May 20, 2009
Eighth-graders tap Dana-Farber research for science contest
Jennifer Judkins (right) helped her science students obtain original Dana-Farber research publications for use in a poster contest. The middle schoolers (from left) Holly Niemiec, Stephen Halas, and David Caira were fascinated by cancer research.
It is unusual, to say the least, for 14-year-olds to be poring over original cancer research reports, but that's what students in Jennifer Judkins' eighth-grade science class at Wilmington Middle School have been doing this spring.
For a state-wide contest, they read and summarized research findings by investigators from Dana-Farber and other medical centers, then made colorful posters which could win them as much as $500. In the process, they learned about stem cells, zebrafish, nanotechnology, and what the feared word "cancer" really means – the uncontrolled growth of what began as normal cells in the body. "It makes it a little less scary when they understand the biological process," says Judkins.
She and the students scanned the Dana-Farber Web site for lay-language descriptions of recent findings from Dana-Farber labs. With the help of the Department of Communications and the Benacerraf Library, they obtained electronic versions of original published articles. "Pulling the journal articles provided an opportunity to explain to the students how scientists communicate their findings in peer-reviewed journals," Judkins observed.
The highly technical articles would be heavy going for anyone not in the field. Judkins helped her students glean the highlights of the findings, without going into the intense methodology. Along with their descriptions of the experiments, the contest required the students to attach some "raw data" from the reports.
Student Steve Halas said he was intrigued with a Dana-Farber study published last February on using tiny "nanoparticles" – specks of material millions of times smaller than a grain of sand – as potential delivery vehicles to deliver chemotherapy to stubborn lung tumors.
Halas' poster explained the idea, which was developed by Yolanda Colson, MD, PhD, a cardio-thoracic surgeon in the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center. "I didn't know they were figuring out so many different ways to treat cancer," said Halas.
David Caira titled his poster "Conquering Cancer Creatively." It described research on cancer "stem cells" in leukemia that was published by Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber and Children's Hospital Boston, along with other scientists. Caira attached a diagram to his poster that illustrated how certain stem cells can spawn tumor cells and also copy themselves endlessly – making cancer in a sense "immortal."
"It's encouraging to hear about such motivated science teachers in our schools. It is very likely that reading about some of the latest discoveries in biomedical science will spark an interest in science that could have a long-lasting influence on students' career choices," commented Armstrong.
Connor Burke's poster was also on the topic of stem cell research and its potential for repairing unhealthy tissues. "I was really surprised to learn how many things you can turn stem cells into," he said. Caira, Burke, and the others who participated in the contest are among about 20 students selected to become honors science students in high school next year.
Judkins, a biologist by training, turned to teaching after working at NASA's Kennedy Space Center doing research on hydroponic plant-growth systems, used for feeding astronauts during future missions to Mars. She said that the poster contest, sponsored by the Chelmsford-based Massachusetts Society for Medical Research, made students aware of what a hub of biomedical science they live in.
Their participation in the contest seems to have rubbed off on the eighth-graders. Burke said he'd like to become "a neurologist, because science about the brain is interesting." Another student asked if stem cells might someday be a cure for cancer, and a third wondered, "What's the worst kind of cancer to have?"
Wayne Huynh, in part because he had a relative with brain cancer, says, "I want to get into a field where I can help people – I want to find a cure for cancer."
Most of the student posters are still in the hands of judges, awaiting the determination of prizes. Whatever the outcome, they will have had a glimpse of cancer research at Dana-Farber and its potential to save lives.
– Richard Saltus
Richard_Saltus@dfci.harvard.edu
