Medicinal chemistry & pharma research
Three-Week Summer Science Program
“Best Chemistry Programs for HS Students"
- Edubrain
Interested in Chemistry? Some of the most popular (and lucrative!) career paths involve utilizing chemistry for medical applications: From drug discovery and development through clinical trials to determine dosage levels, bioavailability, toxicology, and chemistry is key. Universities, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies all offer high-paying research positions to graduates of chemistry and pharmacology programs. Chemistry is key to other careers as well. Pharmacists at drug stores, for instance, must have a deep understand of chemistry to calculate drug side effects, dosage, and interactions: chemistry is indispensable.
For prospective medical students, chemistry and its medical applications can make-or-break their dreams. Did you know that one in three students at a number of top universities start on a pre-med track, but only a fraction are admitted to medical school? College chemistry is a notorious weed-out course, with many students literally not making the grade. The MCAT is packed with chemistry questions that likewise pose a barrier to those without a firm foundation in chemistry. Let this program jump start your career!
July 12th – July 30th, 2027
Gann/Bentley | Waltham, MA
More About: Awards – Research Programs – Sample Week
Hands-on Activities
In a typical summer, students begin with an overview of the drug discovery process and dive right into a synthesis of a common over-the-counter medication. They examine how the yield rate is affected by differing reagents and varying temperatures. They perform tests to detect concentrations of a drug agent in natural products. They perform a multi-step synthesis to examine the lead optimization process for themselves. Students may learn to read NMR print-outs to check for impurities. They perform studies with crystals and learn about how crystallography determines the structure and active site of chemical entities.
Field Trips
Examples of past field trips include:
- Boston University Department of Chemistry
- Lab Central, home to numerous biotech start-ups
- MIT Museum
- Etherdome at Mass General Hospital
Past Instructor: Nic Barbesino
Mr. Barbesino is currently pursuing an MD from UMASS Chan Medical School. He earned his BS in Biology and Political Science at Northeastern and his MS in Medical Science from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He has held roles at Boston’s top institutions. He worked as a cell therapy specialist at Dana Farber Cancer Institution. At Mass General Brigham, he was a research technician for almost two years, performing cell-based assays, DNA extraction, and many other research techniques. He has also worked as a lab assistant at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and served as an EMT.
Past Instructor: Lauren Brown
Lauren is a Professor of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry at Boston University. She earned her Bachelor’s in Biochemistry from USC before earning her PhD in Chemistry. She worked at Pfizer and Tosk as a Chemist before joining Boston University, where she conducts research at the Center of Chemical Methodology and is the Assistant Director of the Center for Molecular Discovery.
Student Comments
“The program is very interesting. As someone with no chemistry background it’s good to now know more and understand about how medchem works. I enjoyed the lectures and the notes that I have now to look back on. I found the labs interesting.”
“I enjoyed the program and the teacher. Learning about chemistry is enjoyable for me and I really enjoyed the personalized learning structure. Nicole heeded my requests for some topics I was curious about which was what I really appreciated.”
“Super enthusiastic teacher who was so friendly and helpful. I learned so much in these 3 weeks especially because of this amazing location and nearby medical resources.”
‘”This program provided me with a solid understanding of basic chemistry and biology concepts, allowing for a smooth integration into next year’s classes. [Our teacher] has extensive knowledge of the topics at hand with his anecdotes and connections to real-world happenings.”
“The program was a great learning experience and a great source of exposure to medicine. I enjoyed how the course was not extensively concentrated towards chemistry, but placed it in the larger context of the human body.”
“This program went over chem & bio principles to give us a good background of information before going into MedChem & research. I liked going over the topics, learning more about pharmacology. Teachers were very helpful & knowledgeable.”
Note: This page represents our best expectations for the program. Activities and instructors are subject to change. In such cases, similar activities and a comparably qualified instructor will be sought.
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