Whether you're strengthening your research experience before graduate or medical school or exploring a career in cancer research, discover opportunities to work alongside leading investigators, receive mentorship, and build the skills needed for the next stage of your career.
Featured Opportunity
American Cancer Society (ACS) Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship
Train in world-class cancer research laboratories at Case CCC, complete graduate-level coursework at the CWRU School of Medicine and receive comprehensive career development through the American Cancer Society Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship, which prepares STEM graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds for successful entry into MD, PhD, and MD/PhD programs.
Inside the Fellowship
The American Cancer Society Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship combines immersive research, graduate-level education, and personalized mentorship to prepare fellows for advanced study and careers in cancer research, medicine, public health, and biomedical science.
During the fellowship, participants will:
- Conduct hands-on cancer research in a Case Comprehensive Cancer Center laboratory.
- Complete laboratory rotations to identify a faculty mentor and research project.
- Enroll in graduate-level coursework in cancer biology and scientific communication at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
- Present research at local and national scientific meetings.
- Participate in seminars, journal clubs, and program meetings with cancer researchers.
- Gain clinical exposure through oncology physician shadowing.
- Receive individualized mentoring and career development throughout the program.
Fellows earn a Case Western Reserve University Certificate of Cancer Studies, a transcripted credential recognizing graduate-level coursework and cancer research training. Eligible coursework may be applied toward future doctoral study at CWRU, providing a strong academic foundation for advanced education.
Mentorship
Fellows are supported by a network of faculty mentors, experienced researchers, and near-peer mentors who provide scientific guidance, professional development, and career advising throughout the fellowship.
Faculty mentors are internationally recognized cancer researchers from across the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center consortium, including Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and Cleveland Clinic.
Is this Fellowship Right for You?
The fellowship is designed for highly motivated STEM graduates who are preparing for MD, PhD, or MD/PhD training and have a strong interest in cancer research, medicine, public health, or biomedical science.
Applicants should have:
- A bachelor's degree in a STEM or health-related discipline.
- A demonstrated interest in cancer research or healthcare.
- Eligibility consistent with the American Cancer Society Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship, including graduates from educationally, environmentally, or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Applications open Fall 2027
Highlights from the 2024-2026 Cohort
Throughout the fellowship, ACS Post-Baccalaureate Fellows engaged in national scientific conferences, specialized training, and milestone events that supported their professional growth and celebrated their achievements.
- July 2025: American Cancer Society National Meeting (pictured above)
- August 2025: 34th Annual Short Course on Experimental Models of Human Cancer, Jackson Laboratory
- September 2025: Program Site Visit in Cleveland with American Cancer Society leadership, representatives, and donors (pictured below)
- November 2025: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS), San Antonio, Texas
- March 2026: American Cancer Society Medal of Honor Ceremony, Washington, D.C. (Fellow Lavonte Saunders represented the program.)
- May 2026: Final Research Symposium and Certificate of Cancer Studies Graduation Ceremony
Impact: Where Our Fellows Go Next
Our fellows go on to MD, PhD, and MD/PhD programs and careers in cancer research, medicine, and healthcare.
Meet the 2026 fellowship cohort below.
Emily Roundtree
- Research Mentor: Ruth Keri, PhD
- Research Project: Leveraging Focal Adhesion Dependencies in CDH1-Deficient Lobular Breast Cancers
- Recognition: First Place, American Cancer Society Annual Meeting (2025) for the poster CDK10 as a Driver of Breast Cancer Disparities; First Place, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Annual Retreat (2025) for the same presentation.
- Career Goal: Pursuing Medical Scientist Training (MD/PhD).
Lavonte Saunders
- Research Mentor: Jacob Scott, MD, DPhil
- Research Project: The Role of the Tumor Ecosystem in Modulating Interactions Between Genomically Disparate Lung Cancer Cells Leading to Cancer Evolution and Therapy Resistance
- Recognition: Invited to speak as the program's sole post-baccalaureate fellow at the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor ceremony honoring Dr. Tyler Jacks (pictured). Member of the first-place team in the Integrated Mathematical Oncology Workshop, earning a $50,000 pilot grant for a collaborative research proposal.
- Next Step: Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD), Washington University in St. Louis.
Daniella Obidi
- Research Mentor: Ruth Keri, PhD
- Research Project: YES1: A Potential Vulnerability for Inducing Lethal Chromosomal Instability in Triple-Negative Breast Cancers
- Highlights: Invited to present research at the 2025 Great Lakes Breast Cancer Symposium on a novel class of RNR inhibitors that induces genome instability and cancer cell death without significant toxicities. Selected to share her experiences in cancer research and volunteerism through the American Cancer Society's National Storytelling Project with RadicalMedia.
- Next Step: Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD), Case Western Reserve University.
Isaiah Waiters
- Research Mentor: Jason Mears, PhD
- Research Project: Elucidating the Molecular Mechanisms that Regulate Mitochondrial Fission and Cellular Energetics Through the Dynamin-Related Protein DRP1
- Highlights: Recipient of a Poster Award at the 2025 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS). Selected for the U.S. Army Health Professions Scholarship Program.
- Next Step: Howard University College of Medicine.