News & Events

Students in University of Illinois Cancer Center summer research programs showed off their hard work during a research symposium attended by families, friends and mentors. 

The day was filled with messages of encouragement for the young scientists, who ranged from high school to medical school students. Cancer Center Director Jan Kitajewski, PhD, praised the students and reinforced the importance of young cancer researchers and how they can make a difference. Keynote speaker Paris Thomas, PhD, CEO of Equal Hope, encouraged them to continue their paths in cancer research.

The symposium featured scientific posters and presentations from high school students in the Cancer Health Engagement Summer Scholars (CHESS) and ResearcHStart programs, undergraduate students in the Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT) Internship Program, and medical school students in the Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP).

Students were mentored throughout the summer by Cancer Center members or University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) faculty, who helped guide them through the research programs. The Cancer Center is part of UIC and its UI Health academic health system.

Summer research programs are a critical part of the mission of the Cancer Center Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) team to build pipeline programs to train cancer researchers. The goal is to educate, support and retain trainees to address the needs of the Cancer Center’s diverse patient population.

This year, the Cancer Center hosted about 60 students, including students from the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative (ChicagoCHEC) Fellows program for undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students, who spent one day each week at UIC.

At the conclusion of the symposium, students received certificates and a gift bag to celebrate their work and mark the completion of their respective summer programs.

ResearcHStart summer students

CHESS summer students

CICRT summer students

Winn CIPP summer students