Join us on March 10-11, 2013 for the 14th annual MMIA

2013 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?

Molecular Medicine In Action
March 10-11, 2013
Indianapolis, Indiana
APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 13, 2012
RECOMMENDATION DEADLINE: November 15, 2012
NO APPLICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT A TEACHER RECOMMENDATION
Selections will be made by December 7, 2012
All students will be notified by December 14, 2012
2013 Molecular Medicine In Action Application

2013 Molecular Medicine In Action-14 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 10-11, 2013, 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 14th 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

• Role of angiogenesis in diseases
• How cytogenetics is used to diagnose diseases
• How DNA is isolated and analyzed
• How cancer cells respond to drug therapy
• How bioethics relates to the scientific process
• How to study immune responses pertaining to infectious diseases and asthma
• How confocal microscopy is used for real-time subcellular imaging
• What types of research models are used to investigate the underlying causes of diabetes

How will I learn this? top

• Work hands-on with top scientists and physicians in a full day program.
• Stay over-night at the Omni Severin Hotel (Chaperoned).
• Meet and interact with scientists and other students at an informal session that includes a career fair.

How do I get chosen? top

Complete the on-line application

Submit by the deadline November 13th, 2012.

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of Indiana high school biology and chemistry teachers. Applicants will be notified by December 14, 2012