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Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) is a major research and clinical organization within the University
of Utah. Our talented investigators are committed to several aspects of HCI's mission, including
diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients, patient and public education, and cancer research. HCI's
Summer Internship Program is designed to give a unique opportunity to undergraduate students
interested in pursuing careers in the Health Sciences.
This is a stage in a student's life when it is of key importance to find out if he or she is well
suited to pursue basic research, clinical research, medicine, or a combination of these disciplines.
In the program, students are full-time members of a research team and become familiar with one of
the projects under investigation in that group. They are taught how to approach a research problem
by learning techniques, designing experiments, interpreting data, and presenting results to an
audience of peers. At the end of the summer, students give oral presentations where they have the
opportunity to discuss their results with other interns and members of HCI.
In addition to developing a full-time research project, students participate in weekly lunch seminars that are
informal in nature and that foster interaction among interns. Since the summer of 2006 these weekly seminars are now
held together with the summer interns from the Utah Summer Undergraduate Research Program (USURP; www.utah.edu/usurp). These seminars feature faculty members who discuss a wide variety of topics that range from basic and applied research to advice on what to expect from future careers in science and medicine. These meetings have been well received by students in previous years and have helped them make important decisions regarding their professional futures.
Summer 2009 marks the eleventh consecutive year of this program. I look forward to reviewing a wide
range of applications. I encourage any undergraduate student with a strong interest in the
biosciences, medicine, and related areas to expand his or her knowledge of research by joining HCI
this summer. The HCI Summer Internship Program offers a unique experience by combining a wide
spectrum of research opportunities with a strong commitment to the education of future scientists
and physicians.
Nikolaus S. Trede, MD, PhD
Director, Huntsman Cancer Institute Summer Internship Program
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