Establishing Educational Connections with Cellsignals

In order for health researchers to understand how diseases manifest themselves, they often study how cells communicate with one another. Because if they can understand this network of communication (Cellsignals), then there are distinct possibilities that inflammation and pain issues related to fields of medicine, dentistry and biomedical engineering can be resolved. Keeping that in mind, Dr. Richard Ellen, a CIHR-funded researcher from the University of Toronto, is trying to make sure that Canadian youth develop similar interest in these issues with the help of personal mentors.

"Any strategic research training program that dares to call itself 'Cellsignals' for short must set the standard for communications and networking," says Dr. Ellen. "If this Synapse initiative can help scientists act as mentors, thanks to a partnership with the Canadian Biotechnology Education Resource Centre's youth science network, we will provide strong signals for high school and intermediate school students that will motivate them to choose health research as a career."

Through SONIC training, approximately 10 students who are developing biotechnology projects in health research at the Sanofi Aventis Biotechnology Challenge (CABC) can get the chance to be mentored by PhD level students. SuperSONIC training allows high school students, as well as intermediate youths (grades 7 and 8), the chance to work with a mentor in a Cellsignals laboratory for the run of an entire summer. UltraSONIC allows mentors to help high school science teachers through training workshops. These workshops, such as the Biotech Teacher Training and Toolbox Program and the National Biotech Educators Conferences, help science teachers learn and pass along to students a deep-rooted enthusiasm for current health research applications of biotechnology as well as information about career possibilities.