Course Listing
Grade – 9th to 12th
Course Information
| Age | 15-18 |
| Format/ Schedule | Vacation / Summer |
| Location | Torrance, CA |
| 2023 Dates | July 17th – July 28th and August 7th – August 18th |
| Duration | 10 Days |
| Times | 10.00am – 3.30pm, Monday-Friday |
| Eligibility | Regenerative Medicine and Disease Modeling is an advanced and academically rigorous hands-on program, open to both residential and international students. It is suited to science enthusiasts with advanced understanding of cell and molecular biology. No prior laboratory experience is required to attend this course. Applicants must have passed high-school Math, English and Biology or equivalent courses with a grade C or above. Students are required to arrange their own transportation to and from the program. |
| Admission | Eligible students are accepted on a first-come-first-served rolling basis up to 1 week before the course start date. Additional questions? Click here to learn more about our general admissions policy or call us at 310-483-3651. |
Course Details
| Description | During the Regenerative Medicine and Disease Modeling Program, participating students learn the entire process for deriving human induced pluripotent stem cells from skin cells then converting them into heart cells that beat in the culture dish. Each participant creates their own culture of beating heart cells, following the same real-life methods as stem cell researchers. Through the combined use of college-level lectures and laboratory classes, students receive comprehensive training in modern research techniques, working with sophisticated laboratory equipment alongside industry scientists. They also connect with internationally renowned researchers during guest lectures focusing on the role of stem cells in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research. The Regenerative Medicine and Disease Modeling Program is an advanced ten-day course aimed at science enthusiasts who are interested in taking their education to the next level with hands-on training in research-level techniques. Taught by stem cell experts in an entrepreneurial biotech laboratory, this ground-breaking course is the only one of its kind in the world. In addition to hands-on skills, course participants learn the complexities of forging a bioscience career during career education seminars, lead by academic and industry scientists. They also plan and implement their own real-life experiment focusing on stem cells, their differentiated derivatives or the process of cellular reprogramming. The Regenerative Medicine and Disease Modeling Program culminates with a special feature seminar covering the latest discoveries in the field of heart disease research. Join this unique program today and learn first-hand how human stem cells may one day be used to regenerate human hearts! |
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| Curriculum | Each day of the course follows the technical process of: 1. Isolating skin fibroblast cells Students also learn to plan a real-life experiment during week 1, which they implement during week 2. |
| Features | – College-level lectures *Regenerative Medicine and Disease Modeling provides practical training in: BSL-2 lab safety procedures, stem cell culture, aseptic technique, tissue microdissection, cell derivation, cryopreservation, cellular reprogramming, electroporation, antibody labeling, Reverse-Transcriptase PCR, DNA gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry and microscopy (phase contrast and fluorescent). |
Oge Ogbogu –
I was looking for a summer course that would be able to introduce me to the world of science and help me learn about how to work in a lab. The Regenerative Medicine and Disease Modeling program did this and more. Not only did we learn how to work in a lab, but we learned lab techniques that I do not think I would have been able to learn anywhere else. The course is very hands-on and one on one which allowed me to maximize my experience and truly understand what I was doing and why I was doing it. We also had the opportunity to speak to other scientists and researchers about how stem cells impact their work and to be able to witness the real-life impact of this research changed my view about science and its abilities. While not only working by myself but with a team, the disease modeling program truly introduces stem cell research and lab work no matter your experience and empowers students to see science beyond a textbook – Oge Ogbogu, 2018 student
Sneha Menon –
I’ve always been interested in biology and medicine but I was not sure if I was more invested in the clinical aspect of medicine or the more research-oriented side. The Regenerative Medicine and Disease Modeling program helped me to sharpen my interests and discover what it really meant to be working in a lab. We were taught essential lab techniques and were introduced to the dynamic of a real-life laboratory setting. The hands-on experience I got in working with stem cells and seeing first-hand their potential enhanced my experience and augmented my rather general view of what lab work entailed. The small size of the group with which I attended the course allowed for direct contact with Dr. Fox and other lab staff. Through this course, you will be able to explore stem cell research and introduce the world of cells as a tangible reality.
– Sneha Menon, 2017 student
Yuna Lee –
I never would have imagined the amount of work and effort that Dr. Fox and Mr. George puts into this program. They work extremely hard to make sure you will contain every ounce of information that is thrown at you. I didn’t know how hands on we were going to be in the lab. Every aspect of lab work from the aseptic pipetting, feeding, observing, decolonizing, was all done by the students. We got to come up with our own individual experiment where we tested if a certain chemical would help improve the health of testicular cancer cells (C4). I have learned and gained so much from this program and I’m extremely grateful for Dr. Fox and her team. Her mission is truly to teach the younger generation of future scientists and her passion is evidently present. I also got to meet some incredible people in my class as well. I 100% recommend taking this course as you will never find any other research place that will cater to you or give you as much opportunities as Pathways- Yuna Lee, 2019 student