As an intern in Yale University's Discovery to Cure program, Sydney Trevenen '17 spent six weeks conducting hands-on research in Yaleís biomedical laboratories under the mentorship of endocrinologist Dr. John Wysolmerski. Sydney looked at the relationship between a specific biological protein (PTHrP) and breast cancer susceptibility. Her work involved the development of mammary gland protein stainings using a mouse model that overexpressed PTHrP. The presence or absence of those proteins indicated the effect of the overexpression.

“The program taught me that the scientific process is not just coming up with a question, running a procedure, and getting a perfect answer, but that failures are also important to discovery. It allowed me to be immersed in a true research environment, take part in important research, and put to test everything I had learned in the Taft classroom.”

The Discovery to Cure Internship Program was established in 2003 by Dr. Gil Mor, Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, with the goal of exposing high school students to Yale's biomedical laboratories, and to opening their minds to career opportunities in science and medicine. Since then, the program has grown to include over 41 schools from across the globe. With an acceptance rate of around ten percent, the program is highly competitive. Approximately 20% of the students have published their findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals.