Finding a mentor...help needed

[att159]

I'm doing project on Alzheimer's disease: how the presence of amyloid beta can activate thp-1 monocytes and induce tumor necrosis factor (tnf-a) production. i'm also planning to test several inhibitors of tnf-a, including apocynin, curcumin, tamoxifen, and ginkgo biloba.
i've contacted several professors regarding my project and most have said either that they are too busy or referred me to someone else in their department. one professor said that i would not be able to work at her lab due to some rules (about age, i'm guessing - i'm 13). one professor at ucsf said that she would be able to talk with me on the phone and asked if i would need lab equipment. I called her and left a message a few hours ago, but she hasn't called back.
am i really too young to work in most labs? i know several of my friends who are my age have worked in labs even when they are younger.
this is the email i sent to one professor:
Hi Dr. ____ ,


My name is _____ and I am in the 8th grade at ---------School in San Jose. Recently, as part of my research for science fair, I have become interested in the role of amyloid beta in activation of monocytes and neuroinflammation. I have read several studies, including yours, which connect this process with neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. My project would involve testing apocynin, tamoxifen, ginkgo biloba, and curcumin to inhibit TNF-a production in amyloid beta-exposed monocytes. Would you be interested in meeting with me about my project? I have attached my hypothesis, procedure, and materials list for your perusal.

Thank you very much,

_______
any advice? i really appreciate anything you can tell me.

[deleted-71417]

Hi,

I highly recommend reading this page on how to find a mentor:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... tors.shtml

If you are not familiar with Stanford Medical Resarch programs for teens, this site may interest you:

http://smysp.stanford.edu/family/summerPrograms.html

You might find some useful leads in these articlez:
http://genome.cshlp.org/content/9/7/597.full

http://www.basa.info/pub/basa_res/72

http://babec.org/node/18

http://www.kqed.org/quest/files/downloa ... pecial.pdf

I hope these leads help. I do not think 13 is too young to do serious science in a lab. What matters far more is how academically prepared and responsible you are.

Best wishes for a terrific project!

Barrett L. Tomlinson

[att159]

Hi,
Thank you very much for your advice. I will definitely apply for some of the programs you referred me to. Would you know of any rules that prevent a person of my age working a in a university lab?

[aelin]

Hi,

Yes, there are some rules regarding age with respect to working in university labs. The summer before my senior year of high school, I had a friend who had skipped two grades and thus was unable to start working in his lab at Stanford until he turned 16 (which was unfortunate since his birthday was toward the end of summer, so he couldn't get much work done before the Siemens competition). I do not know the exact rule regarding age, but I know that most labs that have moderate safety precautions (eg they are biosafety level 2 or above; biosafety 2 deals with pathogens that can harm humans) will have an age requirement since you are required to sign some safety documents if you want to work in the lab. But this will vary depending on the lab and university; I also know someone who started working at a Stanford lab since he was a freshman in high school. So, the specific lab will have their own rules. From your email, you are presenting yourself as a serious candidate, not just some random 8th grader off the street, so that will help you.

Also, just a quick note about the SMYSP (Stanford Medical ... Program) program that was previously listed above. I was actually in the SIMR (Stanford Institutes of Medical Research), a related program, so we had a little bit of interaction with the SMYSP kids, and from what I gathered, it seemed like an excellent program, so definitely be sure to consider it, especially since San Jose (where I live also) isn't too far from Stanford.

Hope this helps,
Aaron Lin