Education and Training

Genomic Biology Internship Program for High School Students

See this note for updates about 2008.

Important Note: This program is for students who live within in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are from outside of the Bay Area please see our listing of other recommend programs (click on External Training Links to the left).

The Molecular Sciences Institute in Berkeley, CA offers talented high school students from the San Francisco Bay Area a summer research and education experience in genomics. MSI is committed to training, motivating and mentoring future genomic scientists. Our Genomic Sciences Internship Program provides local high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a genomics laboratory for eight weeks each summer. The 8-week internships are open to students who are currently enrolled juniors or seniors at the time of application

The internship combines research and coursework with activities designed to enrich the students experience and awareness of careers in science and how to train for a career. After receiving a comprehensive introduction to genomics at MSI, students will partner with an MSI scientist to complete a research project. Eighty percent of a the time will be spent at MSI doing research, attending supplemental classes in genomics, bioinformatics, and mathematical biology, and learning about the backgrounds of our research fellows during "Meet the Scientist" sessions. Students meet as a group to review their research during weekly group meetings and to discuss current genomics research at weekly journal clubs. Twenty percent of the time will be spent on MSI-sponsored scientific enrichment activities and fieldtrips throughout the Bay Area.

After completing the summer internship, students may also take advantage of ongoing tutoring in science and mathematics provided by MSI throughout the following school year. In addition, MSI will fund SAT preparation courses for the students, if applicable.

To apply

Important Update Regarding the 2008 Program (3-5-08).

I deeply regret that the program  for 2008 has been suspended and we will not be able to accept any students into the program at this time. We are dedicated to providing research experiences for high school students and working hard to ensure the program will continue in the future. We are keeping information from all students who expressed interest in the program. Please send your contact to internships@molsci.org to be contacted with updates.

I am happy to assist students in identifying other research opportunities and encourage students to review opportunities on the External Training Programs page. I apologize for any inconvenience.

-Leonore Reiser

Applicants must fill complete the application form, submit a current transcript, and include a letter detaling the applicants interest in the internship and reason for applying. The applicant must also arrange for at least two letters of recommendation to be submitted on their behalf. The application and recommendation forms can be submitted on line. Alternatively, paper forms can be mailed to Molecular Sciences Institute, Attn: HS Summer Internship, 2168 Shattuck Ave, 2nd Floor,Berkeley, CA 94704 or returned by email to internshipsmolsci.org.

Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or permanent residents.

This program is sponsored by a five-year renewable grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Past Internships

To learn about the talented students who have interned at MSI in past summers, we provide links to the individual summer internship websites. These contain information about each student, a description of the summer research experience and field trips and the student research presentations.

2003 Interns: Scott Coyle, Jermaine Deckard, Jeremy Gordon and Tyra Mcray

2004 Interns: Christopher Chan, Omar Narvaez, Allison Roberts, LaKeysha Renae Spears, Xiao-Yu Fu and Irene Wong

2005 Interns: Michelle Chiu, Krystina Daniels, Ashly Davis, Tonya Love , Bria Selhorst and Adeline Wong

2006 Interns: Nishant Bhat, Ana Carrera, Kenneth Lyons Jr., Jennifer Slotnick, Vi Vu. Tutor:Tonya Love

2007 Interns:  Tori Anderson, Jessica Bersonda, Rachelle Hampton, Camille Stanton, Yang Yang.

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