Curriculum

Interns spend approximately 75% of their time conducting original research under the guidance of a mentor, and 25% of their time in program activities. These activities include:

  1. Orientation: On the first day of the program, interns meet each other and the faculty directors, and review program expectations and opportunities.

  2. Writing/ Presentation Workshop: Interns write an abstract of their summer project with guidance from faculty instructors, and practice giving and receiving peer feedback. Towards the end of the summer, interns develop this abstract into an oral presentation. Each intern leaves with a written and oral project description that can be used for graduate school and fellowship applications and interviews.

  3. Journal Clubs: Interns read and discuss seminal papers in Systems Biology together, under the guidance of experienced scientists, to understand key theoretical and technical advances in the field.

  4. Seminars: Interns attend weekly seminars where department members present their work in progress. Topics cover a wide range, such as materials engineering or embryo development in model organisms.

  5. Social hours: Interns have multiple opportunities to interact with their peers and other department members at weekly social events.

  6. Guest speakers: We invite guest speakers from the Harvard community to share their experiences in science.

  7. Career and Professional Development: Interns have opportunities to attend panel discussions on PhD and MD/ PhD applications, and to learn about career paths stemming from these degrees.

  8. Final Presentation: The program ends with each intern delivering a 10-minute presentation on their summer research to their peers, mentors, and greater Harvard Systems Biology community.