Spotlight on the Du Bois Scholars Program
The Du Bois Scholars Program, launched by Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery initiative (H&LS) in 2024, provides opportunities for students from R2 and research- focused Historically Black Colleges and Universities to gain valuable research experience and to learn more about the scientific process by completing a project with mentorship from a principal investigator and a member of their lab.
This summer, the Biostats department has been honored to host Tomisin (Tomi) Adebari a fellow from the Du Bois scholars program working with Tara Eicher in John Quackenbush’s group on the problem of inferring gene regulatory networks and using them to study differences between brain cancer subtypes. Below they share some of their thoughts about the participating in the program.
Tomi: “I grew up in Nigeria with a deep passion for biology and math, but I never envisioned a world where these two interests intersect. And when I finally discovered computational biology, I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore it, at least not as an undergraduate. I am currently a rising senior at Morgan State University, and I have been immersed in cancer research working part time at Johns Hopkins, but since I only have two summer opportunities in college, this being my last one, I was very intentional about how I would spend it.
Arriving at the lab, I felt a mix of excitement and uncertainty about diving into this area of biology, but my fears were quickly eased by the supportive community Dr. Quackenbush has fostered. The people in the lab are some of the kindest individuals I’ve encountered, all eager to help guide me through this new and exciting field. Tara was eager to mentor me, she suggested focusing on brain tumors, which is her specialty, and I was excited to learn from her. She has encouraged me to take things step by step, learn as much as possible and she inspires me every day.
I am halfway through my summer here and I am amazed at how much I have grown in learning about the complexities of my project, every day brings new challenges and discoveries. Currently, I’m focused on using PANDA, a message passing model to understand the regulatory differences between Low Grade Glioma and Glioblastoma in Males and Females. This experience has opened my eyes to the potential of computational biology, and I’m now considering pursuing an MD-PhD to delve deeper into this field.
I’m very thankful for this opportunity, the amazing people I get to work with, and the Dubois Scholar Initiative for providing such a great experience for HBCU students like me. I’m thrilled to see where this journey leads me next!”
Tara: “Participating in the program as a postdoctoral mentor has been an invaluable experience for me. As postdocs, we tend to be focused on our own research and on advancing science. However, we don’t often get the opportunity to mentor aspiring scientists, which is an important skill for people building a career in academia. Participating in the Du Bois Scholars Program has allowed me to gain valuable experience in designing and supervising a project that advances our shared scientific interests. Through this program, I have seen my mentee Tomi develop new research skills and a deeper understanding of the scientific process.”