Education Overview

Education is an essential component of the HSCI mission. Through targeted educational programs, the Institute aims to both inform the public at large and inspire a new generation of scientists, physicians, ethicists, and leaders.

HSCI faculty are involved in teaching more than 18 separate undergraduate and graduate level courses, including a new undergraduate course titled "Ethics, Biotechnology, and the Future of Human Nature," taught by Doug Melton, Scientific Co-Director of HSCI, and Michael Sandel, HSCI's Ethics and Public Policy Program Leader. Professors Melton and Sandel also led a faculty seminar with well-known outside speakers entitled "Between Two Cultures" (to borrow a phrase from C.P. Snow) to get both humanists and scientists to talk about the ethical and policy issues of stem cell science. Graduate and medical school courses range from basic biology and clinical applications to workshops and informal lunchtime seminars on medical ethics.

With generous support from the Sternlicht Director's Fund, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) announces the creation of the "Sternlicht Awards for Graduate Students in Diabetes" beginning the fall of 2007. Awards will be made to Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences students who are working in the field of diabetes-related stem cell research.

The HSCI Undergraduate Summer Research Internship Program was established to provide students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in stem cell research by working in the labs of HSCI faculty members. In 2005, 26 Harvard undergraduates were selected to participate in the program. This spring, through a generous grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, HSCI was able to expand the program to include nine non-Harvard students, in addition to 25 Harvard undergraduates. The program included a weekly seminar series of lectures and discussion, which was also open to the broader HSCI community. The students concluded their summer work with scientific posters and presentations of their work. Last year's Harvard students were motivated to found their own Harvard Student Stem Cell Society, and we expect that this will spread its reach to other colleges as well.

In November 2005, teachers from the Ephraim Curtis Middle School in Sudbury, Massachusetts visited HSCI for a professional development day. Teachers left feeling confident in their ability to both teach lessons on stem cell science, and engage students, parents, and the broader community about the ethical and policy issues surrounding stem cells in an informed way.

In order to support the training of clinician scientists with expertise in stem cells, HSCI funds a Medical Scientist Training Fellowship for MD-PhD students whose thesis projects or long-term research goals involve stem cells. The first recipient of this award is Ashutosh Jadhav, who has been studying the development of the mammalian retina.