Soon, in labs across the country, 24 students are stepping into research that could shape the future of childhood cancer treatment.
Some are at the bench, pipetting samples and refining techniques. Others are deep in data, analyzing complex patterns or tracing how experimental therapies move from concept to clinical trial. Each one is asking questions that don’t yet have answers—and taking the next steps toward finding them.
That’s the power of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation Summer Fellows Program.
This year, St. Baldrick’s is proud to announce funding for 24 Summer Fellow grants, supporting undergraduate and medical students as they spend the summer immersed in pediatric oncology research. These fellowships are more than a learning experience—they are a critical entry point into a field that depends on new ideas, new energy, and a growing pipeline of future physician-scientists.
Because breakthroughs don’t happen in isolation. They begin with curiosity, mentorship, and the opportunity to contribute—often much earlier than people realize.
From studying tumor biology to exploring innovative treatment approaches, this year’s Summer Fellows are contributing to real research happening right now in leading institutions across the country.
24 grants have been awarded to the following institutions:
Alabama
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham
California
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
Georgia
- Emory University, Atlanta
Massachusetts
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston
- Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston
Maryland
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
Michigan
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Missouri
- Children’s Mercy, Kansas City
Mississippi
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson
New York
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York
Ohio
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus
Oregon
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
Pennsylvania
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
- Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
South Carolina
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
Tennessee
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis
Washington
- Seattle Children’s, Seattle
Washington, D.C.
- Children’s Research Institute (CNMC), Washington, DC
- Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Each of these institutions represents a place where discovery is already underway—and where this year’s summer fellows will play a role in moving that work forward.
While their time in the lab may last only a few months, the impact can extend far beyond a single summer. For many, this experience helps shape career paths, deepens their commitment to pediatric oncology, and builds the foundation for a future dedicated to improving outcomes for kids with cancer.
And for the field as a whole, that matters.
Childhood cancer research depends on a strong and growing community of scientists who are willing to take on its toughest challenges. By supporting students at this pivotal stage, St. Baldrick’s is helping ensure that the next generation of researchers is ready to carry that work forward.
To the donors and supporters who make these opportunities possible—thank you. Your support is not only funding research today, but helping develop the people who will drive tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
Because every discovery starts somewhere. And for these 24 fellows, that journey is already underway.
Donate now and help support the next generation of research.
