Chemical Biology Summer Program (ChBSP)

The Tri-Institutional Chemical Biology Summer Program (ChBSP) is offered jointly by the Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology and the Office of Science Education & Training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This ten-week program is generously supported by the Sanders Innovation & Education Initiative of the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute. ChBSP brings outstanding rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are interested in pursuing research at the interface of chemistry and biomedicine for a summer research experience on the Tri-Institutional campuses of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, and Weill Cornell Medicine. Applicants must have a background in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical biology. The 10-week program begins on June 2 and ends on August 8, 2025.

The application will be available beginning on November 1, 2024 and must be submitted online by February 1, 2025.

ChBSP is strongly committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. Our program has zero tolerance for racism or discrimination in any form. We strongly encourage applications from students who are members of underrepresented minority groups, are from disadvantaged backgrounds, and/or have disabilities.

Students who are accepted to ChBSP will:

• Adapt their chemistry skills to tackle cutting-edge problems in biomedical research

• Work in preeminent research labs at Sloan Kettering, Rockefeller, or Weill Cornell

• Interact with faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students

• Attend weekly scientific lectures by faculty

• Participate in weekly journal club discussions

• Attend professional development workshops

• Present their research in a poster session at the end of the summer

Students will receive a stipend of $6,500 for the summer, generously sponsored by the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute. Housing is available.
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Areas of Research

Students will partner with faculty from Sloan Kettering, Rockefeller, and Weill Cornell who have expressed a strong interest in working with undergraduate students with chemistry skillsets. The faculty listed below are conducting research in diverse areas of chemical biology and provide exciting research opportunities for students with backgrounds in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical biology. Information about their scientific projects can be found by visiting their respective websites:

Heeseon An	Daniel Bachovchin
John Blenis	Shiubing Chen
Arvin Dar	Seth Darst
Yael David	Melinda Diver
David Eliezer	Jacob Geri
Richard Hite	Samie Jaffrey
Tarun Kapoor	Alex Kentsis
Yueming Li	Christopher Lima
Shixin Liu	Stephen Long
Minkui Luo	Anant Menon
Alexandros Pertsinidis	Michael Rout
Derek Tan	Ekaterina Vinogradova

 

How To Apply

Undergraduate freshman, sophomores, and juniors who are majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology, or related fields are invited to apply to ChBSP.

Eligible applicants must be authorized to work in the US.

Students can complete and submit the application online. The application portal will open on November 1, 2024. The application deadline is February 1, 2025.

Application requirements:

• Interests in applications of chemistry to biomedical problems

• Personal statement describing research background and interests

• Completion of college-level chemistry courses (minimum 3.0 GPA overall)

• Two letters of recommendation by faculty members who are familiar with the applicant’s academic preparation and research potential. Letters must be submitted by faculty members directly via the online submission system.

• Applicants can upload and submit an unofficial transcript from their college or university directly into the application system. (Only those accepted into the internship will need to submit an official transcript after acceptance). If you have any questions or concerns about transcripts, please contact oset@mskcc.org.

Applicants will receive offers of lab placement no later than March 15.
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Daniel Bachovchin, PhD
Summer Program Director

 

ChBSP Alumni

2024

• Katelyn Dale, University of California, Berkeley, Class of 2024, Chemistry
(with Prof. Tarun Kapoor, Rockefeller)

• Chloe Fields, Boston College, Class of 2024, Biochemistry
(with Prof. Ekaterina Vinogradova, Rockefeller)

• Shira Freilich, Vassar College, Class of 2024, Biochemistry
(with Prof. David Eliezer, Weill Cornell)

• Angelina Kramer, Penn State University, Class of 2024, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
(with Prof. Arvin Dar, MSK)

• Cristina Marrero Robles, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Class of 2025, Chemistry
(with Prof. Daniel Bachovchin, MSK)

• Giulliano Richetta, Pomona College, Class of 2024, Chemistry
(with Prof. Jacob Geri, Weill Cornell)

2023

• Judey DaRos, University of Pittsburgh, Class of 2024, Chemistry
(with Prof. Daniel Bachovchin, Sloan Kettering)

• Mahak Kathpalia, U. Wisconsin-Madison, Class of 2024, Chemistry / Cellular & Mol. Biol.
(with Prof. John Blenis, Weill Cornell)

• Kaitlyn Ko, University of Chicago, Class of 2024, Chemistry
(with Prof. Samie Jaffrey, Weill Cornell)

• Raymond Lam, University of Texas at Austin, Class of 2024, Chemistry
(with Prof. Minkui Luo, Sloan Kettering)

• Dat Nguyen, Oberlin College, Class of 2024, Biochemistry / Chemistry
(with Prof. Tarun Kapoor, Rockefeller)

• Mihika Shah, Stevens Institute of Technology, Class of 2024, Chemical Biology
(with Prof. Shixin Liu, Rockefeller)

2022

• Casey Chan, Brown University, Class of 2023, Chemical Biology
(with Prof. Yael David, Sloan Kettering)

• Isabelle Edmondson, Middlebury College, Class of 2023, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
(with Prof. Daniel Bachovchin, Sloan Kettering)

• José Llera Muñoz, U. Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Class of 2023, Chemistry
(with Prof. Samie Jaffrey, Weill Cornell)

• Elizabeth Mari, Haverford College, Class of 2023, Chemistry
(with Prof. Jacob Geri, Weill Cornell)

• Hans Oh, U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Class of 2023, Biochemistry & Biology
(with Prof. Tarun Kapoor, Rockefeller)

• Sarah Xi, Columbia University, Class of 2023, Chemistry
(with Prof. Ekaterina Vinogradova, Rockefeller)

2021
(All interns were hosted at MSK due to campus access limitations.)

• Dominic Covelli, Brown University, Class of 2022, Chemical Biology
(with Prof. Daniel Bachovchin, Sloan Kettering)

• Julia Flood, Fordham University, Class of 2022, Chemistry
(with Prof. Yael David, Sloan Kettering)

• Amanda Garza, Boston College, Class of 2022, Biochemistry
(with Prof. Yueming Li, Sloan Kettering)

• Maya Huffman, Williams College, Class of 2022, Chemistry
(with Prof. Derek Tan, Sloan Kettering)

• Atara Neugroschl, Yeshiva University, Class of 2022, Biochemistry
(with Prof. Daniel Bachovchin, Sloan Kettering)

• Abigail Pierre, Seton Hall University, Class of 2022, Biochemistry
(with Prof. Heeseon An, Sloan Kettering)

2020
(All interns were hosted virtually.)

• Joann Chongsaritsinsuk, University of Richmond, Class of 2021, Biochemistry & Mol. Biol.
(with Prof. Tarun Kapoor, Rockefeller)

• Samuel Croes, Brown University, Class of 2021, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
(with Prof. Lewis Cantley, Weill Cornell)

• Benjamin Freeman, Princeton University, Class of 2021, Chemistry
(with Prof. Shuibing Chen, Weill Cornell)

• Anna Soltys, Princeton University, Class of 2021, Chemistry
(with Prof. Derek Tan, Sloan Kettering)

• Charles Warren, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Class of 2021, Chemistry
(with Prof. Daniel Bachovchin, Sloan Kettering)

2019

• Antoinette Antonucci, Kean University, Class of 2020, Biotechnology
(with Prof. Tarun Kapoor, Rockefeller)

• Katharine Kayla Glaser, Barnard College, Class of 2020, Biochemistry
(with Prof. Richard Hite, Sloan Kettering)

• Christopher Nieves Escobar, University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, Class of 2021, Chemistry
(with Prof. Seth Darst, Rockefeller)

• Victoria Rasmussen, Providence College, Class of 2020, Biology / Psychology
(with Prof. Samie Jaffrey, Weill Cornell)

• Matthew See, University of Michigan, Class of 2020, Chemistry
(with Prof. Anant Menon, Weill Cornell)

• Shaochen (Tiger) You, University of Texas, Austin, Class of 2020, Biology
(with Prof. Daniel Bachovchin, Sloan Kettering)

2018

• Angelina Grebe, Fordham University, Class of 2019, Chemistry
(with Prof. Howard Hang, Rockefeller)

• Nathan Harper, Lafayette College, Class of 2019, Biology
(with Prof. Tarun Kapoor, Rockefeller)

• Sophie Kong, Bucknell University, Class of 2019, Biochemistry
(with Prof. Daniel Bachovchin, Sloan Kettering)

• Maham Mahmood, Adelphi University, Class of 2019, Biochemistry
(with Minkui Luo, Sloan Kettering)

• Rashmi Rao, Cornell University, Class of 2020, Chemistry
(with Prof. Samie Jaffrey, Weill Cornell)

• Lauren Vostal, Williams College, Class of 2019, Chemistry
(with Prof. John Blenis, Weill Cornell)

 

ChBSP Student Publications

Delos Reyes, A. M. V.; Nieves Escobar, C. S.; Muñoz, A.; Huffman, M. I.; Tan, D. S. Direct conversion of amino acids to oxetanol bioisosteres via photoredox catalysis. Chem. Sci. 2023, 14, 10524–10531. DOI:  10.1039/D3SC00936J PMID: 37799988

Chen, Q.; Wang, A.; Covelli, D. J.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Wang, Q.; Orth-He, E. L.; Rao, S. D.; Huang, H. C.; Ball, D. P.; Hsiao, J. C.; Bachovchin, D. A. Optimized M24B aminopeptidase inhibitors for CARD8 inflammasome activation. J. Med. Chem. 2023, 66, 2589–2607. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01535 PMID: 36724486

Pluta, R.; Aragón, E.; Prescott, N. A.; Ruiz, L.; Mees, R. A.; Baginski, B.; Flood, J. R.; Martin-Malpartida, P.; Massagué, J.; David, Y.; Macias, M. J. Molecular basis for DNA recognition by the maternal pioneer transcription factor FoxH1. Nat Commun 2022, 13, 7279. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34925-y PMID: 36435807

Ball, D. P.; Tsamouri, L. P.; Wang, A. E.; Huang, H. C.; Warren, C. D.; Wang, Q.; Edmondson, I. H.; Griswold, A. R.; Rao, S. D.; Johnson, D. C.; Bachovchin, D. A. Oxidized thioredoxin-1 restrains the NLRP1 inflammasome. Sci. Immunol. 2022, 7, eabm7200. DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abm7200 PMID: 36332009

Ray, D. M.; Flood, J. R.; David, Y. Harnessing split-inteins as a tool for the selective modification of surface receptors in live cells. ChemBioChem 2023, 24, e202200487. DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200487 PMID: 36178424

Hsiao, J. C.; Neugroschl, A. R.; Chui, A. J.; Taabazuing, C. Y.; Griswold, A. R.; Wang, Q.; Huang, H. C.; Orth-He, E. L.; Ball, D. P.; Hiotis, G.; Bachovchin, D. A. A ubiquitin-independent proteasome pathway controls activation of the CARD8 inflammasome. J. Biol. Chem. 2022, 298, 102032. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102032 PMID: 35580636

Rao, S. D.; Chen, Q.; Wang, Q.; Orth-He, E. L.; Saoi, M.; Griswold, A. R.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Ball, D. P.; Huang, H. C.; Chui, A. J.; Covelli, D. J.; You, S.; Cross, J. R.; Bachovchin, D. A. M24B aminopeptidase inhibitors selectively activate the CARD8 inflammasome. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2022, 18, 565–574. DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00964-7 PMID: 35165443