This summer, high school students from across Illinois traded their usual routines for lab coats, data sets, and problem solving. They spent eight weeks participating in researcHStart, an intensive cancer research program that allows high schoolers the opportunity to get hands-on lab experience, build foundational research skills, and create a network of mentors.
This is the 10th year of the program, which is a partnership between the University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern University, and Rush University. Students in the Illinois cohort work alongside Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) members.
Research from All Angles
Over the past decade, more than 150 faculty and research professionals have mentored students through the program across all sites, offering guidance in fields like cancer biology, bioengineering, tumour immunology, and population health.
This year’s projects reflected CCIL research ranging from molecular biology to machine learning. Here are a few highlights:
Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering – Maya Aviram worked in Brendan Harley’s lab to create hydrogel biomaterials that can be used to study and treat cancer.
“ResearcHStart offered an opportunity to get introduced to a future in research while developing skills essential to any career in STEM. We all have to start somewhere, and the possibility to start with the structure and relationships this program offers excited me.”
Tumor Microenvironment Studies – Aleksandra Goncalo worked in Gregory Underhill‘s lab where she explored the role of the tumor microenvironment in drug treatments against pancreatic and liver cancer utilizing 2D and 3D models.
“This program has given me a much clearer picture of what a career in research can look like. I have also valued the opportunity to learn from the experiences of mentors who are doing the work I aim to pursue in the future.”
Computational & Data-Driven Research – Malak Halabya worked with CCIL member Diwakar Shukla to develop a deep-learning model to predict enzyme properties critical to cancer development and treatment.
“It was inspiring to get to join a research group and experience what it feels like to be part of the research community.”
Immunotherapy Approaches – Shriya Nagaraj working in Hua Wang’s lab where she modified extracellular vesicles with immune stimulants to study dendritic cell activation.
“I have gone from knowing nothing to being able to subculture cells on my own, isolate EVs, run experiments, and use all kinds of lab machines I had never even seen before.”
Nutrient-Gene and Epigenetics – Bonnie Weaver worked in Hong Chen’s lab. She investigated gene expression and protein levels in a cancer-related signaling pathway, in a mouse model with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
“The best part of my ResearcHStart experience has been learning about areas of research that are new to me and getting to work with mentors.”
2025 Illinois cohort
Lessons Beyond the Lab
Students didn’t just learn lab skills this summer. They learned how to work through challenges, ask better questions, and think like scientists.
To date, 257 trainees have completed the program across all sites. About three-quarters are pursuing bachelor’s or advanced degrees, nearly 80% in the biological sciences, while almost 60% of alumni in the workforce are in STEM fields.
Just like the students before them, the 2025 cohort leaves with more than just research experience. They leave ready to take their next steps in science.
Editor’s Note:
This story was written by Javeria Malik, CCIL Communications Intern.