2009 Molecular Medicine In Action What are our goals? What will I learn if I am selected? How will I learn this? How do I get chosen?

2009 Molecular Medicine In Action-10th Anniversary Year!

What is it like to peer into the world of genetics and use the same tools researchers have to better understand and develop treatments and cures of complex diseases?

Fifty Indiana high-school students will get that opportunity March 1-2, 2009, at the Molecular Medicine In Action program at the Indiana University School of Medicine. These select students will work alongside some of the nation's top researchers in the labs of the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research.

"With the decoding of the human genome, research continues to press forward to understand the roles genes play in disease and to discover new and effective ways to correct genetic flaws," says program director Mark Kelley, Ph.D., associate director of the Wells Center. "Working side-by-side with our scientists, our program gives science students a realistic and meaningful hands-on experience."

Under the supervision of IU scientists, the students will rotate through workstations and labs, learning how DNA - the building blocks of life - is isolated and analyzed. They also will observe how gene mutations are identified and how modified genes are used in therapy. Students also will learn about the latest microscopic imaging techniques that enable researchers to study living cells.

The Molecular Medicine In Action program, now in its 10th anniversary year, also is geared to build closer ties between the IU School of Medicine and Indiana's science teachers and students. "Our goal is to share the excitement of what genetic science promises," says Dr. Kelley, the Betty and Earl Herr professor of pediatric oncology research. "We merely loan the student participants the tools to learn - they provide the vision."

Support for this year's program comes from the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, IU School of Medicine and Riley Children's Foundation.

What are our goals? top

• Increase students' excitement for science.

• Provide hands-on learning in the state-of-the-art medicine and allied health environment.

• Increase community awareness about areas of excellence at Riley Hospital and Indiana University.

• Increase the number of students that ultimately select science as a career choice.

• Provide a platform for future increased interaction between Indiana University and secondary schools and teachers in the science field.

What will I learn if I am selected? top

• Roles of angiogenesis in diseases

• How cytogenetics is used to diagnose diseases

• How DNA is isolated

• How cancer cells respond to drug therapy

• How bioethics relates to the scientific process

• How new genes are turned on and off

• How confocal microscopy is used for real-time subcellular imaging

How will I learn this? top

• Work hands-on with top scientists and physicians in a full day program.

• Stay over-night in University Place Conference Center Hotel (Chaperoned).

• Meet and interact with scientists and other students at an informal session that includes a career fair.

• Receive a program overview handbook and CD with all materials

How do I get chosen? top

• Complete the online application at www.rileypeds.org/MMIA/Application.aspx.

• Submit by the deadline October 31, 2008.

• Applications will be reviewed by a panel of Indiana high school biology and chemistry teachers. Applicants will be notified by December 15.