Research Seminar: Frontiers in Cancer
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally, responsible for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020—approximately one in every six deaths. This course introduces high school students to the most current research in cancer biology, cancer therapy, and cancer drug development. In addition to scientific content, students will gain training in critical thinking, scientific writing, and effective presentation skills essential for academic and research success.
Course Information
Prerequisites: None
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 9–12 with a minimum GPA of 3.5 who are interested in cancer biology
Course Format: Online
Schedule: 9 weeks, every thursdays or fridays' night
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand current research in cancer biology and cancer therapies
Develop critical thinking and improve oral presentation skills
Conduct literature reviews, write scientific papers, and understand the publication process
Gain foundational knowledge of cancer drug development
Be well-prepared for Phase 2 research projects, manuscript writing, and potential publication
Instructional Continuity
In the event of any class delay, rescheduling, or cancellation, students will be informed promptly via email. Be sure to check your email regularly for the latest announcements. Updated materials, assignments, and instructions will be provided to ensure uninterrupted learning.
Course Schedule
Session | Topic | Description |
Week 1 | Introduction to Cancer (1) | Cancer epidemiology, tumor and cancer differences, cancer types, and factors causing cancer |
Week 2 | Introduction to Cancer (2) | Molecular biology of cancer, cancer prevention and therapies. |
Week 3 | Chemotherapy and target therapy and Immunotherapy with a focus on CAR-T therapy | Chemotherapy, target therapy and cancer drug resistance. Immunotherapy and the CAR-T therapy, the discovery of 2018 Nobel Prize winners |
Week 4 | Key Signaling pathways in Cancer | Key signaling pathways implicated in cancer. |
Week 5 | Cancer Drug development (1) | Traditional target-based drug screening and clinical trials |
Week 6 | Cancer Drug development (2) | New phenotype-based drug screening |
Week 7 | Cancer research Models | Animal models used in cancer research |
Week 8 | Scientific article writing and publishing | Scientific article writing skills and paper publication procedures. |
Week 9 | Student presentation | Student presentation, feedbacks and improvements |
Should you have any questions, please email us at ask@thetaworks.academy.
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Jay received his PhD in Biochemistry and molecular biology and has held postdoctoral and research assistant professor positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Currently, he is a full-time professor at Western University of Health Sciences.
Research Focus
With more than 25 years of experience in biomedical research, Dr. Jay specializes in cancer and stem cell signaling pathways, as well as innovative drug screening. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters including multiple articles in top-tier journals such as Cell Reports and Nature Cell Biology. He serves as a
reviewer for 28 academic journals and holds editorial board positions at three.Dr. Jay also holds three U.S. and international patents and has successfully developed four drug precursors that are now commercially available for research in the U.S. market.
Teaching and Mentorship
Dr. Jay has extensive teaching experience. He has taught core graduate-level courses such as Molecular Cell Biology and Biological Systems in Human Disease. In addition, he has led advanced coursework for high school students, including AP Biology, AP
Seminar, AP Research, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Cancer Biology.CLASS TIME
This is an one hour virtual class meeting once a Week: Thursdays or Fridays, for 9 weeks
RECOMMENDED GRADES
Students in grades 9-12
RETURN & REFUND POLICY
Tuitions are not refundable. Students may transfer the class credit to other classes. Please contact us for details.
Class schedule is subject to change due to the instructor's availability and other emergencies.
By signing up for this session, students agree to the above policies.