Program Description
One of the roles of the University of Hawai‘i (UH) Cancer Center as an academic institution is to train the next generation of students to contribute to cancer research. The internship program provides high school and undergraduate students with experience in different areas of cancer research. The goal of the program is to expand access to cancer research experiences to motivated students from Hawai‘i's geographically, culturally, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse communities. In addition to lab-based training in basic sciences, an increasing number of students participate in population-based research such as epidemiology, nutrition, and behavioral sciences. Interns placed with population-based cancer researchers are exposed to projects that aim to understand risk factors for cancers and strategies to modify behavior in individuals and communities. They learn about efforts to lower the risk profiles of different ethnic groups by addressing physical activity patterns, obesity, smoking, and other modifiable risk factors.
Since 2002, the UH Cancer Center internship program has provided 49 high school and 93 undergraduate students with mentored research training experiences. The number of applications has increased in recent years, with a current selection rate of 20%. All students are matched with faculty mentors from different fields. If students state a particular interest and demonstrate more advanced skills, they may express a preference for a particular lab or project. The interns attend an orientation, participate in training sessions and seminars, work on a mentored cancer research project, and present their research progress and findings to the other students and mentors at the end of the summer. Interns and mentors each complete a written evaluation of their research experiences and of the program in general. Adjustments are made to the program based on the feedback received in the evaluations.
Ethnic Diversity
All interns are residents of Hawai‘i who are selected according to outstanding academic achievement with priority given to applicants who are members of groups underrepresented in biomedical cancer research. Given our geographic location, the program focuses on Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander populations, but Filipinos, Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans, Native Alaskans, economically disadvantaged, and first generation college attendees are also considered underrepresented minorities. The UH Cancer Center internship program's commitment to diversity is evidenced by the composition of its interns. Of the 142 interns since 2002, 75% belonged to underrepresented minority groups, primarily Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders. The internship program has partnered with teachers at Kamehameha and Waipahu High Schools to recruit highly motivated underrepresented minority students, and applications are received from students attending a wide variety of high schools. In 2011, applicants represented 6 public and 5 private high schools in Hawai‘i, as well as colleges in Hawai‘i and on the mainland.
Engaging underrepresented minority students, particularly Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, in cancer research internships contributes to the understanding and remediation of health disparities by increasing awareness of cancer risk factors and prevention among underrepresented minority groups, by introducing students to cancer research career opportunities, and by ultimately increasing the number of underrepresented minority cancer researchers. Improving access for ethnically diverse high school students in Hawai‘i can be expected to increase the ethnic diversity of the Cancer Center interns, and ultimately, Hawai‘i's cancer researchers. As importantly, providing research opportunities to Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander high school students is an important diversity and equity goal in itself. Access to research opportunities can be expected, in the long run, to address issues of ethnic, cultural, geographical, and socio-economic diversity and equity in Hawai‘i's health research professions.
Funding
Undergraduate interns commit a total of 300 hours for a $3,000 stipend and high school interns work a total of 200 hours for a $1,500 stipend. In addition, laboratory-based interns receive a $500 allowance for supplies. The Cancer Center utilizes various sources of funds to sponsor the research internships including:
A supplement to the P30 Cancer Center grant under the Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) from the National Cancer Institute supports underrepresented minority high school and undergraduate interns.
An endowment from the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company to support undergraduates.
A Diversity and Equity Initiative Award from the University of Hawai‘i's Office of Student Equity Excellence and Diversity is offered to Native Hawaiian high school interns.
UH Cancer Center research and program grant funds.
Research Projects
The following are highlights of research projects during recent summers:
Population-based Projects —
Surveying residents to determine barriers to performing physical activity and eating fruits and vegetables for the Healthy Hawai‘i Initiative
Prepare data for the publication “Hawai‘i Cancer Facts & Figures”
Colorectal cancer genetic variants and gene expression
Effects of a Vitamin D intervention trial on obesity-related markers
Differences in breast cancer survival by ethnic group
Human papilloma virus infection in American Samoa
Hawai‘i's youth and the tobacco industry
Testing alternative stage models of smoking cessation
Lab-based Projects —
Studying the chemotherapeutic effects of syringolin A on human neuroblastoma
CIP85 interaction and involvement in the degradation of connexin 43
Effects of bamboo extract on breast cancer
Determination of clonal pattern in mesothelioma
A specific SphK1 inhibitor, SKI-II, inhibits human colon cancer growth
The effects of PEA15 in glioma cells
Synthesis of oxaadamantane cannabinoids functionalized at C3'
Publications
During recent years, interns have first-authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications, such as the following:
Coleman CS, Rocetes JP, Park DJ, Wallick CJ, Warn-Cramer BJ, Michel K, Dudler R, Bachmann AS. Syringolin A, a new plant elicitor from the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, inhibits the proliferation of neuroblastoma and ovarian cancer cells and induces apoptosis. Cell Prolif. 2006 Dec;39:599–609.
Cochrane K, Berestecky JM, Kitamura C, Lau AF. Monoclonal antibodies against the connexin43-interacting protein CIP85. Hybridoma (Larchmt). 2009 Oct;28:355–61.
Maetani M, Maskarinec G, Franke AA, Cooney RV. Association of leptin, 25-OH vitamin D, and parathyroid hormone in women. Nutrition and Cancer 2009;61:225–31.
Erber E, Maskarinec G, Hopping BN, Grandinetti G, Park S-Y, Kolonel LN. Dietary Patterns and Risk for Diabetes: The Multiethnic Cohort. Diabetes Care 2010; 33:532–8.
Maskarinec G, Sen C, Koga K, Conroy SM. Ethnic Differences in Breast Cancer Survival: Status and Determinants. Womens Health (Lond Engl). 2011 Nov;7:677–87.
Schembre SM, Yuen J. Project TwEATs. A feasibility study testing the use of automated text messaging to monitor appetite ratings in a free-living population. Appetite. 2011 Apr;56:465–8. Epub 2011 Jan 18.
For more information, please contact:
Gertraud Maskarinec MD, PhD
University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center
1236 Lauhala Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
Ph: (808) 586-3078
Email: gertraud@cc.hawaii.edu
A group of the 2011 summer interns.
Front row: Kendrick Go, Loreto Coloma, Michelle Tagorda, Hannah Claire Beltran, Awapuhi Lee, Aleena Arakaki. Back row: Karin Koga (Internship Coordinator), Pomai Chandler, Mia-Danica Balignasay, Chastity Nakamura, Maile Hollinger, Karen Herndon, Dr. Gertraud Maskarinec (Internship Director), Cherisse Sen.