Abstract 3463: The use of HeLa cells as a cancer genetics education tool for middle and high schools
Authors: Umrigar Ayesha , Moore Mary , Tsien Fern 
Published: July 2016

Hands-on, inquiry based learning, and one-on-one mentoring are the most effective methods of disseminating scientific information pertaining to cancer. The Science Youth Initiative (SYI) is a K-12 science education partnership between the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans (LSUHSC-NO) and local schools. The workshops are coordinated with LSUHSC-NO faculty and school teachers to maximize the level of student learning and complement their classroom curriculum and academic level. Since 2009, the SYI has reached more than 2100 K-12 students to date, of which about 77% were middle and high school students. A diverse group of trainees from the LSUHSC-NO Schools of Medicine, Graduate Studies, Public Health, Allied Health Professions, and Nursing help educate the K-12 students and serve as role models. The benefit of having a variety of health care professionals with a range of expertise is that students receive cancer information from multiple perspectives. The program utilizes the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, which is part of the curriculum in many schools. During these workshops, middle and high school students are able to stain and examine HeLa cell chromosomes, thereby learning about chromatin instability commonly associated with cancer. Students also learn about DNA isolation, PCR, restriction digestion, and gel electrophoresis as they engage in workshop discussions on science history, bioethics, the human papilloma virus (HPV), and cervical cancer. Pre and post workshop surveys were developed to evaluate the participants’ learning and retention of the material covered, self-confidence in the academic material, awareness of science career options, and evaluation of the program. Results of the current academic year demonstrate: (1) a 51% increase in test scores based on the material covered (2) 59% of students were interested in participating in a medical or research related internship after the workshop (3) 54% of students were interested in working part-time in the medical sciences after the workshop. Participating schools included rural, urban, public/charter and private schools. These varied in socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds: some which had almost 100% African American/Hispanic student body, while others had a diverse distribution of African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Caucasian students. The program's use of HeLa cells as a cancer genetics education tool has been successful in making health sciences and cancer research topics more interesting and accessible, motivating a variety of students to improve their grades, and promoting various health science related career opportunities.

Citation Format: Ayesha Umrigar, Mary Moore, Fern Tsien. The use of HeLa cells as a cancer genetics education tool for middle and high schools. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3463.