The curriculum is designed to mimic the research process in which students engage the material and learn to think critically. Such skills will be helpful in future research endeavors and will  be useful in all aspects of their lives. 

In one aspect of the program, the students will attempt to ameliorate the inflammatory effects of ethanol on liver cells by experimenting with the protein hormone, leptin.  Students will learn basic laboratory techniques, including micropippetting, cell culture, and microscopy. They will use analytical and data-gathering techniques such as ELISA and use statistical methods, such as the Student’s t-test, to determine the significance of their findings. In addition to following the structured lab procedures, they will explore possibilities for individual research projects, which can continue into the academic year.

Faculty advisors Robert Pergolizzi and Donna Leonardi are overseeing this exciting new program for the Academies.