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Community Corner

High School Science Day Invites Area Students Inside Salk Labs

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is ranked among the top research facilities in the world. Five scientists trained at the Institute have won Nobel prizes and the labs are currently home to nine Howard Hughes Medical Investigators and 14 members of the National Academy of Sciences. On Saturday, March 1, 2014 these eminent researchers will be joined by more than 200 high school students from the San Diego County area as part of the 24th March of Dimes High School Science Day.

The annual event, part of the Salk’s ongoing education outreach programs, runs from 9AM until 2PM and allows students to tour the labs at the Salk Institute. It’s a “once in a lifetime” chance for the students, says Dona Mapston, education specialist at the Salk, because the busy labs are typically closed to the public.

The President of the Salk Institute, Dr. William Brody, will greet the students upon their arrival and will introduce the day’s activities.  Dr. Sreekanth Chalasani, professor in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, will present the keynote talk about his research after lunch.

Tours of the laboratories, the highlight of the day’s events, will be both interactive and hands-on. Students will be able to meet and talk with top researchers about the problems they’re trying to solve, the tools and methods they use, and their passion for their chosen career. Hands-on activities will include dissecting mouse brains, studying fluorescent markers in worms and isolating single cells using a special “micromanipulator.”
“Our goal is to inform students of career possibilities in the life sciences,” says neurobiologist Ellen Potter, coordinator for the Salk’s Education Outreach programs. “Inviting the students into our labs gives them the opportunity to ask questions about a field some may not have known previously existed.”

As cuts to school budgets continue to impact extracurricular experiences, the importance of educating students about real world science is ever more critical. The chance to enter the Salk labs and speak with world-renowned researchers draws tremendous interest from students and teachers alike, and registration requests grow in number each year. “Not only do we have local schools participating in this event,” says Mapston, “but this year we have schools registering from as far away as San Jacinto and Borrego Springs. Truly these students would not otherwise have the opportunity to be exposed to cutting edge science.”

For additional information about the March of Dimes High School Science Day at the Salk Institute, contact Dona Mapston at mapston@salk.edu.
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About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is one of the world's preeminent basic research institutions, where internationally renowned faculty probe fundamental life science questions in a unique, collaborative, and creative environment. Focused both on discovery and on mentoring future generations of researchers, Salk scientists make groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging, Alzheimer's, diabetes and infectious diseases by studying neuroscience, genetics, cell and plant biology, and related disciplines. Faculty achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Nobel Prizes and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, M.D., the Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark.

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