High School students conduct research on the neonatal immune response as part of the Students and Teachers As Research Scientists (STARS) program

Abstract

Abstract The Students and Teachers As Research Scientists (STARS) program offers academically-talented high school students in the Saint Louis metropolitan area an opportunity to do research in a variety of scientific fields. Fourteen students have been mentored in my immunology laboratory during the last 9 summers as a part of the STARS program. Students take on small-scale, hypothesis-driven independent projects related to the neonatal immune response of respiratory viral infection using a mouse model. The high school students take basic safety training, blood borne pathogen training and biohazard animal training within the first few days of the program. Each student learns the basic mouse model and then specific techniques (immunostaining, western blot analysis, qPCR and flow cytometry) needed to test to their hypothesis. Students learn how to keep laboratory notebooks, how to find and read primary journal articles, and basic laboratory skills. While the main goal of the program is to teach the scientific process, other structured activities include lectures by nationally-known scientists, information concerning the higher education admissions process, and social activities. The program culminates with a written research paper and a short powerpoint presentation. The papers are written in the style of a peer-reviewed journal article in the field of immunology; each student receives assistance in writing from the primary mentor and from a STARS advisor. Since its inception in 1987, the STARS program has sent on more than 2,000 students with research experience to top universities.