Student Accepted to Jackson Lab Summer Science Program

Fifth Former Jack Sargent, a resident of West Hartford, has been selected to participate in the highly competitive Jackson Lab Summer Student Program this year. The 10-week program is open to junior and senior high school students and undergraduate college students and is designed to help them understand the nature of research science. The emphasis of the program is on methods of discovery and communication of knowledge, not the master of established facts.

 

Applicants must submit an essay, a transcript and three areas of research interest. They must also demonstrate a deep desire to conduct an independent research project, academic achievement, curiosity, ambition and the maturity to accept responsibility. About 45 students from around the U.S. are accepted each year to work at either the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, or the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Conn. They receive a stipend of $4,750, including room and board.

 

Jack will be working in Farmington in the laboratory of Charles Lee Ph.D., professor and scientific director of the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. His lab develops and applies state-of-the-art technologies to study structural genomic variation and its contribution to human diseases and vertebrate genome evolution.

 

“Jackson Lab is the best in class – the entrepreneurial frontier shaping genomics and biomedical research,” said Jack. “Investigators are tackling the world’s most critical health issues. I believe the combination of innovative spirit with the unsurpassed scientific environment makes it the ideal place for me to gain formative exposure and merge my interests in genomic discovery and entrepreneurship. The Jackson Lab Summer Program is also known to provide quality mentoring and a unique exposure to like-minded peers with which to share and exchange experiences and ideas.”

 

Jack looks forward to pursuing his interest in biomolecular and genomic research. “Working in Dr. Lee’s Lab will open my mind to what is possible and provide an essential foundation and opportunity for me,” he said. “I look forward to working with, learning from and supporting others on the team, while advancing my knowledge. I also hope to gain a better understanding of the day-to-day inner workings of a lab and be exposed to some of the business aspects too. In addition, I look forward to meeting and getting to know other program participants. I think it will be amazing to work on a specific research project for many weeks and present findings at the end-of-program symposium.”

 

In the future, Jack hopes to become a primary investigator. He is inspired by his great, great uncle Dr. John Enders, who shared the Noble Prize in medicine and physiology in 1954 for research that established the method by which modern vaccines could be made. “I never met him,” said Jack, but I share his name and deep desire to make a difference in the world through research.”

 

Jack’s other inspiration is his late grandfather, Joseph Sargent, who was an entrepreneur, an investor and a philanthropist. “He taught me to see the possibilities in ideas, to push forward when faced with challenges and to be a person of integrity,” said Jack. “I also recognize that bringing discovery forward and available on a large scale requires significant entrepreneurial skills and creativity. I believe that biomolecular research and business entrepreneurship are synergistic and represent an opportunity for me to leverage my talents, interests and prior exposure in unique ways.”

 

Last summer, Jack applied and was selected to participate in a 10-week competitive internship at the Center for Vascular Biology at UConn Health Center. He worked in the lab of Dr. Fernando Ferrer, which focuses on novel therapeutic approaches targeting bioactive lipid pathways, pediatric solid tumors and renal injury. His duties included working with cell cultures, DNA sequencing and western blots, data analysis and animal husbandry of Jackson Lab murine models. “At the time, the lab was beginning to partner with Dr. Carol Bult from Jackson Lab, Bar Harbor, to employ genomic approaches to answering critical questions,” explained Jack. “I observed carefully as plans were developed, and I was captivated by the potential of genomics to advance medicine. Energized by this exposure, I did my best to support the team and contribute.”

 

Jack also spent time this fall with Dr. Juan Salazar in his UConn lab learning about the various applications of genomic research to the areas of infectious disease and immunology. “My UConn experiences showed me a sliver of what is possible and deepened my desire to immerse myself in the evolving field of human genomics and bioinformatics,” added Jack.

 

While at Westminster, Jack has taken AP Biology, AP European History, AP U.S History, AP English Composition and AP English Literature. He has also taken Honors Physics, Chemistry, Algebra 1, Geometry and Pre-Calculus. He is a three-sport varsity athlete in football, squash and lacrosse, a tour guide for the Admissions Office and a community service volunteer.

 

“Working at Jackson Lab will provide me a unique opportunity to determine what I want to study in college and more importantly provide me with a mentor(s) who could help guide me not just these 10-weeks but through the next few years in college and beyond,” concluded Jack.