“STARS made such a difference to me… I got a real insight into how science underpins the study of medicine.”
This comment from an alumnus of the Science Training for Aspiring Research Scientists (STARS) programme sums up its purpose.
I launched STARS at the Barts Cancer Institute (Queen Mary University of London) in 2013, offering a week’s laboratory work experience and careers guidance to aspiring scientists studying for their A-levels. This year, STARS is expanding, and we will welcome nearly fifty students into labs across London.
At the end of the programme, we hope these young people will leave with a clearer understanding of the day-to-day work of a researcher and the many career options that flow from a science degree, as well as an appreciation of how rigorous research supports life-changing medicine.
More importantly, we want to make a difference to them as individuals – these brilliant students should feel inspired and empowered to apply to competitive courses at top universities. They have been selected from schools with historically low university attendance, but over the 11 years since I launched STARS, we have seen many alumni go on to study science, medicine and scientific research at Russell Group universities and other amazing careers. They may have entered the lab with low self-confidence or low expectations of themselves, but the goal of the STARS programme is to get them to realise their potential and help them to shine.
Fantastic news for #STARS2024 is that we have secured funding and support from the Cancer Research UK City of London Centre, which has a firm commitment to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion in scientific research. So STARS is growing this year to include laboratories at King's College London College London and UCL, as well as welcoming students to Barts Cancer Institute (Queen Mary University of London), and to the Blizard Institute.
It is my hope that STARS will continue to expand, and I would be delighted to support other universities interested in delivering the programme. Every secondary school has students with the skills to succeed in science, but not all these young people will have the contacts or confidence to organise work experience in advance of university applications. As researchers, we have a duty to support the next generation.
This year’s cohort are already off to a blazing start, and I know they will make the most of this week’s fascinating and practical programme, with a mixture of hands-on lab work and informative sessions with our admissions teams.
I firmly believe that some of these young people could make the breakthroughs, develop the treatments and provide the care that could change our world. STARS will help them to believe this for themselves.