Alex

Alex

Alex
Weston High School
Weston, MA

Mentor:
Roger Belizaire
Cancer Program

In high school, Alex became interested in neurobiology after being fascinated by a unit about the human brain. She applied to the Broad Summer Scholars Program to find out what science was like outside of the classroom, in a real-world lab.

Alex’s research involved CBL, a gene that is frequently mutated in certain types of cancer. Using CRISPR-Cas9, Alex helped manufacture cell lines missing CBL altogether, which can now be used to study the role of CBL in driving the growth of cancer cells.

Alex describes her time at the Broad as a great way to spend a summer. She loved the welcoming attitude of people at the institute as well as the relaxed atmosphere. “This experience has stressed how awesome working and collaborating in a lab can be,” said Alex. It also made her realize just how many different fields and careers are available to her within the world of science.