In ideal world, the faces of scientists would reflect the diversity of the population at large.

Duke is taking practical steps toward that ideal by hosting a number of summer programs to encourage underrepresented students to move into scientific research careers.

Spending a Summer with Sickle Cells
One such program is the Summer Sickle Cell Research Program at Duke, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This program gave Tanya Turrentine, a rising senior at Durham’s Southern High School, six weeks of hands-on experience in sickle cell basic science research.

“I found out about the program from my mom’s friend, who works in the Duke sickle cell clinic,” says Turrentine. “I’m African-American, and I know some people at my church with sickle cell anemia. I thought it would be a good idea to learn more about the disease.”

Turrentine worked with John Pawloski, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Duke Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. She has helped him advance his research into how red blood cells transport nitric oxide (a gas made by the body that helps keep blood vessels open), and why sickle cells are defective in transporting nitric oxide.

“Tanya has been working for several weeks and learned the nuances of the experimental technique we use,” he says. “It is wonderful to have the opportunity to help high school students understand what we do in research.”

A Pair of Budding Scientists
Over at the Cancer Center, 16-year-old identical twin brothers Waynekid and Wayneho Kam are spending six weeks studying the biological composition of the body and investigating possible treatments for cancer. They are among 14 North Carolina high school students chosen to participate in this year’s “Summer on the Edge,” a program sponsored by the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. The program is supported by a Burroughs Wellcome Fund grant for underserved, underrepresented students and a National Institute of Health CURE - Supplemental grant for minority individual. Since the program’s inception in 1989, more than 300 high school students have participated.

Waynekid work in the lab of Zhen Yan, M.D., assistant research professor of cardiology. His brother works with Lawrence Marks, M.D., and Robert Prosnitz, M.D., both professors in the Department of Radiation Oncology.

“I was interested in Summer on the Edge because it offers more than text books can. It is real world experience,” Waynekid said. “In high school, we do experiments for fun and we already know the outcome. At Duke, we don’t know what will happen. You get frustrated, but you have to keep working. If successful, our research could save people’s lives.”

From College to Duke
It’s not only high school students who come to Duke for summer learning. On August 5, older students filled a room in the Medical Science Research Building with posters describing their research endeavors during the PREP/SROP Poster Session.

The Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) and the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) encourage underrepresented graduates and undergraduates to gain experience in the biological sciences. PREP is a 2-year program for college graduates funded by the National Institute for General Medical Sciences. SROP is a 10-week summer program for undergraduates funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and run jointly by the Graduate School and the Biological Sciences faculty.

Julyann Perez-Mayoral traveled from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico to study with Soman Abraham, professor of pathology and one of the SROP faculty. “We looked at how salmonella stops mast cells from initiating an immune response by inhibiting the mast cells’ release of inflammatory mediators,” she explained to people reviewing her poster. Even though they didn’t come up with a pat answer, the experience of working on a particular project was exciting, she said.

Abraham, who is the faculty director of the SROP program, agrees. “It is wonderful to watch these students move from being somewhat naïve to very sophisticated about how they approach science,” he says. “But the best benefit is several years down the road when they contact us and let us know how well they are doing.”

Ken Kreuzer, Ph.D., who started the SROP program a decade ago and now directs the PREP program concurs. “Almost all of the SROP participants over the past decade have gone on to do graduate work in the sciences or medicine,” he says. “That’s a great track record, and we are always pleased that many of them choose Duke as the place to continue their studies.”

Encouraging Minorities to Encourage Minorities
Back over at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center (DCCC), North Carolina Central University sophomore Janelle Rowell has spent her summer interning in a medical science discipline she didn’t know existed until a few months ago. Rowell has been working on a genetic epidemiology study led by Duke Associate Professor of Prevention Research Joellen Schildkraut, Ph.D.

“I didn’t even know about cancer detection, prevention and control before I started my internship,” Rowell said. “I spent my first two weeks here learning all I could about the treatments and stages of breast cancer, but it was quite an experience to also learn about the genetics of what causes this cancer.”

Rowell’s internship is offered through the Partners Allied in Research (PAIR) program, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute. This program partners the DCCC, North Carolina Central University, and the Lincoln Community Health Center in an effort to increase the number of minorities in the cancer research field.

“The PAIR program believes healthcare will be more effective if the professionals involved in creating the paradigms for educating and modifying behavior share the cultural nuances, sensitivities, and perspectives of the target population,” says Sandra White, Ph.D., a principle investigator of PAIR and a biology professor at NCCU.

“I chose to apply for this internship because I’m very interested in biology and, in particular genetics,” says Rowell. “My job at Duke is helping me figure out what aspect of research I want to pursue.”

Rowell agrees that minority researchers would make a difference in better cancer prevention and detection techniques. “More minorities should be in the cancer prevention, detection and control field because there is not enough minority representation in studies I’ve seen,” she said. “If I pursue a career in this field, I think I will try to increase the number of minorities who participate in studies.”