By Elina Suri, Banner Staff

The 2025 Winsor Science Internship Program, known among students as the “Winternship,” was launched earlier this year with the annual presentations by previous interns. Winsor’s Science Internship Program was established in 2000 by former Science Faculty and Department Chair Ann O’Meara P’93 with the goal of expanding opportunities for students interested in the sciences.

Winsor Science Internship Coordinator Ms. Callanan shared, “The Winsor Science Internship Program is a great opportunity for students who are curious about careers in medicine or STEM research. It gives them hands-on experience working with scientists in the Longwood Medical area and beyond. Every year, students get to dive into different projects based on their placements. Last year, interns worked on everything from gene editing and running PCR gels to analyzing MRI scans for prenatal stroke research. Some even interviewed doctors and turned complex science into articles for a general audience.”

Every year, the program begins with an open Science Internship Night. The past year’s interns compile their completed research into posters that they present that evening and then participate in a panel discussion with other interns to discuss their experience. This event serves as an introduction to the program for interested candidates as well as an opportunity to learn about the specific research conducted by their peers. Subsequently, rising juniors and seniors are welcomed to apply for the upcoming internship, a process that involves an electronic application and an interview. About twenty selected interns are matched with a mentor to complete a six- to eight-week internship over the summer, culminating in a final research paper and presentation at the next year’s Science Internship Night.

Jacey Jiang ’25, who participated in the 2024 Winsor Science Internship Program, said, “I knew I wanted to pursue some area of science in college, and getting exposure to the professional world was really helpful. I worked with the Michor Lab to create a model to categorize mutation data. I shadowed a wet-lab technician, joined in on weekly lab meetings, and met with numerous people to learn about the work they did.”

Winsor’s Science Internship Program is continuing to grow, with hopes to strengthen its network of mentors and community partners, including the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Office of Student Engagement and Experience (OSEE). By strengthening these relationships, Winsor will be able to include more and more students in this program. As Ms. Callanan said, “The more opportunities we can offer, the better! [And] if you want to see some of the cool research past interns have done, check out the posters in the Science hallway!”

Responses edited for brevity and clarity.The Winsor Science Internship Program