Kahmehameha Grad Chosen for Respected Science Internship

Bar Harbor, Maine—Gideon Logan, Kahmehameha High School class of 2008, has been selected to participate in this year’s installment of The Jackson Laboratory’s Summer Student Program. The prestigious program draws high school and undergraduate students to the coast of Maine for an intensive, hands-on learning experience. For eight weeks, Logan will study the genetics of reproductive biology under the guidance of a staff scientist.

In the lab of Bob Braun, Ph.D., and with Dr. Ben Smith as his mentor, Gideon will be studying developing sperm cells' ability to enter the seminiferous tubules. Entrance is selective because immune system cells could permeate and attack reproductive cells. Since metastasizing cancer cells also have the ability to bypass such barriers, Gideon's research may contribute to a deeper understanding of cancer development.

Gideon will be attending Brigham Young University in the fall, where he may further pursue his current interest in scientific research.

Logan joins 28 other college and high school students in this summer research opportunity. Their individual projects vary from genomics to development to bioinformatics.

Participants reside at Highseas, a nearby century-old mansion, and revel in the many opportunities that Mount Desert Island offers. Weekend camping trips, spontaneous hikes throughout Acadia National Park and a white water rafting adventure complement their time spent uncovering new data in the lab.

Since its inception in 1924, the Summer Student Program has led many students into the world of professional research. Eighty-percent of the program’s more than 2,200 alumni have gone on to successful careers in medicine or biomedical research. Two particular program graduates, Drs. David Baltimore and Howard Temin, received the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The summer interns are an integral part of the Jackson Laboratory’s operation, providing fresh perspectives and keen enthusiasm.

The Jackson Laboratory (www.jax.org) is a nonprofit biomedical research institution and National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center based in Bar Harbor, Maine. Its mission is to discover the genetic basis for preventing, treating and curing human diseases, and to enable research and education for the global biomedical community

Contact: Joyce Peterson, 207-288-6058

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The Jackson Laboratory
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Email: news@jax.org