Students explore STEM opportunities as Science Scholars

Each year, nearly 150 students and teachers from across Shelby County visit the St. Jude campus to learn more about laboratory work, get a first-hand look at state-of-the-art equipment, and scrub up for visits to clinical areas.

The St. Jude Science Scholars of Tomorrow, which launched in 2015, is an opportunity for local students to visit campus and learn what it means to be a scientist, what goes into conducting research, and how to pursue careers in different scientific and health care fields.

This year, during the day-long symposium, students heard from experts in neurobiology, oncology, genetics, pathology and more. Students also participated in an interactive educational experience focused on pharmacogenomics, the study of how genes affect an individual's response to medications.

“This is a great way for us as scientists and clinicians to interact directly with teenagers who will one day be our junior colleagues,” said Josh Wolf, MBBS, of St. Jude Infectious Diseases. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk with them about science and research.”

Science scholars are selected through a competitive application process that requires a teacher endorsement. Application submissions will be open for the Science Scholars of Tomorrow Symposium 2018 later this year.

To learn more about the Science Scholars of Tomorrow Symposium, including eligibility and teacher opportunities, visit www.stjude.org/science-scholars and sign up for updates. For more information about the program or questions about the event, email ScienceScholars@stjude.org.

View photos from this year’s Science Scholars of Tomorrow