This summer we’re sponsoring high school interns in stem cell labs throughout California. We asked those students to contribute to our Instagram photos and YouTube videos about life in the lab, and write about their experiences.

Jeffrey Yu pipetting in the Clarke lab at Stanford. He submitted this photo to our #CIRMStemCellLab Instagram feed

My name is Jeffrey Yu, and I’ve been interning for the past 8 weeks in the Clarke Lab at Stanford University, as part of the SIMR program.

Learning about cancer research

Coming into this internship, I thought science was rote memorization and doing “experiments” that were always pre-made and no different from following an instruction manual. My knowledge of stem cells was even shallower. Beyond a vague understanding of controversial embryonic stem cells and their regenerative potential, I knew almost nothing. Little did I know that I was in for a transformative experience.

Expecting to pipette clear liquids into tubes monotonously for eight hours a day, I did just that. That is, until I realized why I was doing it all; it started to make sense. From reading lengthy papers that made my brain hurt to filling 92 wells in one sitting, this combination of high-speed learning and AP Biology lab on steroids gave me a heaping plate of what science truly was. I came to understand the methods, purpose, and direction behind every experiment, the trial and error, and the expected and actual outcomes. It was a revelation. Before this experience, science had been nothing but memorizing plant physiology and biological processes. Now, science feels like a persistent yet methodical, intelligently constructed game plan for answering questions about the natural world around us, and this self-discovery was worth the entire experience.

Stem cells and cancer therapies

I’ve learned a great deal about stem cells. I never imagined how broad, significant, and promising the field of stem cells is. Working in a cancer stem cell lab, I learned that by thoroughly understanding normal stem cell physiology, we can better identify cells predisposed to oncogenesis. This harmony of the two ideas opens up an enormous field of study with a very promising future. I can now explain to someone what a stem cell is, that the field includes much more than embryonic stem cells (ESCs), that each organ has distinct stem cells, and that limiting the term stem cell to ESCs is naive.

This experience has helped me realize I want a future in biology and medicine, perhaps not research specifically, but a field where I’m surrounded by science. I want to thank my mentor, Shang Cai; P.I. Dr. Michael F. Clarke; and my lab partner, Angela Kong, for all the instruction, guidance, and support this summer. This has been one of the most educational and productive summers I’ve ever spent. This hands-on lab experience, along with the techniques and knowledge I’ve gained, will help me in college and beyond, where I will pursue my passion for health and science.