WUSTL receives $1 million grant from Amgen Foundation for undergraduate research

By Beth Miller

Washington University in St. Louis has received a four-year, $1 million grant from the Amgen Foundation to provide hands-on biomedical laboratory experience to undergraduates through the Amgen Scholars Program.

The 10-week, intensive undergraduate summer research program, which will begin in May 2011, will allow U.S. citizens or permanent residents to participate in activities designed to build confidence and maturity as a scientist. Scholars will conduct independent research with Washington University scientists; participate in workshops, team-oriented activities and weekly research lectures; mentor a high school student interested in science; and receive career and academic advice. They will also write a paper and present a scientific poster at the end of the summer.

“Research is at the heart of Washington University’s academic mission,” said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. “We are grateful to the Amgen Foundation for their generous support of the Amgen Scholars Program – a program that will encourage talented undergraduates to improve their skills in the area of scientific inquiry and research. This is a very forward-thinking gift that will serve to increase the pool of future scientists.”

The program is similar to a summer research program already in place at the School of Medicine called the BioMedical Research Apprenticeship Program (BioMedRAP). That program is specifically for undergraduate students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.

Kathryn G. Miller, PhD, professor of biology and chair of the Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences, and John Russell, PhD, professor of developmental biology and associate dean for graduate education, are co-program directors.

“We are very excited to have been selected to partner with other outstanding institutions in the Amgen Scholars Program,” Russell says. “The Amgen Foundation has been visionary in establishing the Scholars Program to encourage outstanding American students to pursue careers in biomedical research. The program will allow us to build on an existing, nationally recognized summer program infrastructure to recruit outstanding students both from within Washington University as well as the Midwest and nationally to obtain a world-class research experience.”

"We have a big focus on undergraduate research at this university," Miller says, "and that's largely as a result of programs that we've had for a number of years in the biomedical sciences that are now blossoming into campus-wide opportunities to engage in scholarship in every discipline. Amgen scholars might work with people studying the cell's cytoskeleton, doing computational biology, or using chemical methods to understand problems in neurobiology. We have the faculty interested in having undergraduates in the lab that I think can make this program a terrific success."

"Even if students in the program decide not become bench scientists, they'll gain an understanding of science through this program and what it means to have data that does or does not support a conclusion, and that too is important," she says.

Washington University’s program will be administered through the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS), a university-wide consortium that provides scholars with a choice of 450 potential faculty mentors. Rochelle Smith, manager of Diversity Affairs, Summer Programs and Community Outreach for DBBS, is program manager.

The Amgen Scholars Program was launched by the Amgen Foundation in 2006 with 10 partner universities in the United States to provide undergraduates the opportunity for laboratory research experiences under the guidance of leading scientists in academia. In 2008, the program expanded to include three European universities. Washington University joins the program this year and is the only university in the Midwest to participate.

In the past four years, nearly 1,200 Amgen Scholars — representing 327 different colleges and universities across the United States and Europe — have explored areas of research beyond what they may be able to do as part of their regular undergraduate education. Today, more than 70 percent of program alumni who have graduated from college are now pursuing an advanced degree or a career in science or engineering, with many in scientific doctoral programs at top universities worldwide.

“The success of the Amgen Scholars program is due in large share to our university partners,” said Jean J. Lim, president, Amgen Foundation. “These leading universities provide undergraduates from around the country with an inspiring, hands-on research experience that often leads them to pursue advanced degrees and a career in the sciences.”

The U.S. and European programs will each continue to host a summer symposium allowing students to share their summer research projects, learn about biotechnology, and hear firsthand from leading industry and academic scientists. In addition, travel awards will help support Amgen Scholar alumni currently enrolled in masters, PhD, and MD-PhD programs in scientific fields to share their research at scientific conferences.

In its first year, the Amgen Scholars program received about 2,200 applications. By 2010, that number increased to more than 5,200 applications, with only 315 openings available across the U.S. and Europe.


The 10 U.S. program partners are:

• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

• Columbia University/Barnard College

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

• Stanford University

• University of California, Berkeley

• University of California, Los Angeles

• University of California, San Diego

• University of California, San Francisco

• University of Washington

• Washington University in St. Louis



The three European program partners are:

• Cambridge University, UK

• Karolinska Insitutet, Stockholm, Sweden

• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Munich, Germany

Financial support for students is a critical component of the program, which seeks to ensure that eligible students, regardless of their financial status, are able to participate.

Washington University will support about 25 students in the program each summer. About one-third will be Washington University undergraduates, while the rest will be from other colleges and universities, Russell says.

"We get a lot of requests from students outside the university looking for summer research opportunities, so it's really good, both for the students and for us, that the program is open to students from other schools," Miller says.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 Amgen Scholars program. For more information about Amgen Scholars or an application, please visit http://www.amgenscholars.com./

‘That Girl’ visits Genome Center

Photo by Robert Boston

Actress Marlo Thomas (left) talks with Richard Wilson, PhD, director of The Genome Center, Oct. 28 in The Genome Center at the School of Medicine. The Genome Center is partnering with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis on the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, the largest research project to date aimed at understanding the genetic origins of pediatric cancers. Genome Center scientists and St. Jude investigators are sequencing the genomes of both normal and tumor cells from 600 young cancer patients, comparing differences in the DNA to identify genetic mistakes that lead to cancer. The project is estimated to cost $65 million over three years, with the bulk of the funding provided by St. Jude. Thomas, the daughter of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas, is national outreach director for the hospital.



WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY RECEIVES $1 MILLION GRANT FROM AMGEN FOUNDATION IN SUPPORT OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Eight-Year, $34 Million Program, in Partnership with 13 Top Universities, Will Reach Nearly 2,500 Undergraduates

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. Nov. 10, 2010/PRNewswire/ — Today, Amgen Scholars, the signature initiative of the Amgen Foundation, moves into its second phase of what has become a $34 million program to advance science learning and inspire the next generation of scientists.

“There continues to be a shortage of qualified scientists and engineers entering the workforce each year,” said Jean Lim, president, Amgen Foundation. “The Amgen Scholars Program encourages students to pursue a scientific career by providing critical hands-on experiences in laboratories of top scientific research universities across the U.S. and Europe. By 2014, a significant portion of the nearly 2,500 undergraduates who are Amgen Scholars will use their experiences to pursue PhDs and careers in a scientific field.”

For the second phase of the program, which extends through 2014, each of the 13 partner universities participating in the program will receive approximately $1 million over the next four years to support undergraduate students across the United States (U.S.) or Europe. The U.S. and European programs will each continue to host a summer symposium allowing students to share their summer research projects, learn about biotechnology, and hear firsthand from leading industry and academic scientists. In addition, new to Phase 2, travel awards will help support Amgen Scholar alumni currently enrolled in masters, PhD, and MD-PhD programs in scientific fields to share their research at scientific conferences.

Amgen Scholars launched in 2006 with 10 partner universities in the U.S. to provide undergraduates the opportunity for laboratory research experiences under the guidance of leading scientists in academia. In 2008, the program expanded to include three European universities. As a result, in the past four years, nearly 1,200 Amgen Scholars — representing 327 different colleges and universities across the U.S. and Europe — have explored areas of research beyond what they may have been able to do as part of their regular undergraduate education. Today, over 70 percent of participants who have graduated from college are now pursuing an advanced degree or a career in science or engineering, with many in scientific PhD programs at top universities across the world.

In its first year, the Amgen Scholars Program received approximately 2,200 applications. By 2010, that number increased to more than 5,200 applications, with only 315 openings in the U.S. and Europe.

MIT serves as the U.S. Program Office for the Amgen Scholars Program. “Research is at the heart of education at MIT,” said MIT President Susan Hockfield. “The Amgen Scholars Program is built on an assumption we share: that one critical way to inspire students is to get them actively involved in exciting laboratory work. The nation and the world need more scientists, and this young program is an answer to that call.”

University of Cambridge serves as the European Coordinating Centre. “Many countries in Europe have limited science research opportunities for undergraduates. Our partnership with the Amgen Foundation enables us to offer the brightest minds a unique summer research program, and to inspire them about career opportunities at the cutting edge of scientific research,” said Professor John Rallison, pro-vice-chancellor for Education at the University of Cambridge.

The 10 U.S. program partners are:

•California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

•Columbia University/Barnard College

•Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

•Stanford University

•University of California, Berkeley

•University of California, Los Angeles

•University of California, San Diego

•University of California, San Francisco

•University of Washington

•Washington University in St. Louis


The three European program partners are:

•Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

•Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Munich, Germany

•University of Cambridge, UK

Financial support for students is a critical component of the program, which seeks to ensure that eligible students, regardless of their financial status, are able to participate. Financial support details vary by host university.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 Amgen Scholars Program. For more information about Amgen Scholars or an application, please visit http://www.amgenscholars.com./

About the Amgen Foundation

The Amgen Foundation (www.amgen.com/citizenship/overview.html) seeks to advance science education; improve patient access to quality care; and strengthen the communities where Amgen staff members live and work. Since 1991, the Foundation has made $140 million in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Europe that impact society in inspiring and innovative ways, and those that provide disaster relief efforts both domestically and internationally.

Washington University receives $23 million grant, renewal of comprehensive status for Siteman Cancer Center

The Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine has received renewal of its designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).


The designation recognizes Siteman’s clinical research, basic science, community outreach and education activities. The renewal includes $23 million in research funding for the next five years.

“NCI designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center confers the highest recognition of our exceptional cancer-focused scientists, clinicians and staff throughout Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital,” says Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of the Siteman Cancer Center. “Most importantly, we are translating our cutting-edge science into better treatments for the more than 40,000 cancer patients we see each year.”

To achieve comprehensive status, a cancer center must succeed in a rigorous, multi-stage review process, which included a 1,700-page grant proposal followed by a site visit by a panel of national experts in January.

NCI is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health.

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