Cony Grad Chosen for Respected Science Internship
Bar Harbor, Maine—Gregory L. Sousa, Cony High School class of 2004, 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 ten weeks, Greg will study the genetics of development under the guidance of a staff scientist.
Sousa will be working in the laboratory of Tom Gridley, Ph.D., and under the mentorship of Xuesong Feng. Greg will specifically focus his research on the Notch pathway, a cell-signaling system that is involved in many physiological processes in humans and other mammals. By disrupting this pathway in neural crest cells, Greg hopes to gain an understanding of its role in the development of the cardiovascular system. “Its exciting to be in a field of research that has such broad implications,” he says.
Greg is currently finishing his senior year at Bates College, where he is majoring in biology. He hopes to soon obtain a Ph.D. in the field.
Greg 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.
“I’ve had internships on the island the last two years, and something just keeps bringing me back. It’s a beautiful place to be,” Sousa proclaims.
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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