Science comes first in STEM for good reason. Whether one pursues a career in technology, engineering, or medicine, all that work is rooted in scientific knowledge and experimentation. At 黑料吃瓜资源, education and research go hand in hand. That鈥檚 true at every level and applied in each initiative, including the CSHL Partners for the Future (PFF) program.
For more than three decades, the PFF program has mentored promising high school seniors from across Long Island. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to train the next generation of students,鈥� says PFF Director and CSHL Professor David Jackson. At CSHL, training goes beyond the classroom. 鈥淧FF students actively take part in cutting-edge research projects, working side-by-side with CSHL scientists.鈥�
For PFF mentors, the experience is just as rewarding. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of fun sharing my excitement for research with someone who鈥檚 equally interested and working on it with the same level of ownership,鈥� says Dhivyaa Anandan, a graduate student in CSHL Associate Professor Camila dos Santos鈥� lab. 鈥淚 hope that through this experience, we can show students how fun and creative science can be in such a collaborative environment.鈥�
Life as a scientist
Since August 2025, Calhoun High School senior Sofia Ricci has spent a few afternoons each week at CSHL. And not only for the idyllic scenery, though that鈥檚 definitely a plus. Ricci is one of 12 seniors enrolled in the PFF Class of 2026. While high school extracurriculars typically revolve around sports, clubs, or theater, hers also include contributing to the dos Santos lab鈥檚 groundbreaking breast cancer research.
鈥淲hen I stepped into the lab for the first time, I was overcome with excitement,鈥� Ricci says. 鈥淚 went from learning about things in textbooks to actually seeing and doing those things in real life. It was eye-opening, and Dhivyaa has been so supportive and encouraging.鈥�
Most days, Ricci heads to the lab right after school lets out. Once she arrives, her assigned mentor, Anandan, will give her a rundown of the experiments they鈥檒l run that day. Throughout the school year, there are many, each providing invaluable hands-on experience.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to realize how different textbook biology can be from experimenting,鈥� Anandan says. 鈥淪ometimes memorizing facts can feel very tedious. Thinking about a question yourself and figuring out how to answer it is very rewarding for students.鈥�
PFF students and their mentors share their experiences working together in CSHL鈥檚 state-of-the-art laboratories.
Ricci and Anandan鈥檚 project investigates probiotics鈥� impact on cancer development in mammary glands. Using patient tissue samples and mouse models, their research aims to reveal how diet influences tumor formation and structure.
As impressive as that sounds, it鈥檚 just one example of the kind of work PFF participants do every day at the Lab. Like Ricci, Stony Brook School senior Zhaojin (David) Guo starts the day meeting with his mentor, Vijina Varapparambath, a postdoc in David Jackson’s lab. There, the team focuses on Arabidopsis, a model organism central to plant biology research.
鈥淓very day is different,鈥� Guo says. 鈥淪ometimes I鈥檓 in the lab running PCR tests, preparing the gels we use in our experiments, or phenotyping specimens. Other days, I work at Uplands Farm in the greenhouse where we keep our seeds and potted plants.”
Guo and Varapparambath study mobile mRNA. In plants, cells communicate with each other via small channels called plasmodesma. The team focuses on how mRNA carries information between cells, and on the specific genes involved in the process. However, Guo鈥檚 work isn鈥檛 limited to a single research project.
鈥淒avid has also been helping us streamline experiments,鈥� Varapparambath adds. 鈥淗e鈥檒l notice something and say, 鈥業 have an idea to make this easier鈥� and come back a week later with a device or machine we can use. The whole lab has been impressed with him.鈥�
For Guo, the feeling is mutual. 鈥淓ven though my background was in engineering, I鈥檝e been able to apply that to biology and genetics and gain a lot of knowledge,鈥� he says. 鈥淗aving a supportive mentor in that learning process has been tremendous.鈥�
Freedom of curiosity
Since 1990, PFF has paired more than 200 young scientists with CSHL researchers. Students entering their senior year are nominated by their school鈥檚 science department chair. Through an interview process not too different from what they might expect after college, each candidate competes for the opportunity to join a lab specializing in one of CSHL鈥檚 primary research areas鈥�cancer, plant biology and genomics, neuroscience, or quantitative biology and AI. Although some schools have a longer history with the program than others, it鈥檚 open to all.
鈥淚鈥檓 only the second person from my school to be part of the program,鈥� says Hicksville High School senior Shelby Fraser. 鈥淚鈥檇 been through summer science programs before, but nothing compared to PFF.鈥�
While Fraser had always been into nature and the environment, the program offered a new and exciting opportunity to explore the biomedical implications of his interests. Working alongside mentor Liam Shanley, a grad student in Professor Chris Vakoc鈥檚 lab, Fraser was able to design his own project, ask questions about connections between biology and medicine, and bring his experiences to the team鈥檚 research.
鈥淲orking with Shelby is fun because, while he鈥檚 an exceptionally bright scientist, there鈥檚 still so much he doesn鈥檛 know yet just by virtue of being young,鈥� Shanley says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a nice reminder that everyone, me included, is allowed to not know things. He asks questions with such grace it reminds me to do the same.鈥�
For Portledge High School senior Avery Joshua-Tor, doing research alongside CSHL Associate Professor Lucas Cheadle offered the chance to work at the intersection of biology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence.
Joshua-Tor and Cheadle鈥檚 project explores mechanisms behind the placenta鈥檚 role in neurodevelopmental disorders. Using AI and coding to analyze experimental data sparked in Joshua-Tor curiosity about how such tools can be applied to other areas of research.
鈥淚 was able to see biological processes up close and how things like machine learning can be used for experiments,鈥� she says. 鈥淕oing forward, I definitely want to pursue this and make my model better than it is right now.鈥�
鈥淎very is bright, ambitious, and curious鈥攁ll fantastic qualities for a young scientist,鈥� Cheadle adds. 鈥淪he asks questions that are difficult to answer and cut to the core of biology. That鈥檚 a sign of an independent thinker, and it鈥檚 been a pleasure to work with someone with that level of talent and adaptability.鈥�
For Cheadle, PFF鈥檚 value to students and mentors was clear from the start. In fact, when he was in high school, he took part in a similar program at the University of Oklahoma. Today, he credits this experience with kickstarting his career.
鈥淭hat early exposure to science set me up for success,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen I got to college, I was able to join a lab quickly. Then, when I started my own lab, I was energized by working with younger folks because I had an opportunity to usher talented people into this world of research. It鈥檚 one of my favorite parts of working in science.鈥�
Showing their work
After seven months of immersive lab work, students present their research to friends, family, and fellow scientists at CSHL’s PFF Symposium. Modeled on CSHL鈥檚 annual Symposium on Quantitative Biology, the PFF event features each student giving a 10-minute talk about their research, followed by a short Q&A.
For the students鈥攚ho come to CSHL from different communities鈥攊t鈥檚 an opportunity to connect with like-minded teens while gaining invaluable experience in an area that can be daunting for even the most seasoned professionals: public speaking.
鈥淭he symposium is a check on my understanding,鈥� Guo says. 鈥淲hen I present to a public audience, I want to make sure everything I鈥檓 talking about is true. On the other hand, I鈥檓 also looking forward to seeing all the other students and hearing about their adventures in the lab.鈥�
Joshua-Tor agrees. 鈥淓veryone in PFF is engaged and passionate about what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to be with people so curious, and it creates a great environment for asking questions. Plus, everyone鈥檚 working on different topics, from plants to cancer to neuroscience, so you learn a lot.鈥�
For relatives and schoolteachers in attendance, the event can be even more eye-opening. 鈥淭he students are doing cutting-edge research here at CSHL,鈥� says Jackson. 鈥淢any people don鈥檛 realize how difficult that is and how important discoveries can make life better.鈥�
Science is a lifelong learning process, Jackson adds, so it鈥檚 important to get students involved and excited early. Whether they come away from the program with co-author credits on published research or a better understanding of what the life of a scientist entails, they often head to graduation with a sense of direction that鈥檚 remarkable for someone their age.
That鈥檚 clear from listening to Ricci talk about her future plans. 鈥淚 definitely want to pursue science in college,鈥� she says. 鈥淏eing here has made me realize how much I love working in a lab and working with tissues. I鈥檝e been thinking about homing in on molecular biology or neuropathology and pursuing a Ph.D. from there.鈥�
For at least one student, the next step on that journey has already been decided. 鈥淚 recently committed to the University of Toronto on a scholarship,鈥� says Fraser. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure what I want to specialize in yet, but I definitely want to pursue biology. Undergrad is where you do much of the groundwork that sets up your Ph.D., and it鈥檚 great I have this experience. I think I鈥檒l be able to get into a lab very, very early.鈥�
Such confidence is not unfounded. Because PFF is designed with education and experimentation in mind, it enables students to approach college professors with research opportunities they might not have considered. Thus, it continues to further the frontiers of scientific knowledge, just as CSHL has done for more than 130 years.
So, if you want to know what the future of science holds, look to the people who will be doing that science.
Written by: Nick Wurm, Communications Specialist | [email protected] | 516-367-5940