Inside the First Year of SCH’s BioMed Program

SCH’s inaugural BioMed cohort, led by instructor Lisa Queeno, is wrapping up its first full year—a debut defined by meaningful experiences and rigorous, college-level experiments. In addition to field trips that gave students a deeper understanding of scientific professions, they also learned from industry experts, conducted original research, presented their findings, and discovered new passions within the field. 

"Our team identified a significant, growing interest in the biomedical sciences among students," said Head of School Steve Druggan. "This program expands our specialized offerings, joining CEL and robotics as an important space for students to kindle their own fire."

From the Lab to the Symposium

Most recently, the cohort presented their findings on fruit fly (and planarian) research at the Franklin Institute Symposium, alongside 600 other high school students. Under the guidance of Dr. Alana O'Reilly P’25, P’27, a Fox Chase scientist and founder of the eClose Institute, BioMed students spent the fall and winter diving into self-selected experiments, collecting data during their SAS and lunch periods.

“We have been on so many field trips and met so many cool people throughout just one year,” said BioMed student Adam Lane ’28. “I really enjoyed our ‘passion projects’ with eClose because it gave us freedom to create our own study with resources being provided by real scientists and their labs. I got really invested and kept coming in to work on my project.”

Lane studied fly brains to analyze the impact of concussion and re-concussion; he now aims to replicate the experiment using immunostaining, a sophisticated technique used to identify stem cell-specific damage.

“I had the chance to combine two areas that I’m interested in: sports medicine and neurotrauma,” said Lane. “I thought that this was a great chance to expand upon my scientific experience and work on a project with real-life relevance.”

Research topics varied widely, with students exploring everything from the impact of substance use to the potential benefits of herbal tea for menstrual cramps.

Anna Gauvin ’28 studied the effects of starvation on neurological development in fruit flies. “I got to learn so much more about the research process and experimenting with living things,” she said. 

While some work happened under the microscope, the program’s reach extended beyond the walls of SCH’s lab.

Science Beyond the Classroom

One benefit of the program, says Queeno, is not just being able to experiment but seeing science up close. “A student might say, ‘Forensics would be cool to study,’ but what does that really mean? Seeing it firsthand is eye-opening,” she said. 

The cohort traveled to The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CFSRE) in Horsham this spring, thanks to an invitation from Carrie Barron P’29. There, graduate students guided the SCHers through forensic tests in toxicology, biology, and chemistry.

This past year, in addition to the Franklin Institute Symposium and CFSRE, the group visited Erdenheim Farm to learn about animal husbandry and veterinary care with Dan Lurie P'26 and heard from scientists and experts, including Anna Dhody ’93, founder of the Dhody Research Institute, Dr. Rajesh Aggarwal P’34, surgeon, scientist, and health tech founder, and experts from NYU’s Empathy Project. The new cohort will visit Jefferson’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College in mid-May, meeting CHA alum Dr. Stan Miller ‘73 and getting a special tour of the medical campus and simulation labs. 

Shadowing the Pros

The BioMed students also gained individual field experience by shadowing science professionals; for example, Soleil Bynum ‘28, who is interested in veterinary medicine, shadowed a vet.

“Ms. Queeno put me in touch with a wonderful veterinarian whom I've shadowed now and then, and it's been a great experience seeing firsthand what a domestic animal veterinarian's day-to-day looks like,” said Bynum. “Going forward, I'm most excited about what trips we will take in the future. We've already had so many great opportunities and experiences, so I'm looking forward to seeing what more we do.”

Queeno enjoys the researcher visits as much as her students do, often learning right alongside them. She and the current, now-experienced cohort are both eagerly anticipating the arrival of the next group of students.

Looking Toward Year Two

Next year’s cohort will include six students, rising sophomores. 

“I am really excited to get to know the new BioMed cohort,” said sophomore BioMed student Anna Gauvin. “We get so many amazing opportunities to learn more about different areas of medicine, and I think it will be really fun to lead the new cohort through everything we've done over the past year.” 

The inaugural BioMed cohort, from left: Adam Lane, Soleil Bynum, Gray David, Nolan Gibson, and Anna Gauvin.