Early Early Research Training for the Next Generation of Pre-Collegiate Biomedical Innovators

A highly selective research fellowship introducing high school students to the foundations of scientific inquiry through mentored research in brain, behavior, cognition and Biomedical Science.

Registration now open for September 2026 Cohort

Distinguished Speaker Series

Janet Alder, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic and Student Affairs Assistant Vice Chancellor for Postdoctoral Affairs, Rutgers

Dr. Janet Alder is a neuroscientist, educator, and academic leader whose career spans research, graduate education and student development. In her current leadership roles at Rutgers University and Rutgers Health, she works closely with graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty across a broad range of scientific disciplines. She will share insights into the many career pathways available to PhD-trained scientists, as well as lessons learned throughout her own professional journey.

Eric completed his undergraduate education atUC Berkeleybefore studying at Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic. Currently, he works as a physician at Massachusetts General Hospitaland serves on the Harvard Medical School faculty, performing research on cancer and regularly teaching students. He will share insights into pursuing medicine, finding research opportunities, navigating medical training, and building a meaningful career in healthcare.

Physician, Researcher, & Mentor

Eric Grewal, MD

Kathleen Scotto, PhD

Post training at the Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and the Rockefeller University, she launched her career at Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center and served as Director for the Ph.D. Program in Pharmacology at Weill Cornell. Prior to joining Rutgers in 2013, she was a Member of the Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Vice President of Research and Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMDNJ. Scotto laboratory is widely recognized for their work on the regulation of drug resistance genes that impact sensitivity of cancer cells to therapeutic agents.

Jitesh Devendra

Chairman & CEO Axxelent Pharma Science

Jitesh is an entrepreneur and life sciences executive with expertise in transforming scientific innovation into commercially successful healthcare solutions. As the Chairman and CEO of Axxelent Pharma Science, he leads the development and commercialization of science-driven pharmaceutical innovations.

In his talk, Jitesh will share insights into entrepreneurship in the life sciences, the journey from scientific discovery to commercialization, and the diverse career opportunities available to scientists beyond academia.

Namrata Grampurohit, PhD, OTR/L

Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy Thomas Jefferson University

Namrata Grampurohit, has 26 years of experience in neurorehabilitation with innovative research in virtual reality and robotics in post-stroke rehabilitation. Read two relevant articles (open access):

Hand rehab training in stroke: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6901786/

Brain computer interface implanted: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-022-00105-8

Vice Chancellor for Research, Rutgers Biomedical & Health Sciences

Explore Our Research Themes

Why BioThink

A Collaborative , Mentored Research Experience Designed to Introduce Students to Modern Biomedical Investigation, Scientific Analysis and Scholarly Communication.

Research Communication

$0.00

Develop a publication style research article and presentation.

High School students often encounter science primarily through structured coursework and standardized curricula. Yet modern biomedical and scientific fields increasingly value skills that extend beyond traditional classroom learning, including analytical reasoning, collaborative inquiry, scientific communication, and interpretation of complex data.

BioThink has been created to help bridge the gap between Academic Learning & Scientific Research through mentor-guided collaborative research experiences designed specifically for pre-collegiate students.