Belleville High School students participated in a summer research internship at the University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine.
BioMed Focus is a paid eight-week summer program hosted by the University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine. BioMed Focus is open to rising juniors and seniors (current sophomores and juniors) to apply with a letter of recommendation and an interview with two of the coordinators, Megan Radyk, and Sarah Steiner. There is no required GPA, grades, or research experiences, but you must be motivated and curious!
Once selected, BioMed Focus students will work full time (roughly forty hours a week) in
the lab at Michigan Medicine researching a topic of their choice. Students work on their project with a mentor, current PhD students at UofM. During their time at UofM, students are also required to take college readiness courses to help them with their post-graduation journey. After eight weeks of work, BioMed Focus scholars will professionally present their research during a symposium.
BioMed Focus accepted eight total scholars for their 2024 program, four of them being BHS students. These students include: Mariah Ashby, Liliane Baseka, Laryssa Hernandez-Lopez, and Olivia Scheil. Scholar Olivia Scheil researched the effects of overexpressed kinesin family binding protein on Kinesin 1A and Kinesin 5C binding to the microtubule lattice in COS-7 cells. When asked how her experience was helpful for her future, Olivia said, “BioMed Focus helped prepare me for my future by allowing me networking opportunities, learning experiences, and experience working as an actual research scientist as opposed to just reading about it.” She continues, “The highlight of my experience was the friends I made and the connections I formed at UofM.”
If you are a current sophomore or junior interested in biology or medicine, BioMed Focus can help you explore potential career options and gain research experience. The summer 2025 internship interest survey is open from October 15 – January 10 and can be found on the BioMed Focus website. Coordinators Sarah Steiner and Megan Radyk will be visiting BHS for an informational meeting on Wednesday, November 6th, during 5th hour in room 242.
Sign up for the informational meeting: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrpKaq0xSybw-xMi1thrWLjUbpweHWkqt5wIdqyh33U3_IAA/viewform
More information and Interest Survey on the BioMed Focus Website:
