High School Education
ResearcHStart
ResearcHStart is a multi-institutional program welcoming high school students from the Chicago and Urbana-Champaign areas to explore exciting careers in cancer research. Participants work full-time in the laboratories of established cancer researchers, gaining hands-on experience in areas at the forefront of the field: cancer immunology, bioengineering, experimental cancer therapeutics, cancer disparities, and more.
The program complements rigorous research training with career development and skill-building workshops, a cancer-based faculty lecture series, and a network of faculty and peer mentors dedicated to students’ success. The program culminates in a research symposium for family, friends, and scientific community members. Participants receive a taxable stipend of $4,000. To learn more about the program, visit the University of Chicago’s main researcHStart website via the link below.
ResearcHStart Goals
- Introduce students to cutting-edge cancer research and promote career opportunities in the field
- Help students gain knowledge in biophysics, biochemistry, immunology, and pharmacology
- Help students gain an understanding of cancer and its impact on Illinois residents
Dates
ResearcHStart generally runs from the second full week of June through the first week of August. Specific dates are announced with the release of application materials each fall.
Student Benefits
- Taxable stipend of $4,000
- Exposure to top universities in Illinois
- Targeted career development and skill-building workshops
- Hands-on experience in a cutting-edge laboratory or research group
- Ongoing mentorship from faculty, research professionals, program personnel, and peers
ResearcHStart Admission Process
Admission to researcHStart is highly competitive. No more than 30 participants will be selected, based on their stated interest in the program, academic record, and letters of recommendation.
Conflict of Interest Policy: The selection of applicants is managed by the site leadership teams. Immediate family members of the site leadership teams or of the researcHStart Advisory Committee are ineligible for the program. Immediate family members of faculty from a given site are ineligible for that site. All applications will be subject to the Conflict of Interest Policy.
How to Apply
- Review the applicant information packet.
- Submit the online application form.
- Identify two individuals (at least one teacher) to complete the online applicant recommendation form. An instruction sheet for recommenders is available here.
- Applicants who advance to the second round: Complete an in-person interview with the program leadership team at the respective site.
Eligibility
- High school junior or senior at time of application
- At least 16 years of age at start of program
- Strong interest in a career in scientific research or medicine
- Strong academic record, particularly in math and science
- Ability to commit to 8 full weeks of programming, 40 hours/week
Past ResearcHStart Cohorts
2025 Cohort
left to right: Malak Halabya, Sasha Goncalo, Maya Aviram, Bonnie Weaver, Shriya Nagaraj
2024 Cohort
Left to right: Stepheny Ek, Alina Bijoy, Madeline Wicklander, Kylie Cherry, Ali Prisecaru, Emily Duong
2023 Cohort
Left to right: Savindi Devmal, Kara Mathias, Kenzie Hales, Hailey Downs, Charlotte Chesser, Aya Surheyao
2022 Cohort
Back row, left to right: Amy Li, Sarah Guo, and Lily Weaver
Front row, left to right: Noam Kramer, Mariam Vaid, and Samara Rezwan
2021 Cohort
Back row, left to right: Malcolm Forsyth, Grace Juhn, Ibrahim Sali, and Jasmine O’Connor
Front row, left to right: Keshav Gandhi, Olivia Rosenstein, Raneem Saadah, and Sarah Park
2020 Cohort
The 2020 cohort was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019 Cohort
Left to right: Sid Panda, Zona Hrnjak, Kristine Wang, Emma Hambley, Anushka Agrawal, Neha Hebbar, and Erica Guelfi
2018 Cohort
Left to right: Josh Sanford, Anneliese Paton, Uma Basole, Ira and Debra Cohen (Program Supporters), Eman Zwawi, Ritu Dave, Esther Chung, and Edith Yao
2017 Cohort
Left to right: Robert Forsyth, Sarah Matatov, Jarron Roy, Yichen Yao, Joy Chen, Malaak Saadah, Elizabeth Breen, Malaak Saadah, and Aditi Mehta
2016 Cohort
Back row, left to right: Kaviamuthan Kanakaraju, Samuel Hotchkiss, Bhargav Yadavalli, and Jonathan Wang
Front row, left to right: Caitlin O’Callaghan and Hailan Shanbhag
2015 Cohort
Left to right: Angela Lee, Katie Finn, Debra Cohen (Program Supporter), Isabella Lee, and Callie Miller
Have a Question About researcHStart?
Primary Program Contact
Megan McKinda
researchstart@bsd.uchicago.edu
773-702-4678
researcHStart Website
Illinois Program Contact
Marcia “Marci” Pool
mpool@illinois.edu
The Pre-College Cancer Engineering Summer Institute at Illinois (PRE-CE)
The Pre-College Cancer Engineering Summer Institute at Illinois (PRE-CE) is a summer research and career exploration program for junior and senior high school students hosted by the Cancer Center at Illinois. PRE-CE runs in parallel with researcHStart, a multi-institution high school summer research program for which CCIL serves as a host site, and expands access to meaningful summer research experiences for students who demonstrate strong interest and potential, including students from rural, under-resourced, or otherwise underserved communities.
PRE-CE students are placed with faculty mentors and research teams for a supervised summer research experience. High School students are paired within the same lab or research group, allowing them to learn alongside a peer, build confidence, strengthen communication and collaboration skills, and support one another as they explore cancer research. Students also participate in professional development, mentorship, and career exploration activities alongside other high school students on campus, where appropriate.
This model allows CCIL to extend the reach of its pre-college training ecosystem while maintaining alignment with existing summer programming infrastructure. Through PRE-CE, students gain experience in research environments, strengthen their understanding of cancer science and engineering, and develop confidence in pursuing future education and careers in STEM and health-related fields. Each PRE-CE student receives a stipend of $4,000.
PRE-CE Goals
- Introduce students to cutting-edge cancer research and promote career opportunities in the field
- Help students gain knowledge in biophysics, biochemistry, immunology, and pharmacology
- Help students gain an understanding of cancer and its impact on Illinois residents
Dates
PRE-CE generally runs from the second full week of June through the first week of August. Specific dates are announced with the release of application materials each fall.
Student Benefits
- Taxable stipend of $4,000
- Exposure to top universities in Illinois
- Targeted career development and skill-building workshops
- Hands-on experience in a cutting-edge laboratory or research group
- Ongoing mentorship from faculty, research professionals, program personnel, and peers
For More Information on PRE-CE
Contact Stephanie Dietrich, Senior Manager for Education, at sdrich@illinois.edu.