The Youth Engaged in Science (YES) Program, led by Nathan A. Berger, MD, kicked off its spring session with a new "Learn to Beat Cancer" cohort this past Saturday. Eight middle school students, their families and a middle school teacher joined a Zoom-based virtual classroom, where they learned the basics of "What is Cancer" from Case Western Reserve University med students.
This first meeting offered a basic introduction to cell biology, cell division, mutations, cancer progression, a brief discussion of cancer risk factors and a brief discussion of cancer-related careers. The group will meet weekly from 11 am-12 noon on Saturdays until May, attending successive workshops that will increase their knowledge about cancer, introduce them to strategies for risk reduction and disparity elimination, and hopefully, excite them about the possibility of pursuing careers in cancer research.
New students are welcome to participate. For more information or to sign up, contact Rachel Perovsek at rkp16@case.edu.