This summer, recent high school and HNH LEADS graduate Shannoy Fraser spent two months at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, participating in a competitive internship researching pancreatic cancer tumors.
Over the course of the summer, Shannoy had so many unique experiences and adventures!
Getting Started in Portland
“This opportunity is definitely a big deal for me, especially because I want to go to medical school, and I feel like this opportunity will shape my undergraduate years that are upcoming. Everyone that I’ve met so far has been very kind and welcoming, so I’m not stressing about anything. I’m just ready to jump into all that I have to do!”
READ MORE OF HER INITIAL REFLECTIONS
Updates from the Lab
“As I navigate my lab experience, I’m learning that things that I thought were hard, I just need to practice. It’s okay to fail, because not all experiments will be successful.”
READ MORE ABOUT HER LAB EXPERIENCES
“The research I’m doing can help advance treatment for PDAC, which is the deadliest form of pancreatic cancer.”
CHECK OUT HER MID-SUMMER LAB UPDATES
Shadowing a Surgery and Preparing for Her Future
“We had a career roundtable where I got to speak with different professionals, ranging from scientists, to someone who has an MD-PhD, to someone who took the MD route, to people who work in the biotech industry. It was pretty interesting to have these conversations with individuals who have been through the experience. It is really mind-blowing, and it makes me realize that if they have done it, then I can also do it.”
READ MORE ABOUT HER PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
Exploring Portland
Shannoy became an explorer in her city, checking out:
- Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
- Columbia Farms
- Kayaking for the first time
- The circus
- And tons of Portland explorations!
Poster Symposium and Final Presentation
Shannoy wrapped up an incredible summer internship by presenting her research: Evaluating the response of tumor endothelial cells to interferon gamma in ex vivo model of PDAC.
After a summer of learning, research, and discovery, this presentation was the culmination of so much hard work, and we are SO proud of her!
Congrats, Shannoy! Thank you for sharing your summer with us!
READ MORE AND WATCH HER PRESENTATION
Special thanks to Hall supporter Jeff Winter and Dr. Jonathan Brody, Ph.D. Professor & Vice Chair, Research, Dept. of Surgery, Associate Director, Translational Research, BCCPC at the STEMPrep-OHSU Internship Program at Oregon Health & Science University for sharing this amazing opportunity and working with Hall to get Shannoy into this exciting program.