skills that you can expect to learn in a basic science laboratory include the planning, execution, and interpretation of experiments and scientific techniques such as PCR, cell culture and gel electrophoresis. Translational Research is research that transforms scientific discoveries arising from laboratory studies into clinical applications. Although translational research is patient oriented much of it is performed within the laboratory.  Skills that you can expect to learn from participation in translational research are a combination of those learned from a basic research experience and a clinical research experience. Clinical research is the study of disease, treatment, and outcome in patients. Skills that you can expect to learn in clinical research include the design of clinical studies, managing databases, and data analysis. Sometimes a clinical research experience may involve direct interviews of patients or family members but often will not involve direct patient contact.

The Intern will select a faculty mentor from a list provided by the Division and will participate in basic research within this faculty’s laboratory or will participate in developing a clinical research effort. The intern and mentor will develop a learning contract that delineates the specific goals of the internship. The intern is expected to become facile with the research approaches utilized by their mentor and, at the discretion of the mentor, may develop a specific project with a current member of the research team.

The intern will be expected to attend all required training modules of the institution, attend all laboratory meetings of their group and scientific seminars as directed by their mentor. Weekly seminars include:
1. Pediatric Hematology-Oncology research seminars, which focus primarily on outside speakers;
2. specific lab meetings;
3. a ‘floor meeting’ in which all trainees present about once/year; this meeting is attended by all CHB faculty focused on hematology and stem cell;
4. many Harvard Medical area and University seminars; and
5. Harvard Stem Cell Institute seminars, all of which bring in speakers with international reputations. The intern will follow all safety and confidentiality requirements of the institution.

At the end of the internship, the intern will be required to develop a written report of her project and will present her research findings at a special seminar set up for presentation of multiple interns. These activities will contribute to the overall final evaluation of the student. Continuation of the project after the concentrated training experience will be at the discretion of the mentor.

Desired Qualifications
Applicants must be currently enrolled Wellesley College juniors. A strong interest in medicine, science or laboratory research is essential. A background in science and/or scientific research is recommended but not required.

No language requirement.