About Us

Future Gen Cancer Scholars

The cornerstone of Future Gen is a mentored summer internship program.

The Future Gen Cancer Scholars program will enable 20 public high school students per year from Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls to participate in a 6-week summer program, for 2 successive summers. The Student Scholars will shadow some of the nation’s top cancer clinicians and scientists at Rhode Island Hospital, Miriam Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital and at state-of-the-art laboratory research facilities at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute and the Brown Cancer Center. 

Our Mission

The mission of the Future Gen Cancer Scholars Program is to inspire public high school students to enter careers in cancer treatment and research.

Ability & Utilization

Each student will be matched with an oncologist or a hematologist to shadow patients in the outpatient and inpatient settings. The Scholars will learn about oncologic and hematologic diseases and their management through actual patient experiences. They will learn anatomy through physical examination and radiographic studies such as computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They will learn to utilize a microscope to diagnose and follow disorders of blood cells such as leukemia and sickle cell anemia. In the laboratory component of the FutureGen program, the cancer research laboratory will become a classroom. Scholars will see high technology cancer research such as the ability to study cancer cells at the single cell level.

Included Requirements

Completion

Completion of two successive summer programs after the sophomore and junior years.

Program Start date Monday July 6th.


Program End date Friday August 14th.

It is expected that scholars participate at least 5 weeks during this period, 3-4 days per week, approximately 8am – 3pm.

Participation

Participation in a 1-week orientation in June. Participation in multiple on/pre boarding orientation dates from May – June

Presentation

A presentation or project at the end of each summer session giving an overview of what you have learned.

Compensation

You will be hired by Brown University Health and will be paid an hourly wage for your hours of participation. Your transportation will also be reimbursed. The Papitto Opportunity Connection is generously supporting this program.

Our Faculty

Howard Safran, MD

Dr. Howard Safran is the director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute and the medical director of the Brown University Oncology Group. He has been involved in clinical cancer research for over 30 years. He is a national leader in the treatment of pancreatic and esophageal cancer.

Anthony Mega, MD

Dr. Anthony Mega has been a national leader in cancer education and training for 30 years. He is the Director of the Brown University Fellowship Program, as well as the section leader in genitourinary oncology.

Brown University Oncology Research Group