Senior Dives into Biomedical Research at Hillman Cancer Academy

Adham first learned about the program in December 2024 and applied during his sophomore year. When he wasn't selected, he was determined to try again. In December 2025, he reapplied, putting particular effort into his supplemental essays.

“I was so thankful and genuinely grateful to find out I had been accepted for the summer program,” Adham said. “For anyone interested in a STEM pathway, getting an introduction to hands-on research is an amazing opportunity that makes you truly stand out.”

Through the program, scholars explore complex questions within a particular area of cancer research. Adham's work focused on Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis 1 (PFIC1), a rare genetic liver disease.

To understand the disease, Adham first needed to understand the liver's role in the body.

"The liver continuously produces bile, which travels through the intrahepatic bile ducts inside the liver and then through larger bile ducts to the gallbladder or small intestine, where it helps digest fats," he explained. "In a condition called cholestasis, this flow is blocked or impaired, so it builds up and damages the liver tissue."

Adham's research focused on helping develop a stem cell model using CRISPR gene-editing technology. The model could eventually help researchers better understand what causes PFIC1 and explore potential treatments.

“I worked directly with patient-derived stem cells, helping to build and test a CRISPR stem cell model for PFIC1 disease,” he said. “My job was to check that the CRISPR system was successfully added into the cells and confirm that they were ready for future experiments.”

To conduct his work, Adham used techniques including quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to measure gene expression and immunofluorescence staining to measure protein expression.

While the research itself was rewarding, one of Adham's favorite parts of the experience was simply being immersed in a professional research environment and learning from the people around him.

“Being in an actual lab setting and working on specific experiments and stainings gave me this intense sense of excitement and anticipation,” he said. “It made me just want to keep coming back and learning more.”

The experience also challenged Adham to become more patient and precise. Experiments could take hours, and a single mistake could mean starting the process over again.

“During each experiment, there were long wait times, and if you messed up, you had to repeat the whole process again, which meant wasting both extra time and expensive lab resources,” he said. “That stress of potentially messing up, combined with long hours of imaging slides under a microscope, was tough. But keeping my mind constantly moving and engaged actually made me enjoy it more and more.”

Adham was also struck by how willing the researchers and other lab members were to support him.

“You would think that because these experiments are so critical to advancing the medical field and the overall project, the lab members would just ignore a high schooler and focus on finishing their own work,” Adham said. “Instead, they would stop whatever they were doing to help me, making sure I actually understood what I was doing.”

That emphasis on understanding the purpose behind the research became one of Adham's most important lessons.

“I realized that doing the experiment wasn't the only important part; it was whether I actually learned and understood its purpose,” Adham said. “In a lab, a technician just follows orders, but a real researcher is someone who is curious to know the essential purpose behind the work.”

Throughout the experience, Adham said his mentors emphasized the importance of understanding the bigger picture rather than simply mastering the technical steps of an experiment.

“None of the adults in the lab cared just about whether I mechanically knew how to do an experiment,” he said. “They cared if I knew WHY I was doing it, WHAT the purpose was, and how it helped advance the main project. Nobody cares if you can run an experiment efficiently if you don't know why you're doing it, because at that point, you're just wasting your own time and resources. That shift in perspective really stuck with me.”

The program also helped Adham grow as a communicator. At the conclusion of the academy, each scholar delivers a 10-minute oral presentation and participates in a poster symposium showcasing their research and findings.

“My public speaking skills and confidence grew tremendously,” Adham said. “Every week, I had to present my results, data, and findings to my site group of about 10 people. All of those weekly presentations built up my confidence right up to the final day of the program.”

For his final presentation, Adham presented his research to at least 30 people, including fellow scholars, lab and site mentors, parents and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center faculty members.

Beyond the laboratory, the experience gave Adham a new perspective on potential career paths in medicine and research. He was particularly inspired by mentors who pursued M.D./Ph.D. programs and careers as laboratory researchers.

“Some of them didn't go to traditional medical school; they did an M.D./Ph.D. program and became lab bench researchers,” he said. “They really enjoyed how flexible and engaging that career path is, which really got my mind thinking more about my own future.”

At Upper St. Clair High School, Adham is involved with Global Education Week and plans to participate in HOSA – Future Health Professionals during his senior year.

Following high school, Adham plans to pursue a STEM-related pathway, including a pre-med track. His experience at the Hillman Cancer Academy has given him not only valuable research experience, but also a greater understanding of the possibilities that await him.