Immersing Oneself in Cancer Research and Treatment

Located in Boston, MA, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a renowned institution dedicated to both cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber is affiliated with the Harvard Medical School and is a founding member of the Dana- Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. In conjunction with other hospitals in the Longwood area, Dana-Farber also conducts community-based programs focusing on cancer prevention and detection in New England.​

This summer I had the amazing opportunity to work in the Beltran Lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Beltran Lab focuses on understanding the mechanisms of treatment resistant prostate cancer to improve treatment for patients and their prognosis. I had the opportunity to shadow a research fellow and help work on her project that focused on the effects of circadian mechanisms on prostate tumor growth.​

This opportunity helped me understand what a career in cancer research might look like, which was an invaluable experience. I had the opportunity to learn new laboratory techniques and use laboratory equipment not found at Bowdoin. After having taken a course in genetics in the spring, this experience deepened my understanding of the subject and allowed me to finally conceptualize some of the topics covered in class. Working at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute would not have been possible without the generosity of Dr. Beltran and the funding offered by Bowdoin College.

Internship funded by the Peter Buck Internship Fund​.