DOYLESTOWN, PA (September 2008) – The Hepatitis B Foundation offers a comprehensive program to guide students through “science and technology entrepreneurship and research” (STEER). The mission of the STEER Program is to give high school, college, and graduate students a unique experience in professional research labs to prepare them for potential careers in the fast-growing areas of biomedical research, biotechnology, and public health research. Two of the summer initiatives within the STEER Program include High School Enrichment and College Summer Internship Programs.

“Our research training programs provide valuable mentorship and career growth opportunities to students in our community,” said Dr. Pam Norton, Director of Academic Programs of the Hepatitis B Foundation. “The participating students are exposed to the Foundation’s outreach and advocacy initiatives from our dedicated public health professionals and gain an awareness of the global problem of hepatitis B and an appreciation of the importance of research in advancing our mission.”

The High School Science Enrichment Program, a two-week course held in August and funded by the Hepatitis B Foundation, focused on high school students interested in learning about research, biotechnology and public health in the context of hepatitis B and liver cancer. The Program offered students a unique “hands on” experience at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center and its state-of-the-art research labs under the guidance of senior scientists. In addition to lab research, students learned about public health issues in research, enjoyed guest lectures, attended professional seminars, and much more.

High School Science Enrichment Program participants included Jayson Baman, 2009 graduate of Methacton High School; Ian Watkins, 2009 graduate of Central Bucks West High School; Daniel Lyons, 2008 graduate of William Penn Charter School; Rebecca Hollenbach, 2009 graduate of Palisades High School; Stephanie Goddard, 2009 graduate of Central Bucks West High School; Jennifer Jing, 2009 graduate of Central Bucks East High School; and Joshua Jobs, 2009 graduate of Central Bucks South High School.

The College Summer Internship Program offered junior and senior year college students the opportunity to apply for a competitive 10-week paid summer internship program. The selected students worked on individual projects with professional scientists from the Hepatitis B Foundation and its research institute and presented their findings at the conclusion of the program to the Foundation and its research faculty members. This program was supported through donations from the Charles Sigety Family Foundation and Merck & Co. West Point Charitable Contributions Committee.

This year’s college students included Peter Block (Haverford College); Elizabeth Clearfield (Lafayette College); Andrew Klein (Notre Dame U.); Shannon Koh (Johns Hopkins U.); Jessica Levy (Carnegie Mellon U.); Mark Pinkerton (Delaware Valley College); and Barbara Schmidt (Boston College).

About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The Hepatitis B Foundation is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected with hepatitis B worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. The Foundation is located in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, which it created to accelerate its research mission. For more information, please visit www.hepb.org or call (215) 489-4900.

Leah Rice
Senior Account Manager
Hepatitis B Foundation
215-340-0480
www.hepb.org