Kids become cancer researchers for a day

On a November morning, 30 students from Mayflower Primary School made their way to the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) to learn what it takes to be a scientist researching cancer. The enriching learning experience, entitled the DREAMS (Discoveries Realized Through Exploring the Amazing Scientific World) Workshop, aims to inspire the next generation to dream big about their future and motivate them to contribute to society.

But how does a half day workshop do all that?

 

Being a surgeon and scientist weren’t always on the cards for Associate Professor Johnny Ong, who recalls being frequently “hauled up” in primary school to his teacher’s office for being mischievous. Now a Senior Consultant in the Department of Sarcoma, Peritoneal and Rare Tumours (SPRinT), Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and NCCS, he credits his mentors who encouraged him throughout his school life and medical career. Assoc Prof Ong is also a recent recipient of the prestigious National Medical Research Council’s Clinician Scientist Award, which is awarded to selected outstanding clinician scientists.

Assoc Prof Ong’s path to a fulfilling career in research is why mentoring young scientists is very important to him. He makes sure that researchers in his own lab, the Laboratory of Applied Human Genetics, are supported to pursue their own passions. And this brought the DREAMS Workshop to fruition, as the team wanted to encourage kids to start building dreams early. 

Assoc Prof Ong has many fond memories of his alma mater, Mayflower Primary School, making the school a fitting choice to join the inaugural DREAMS Workshop. With input from the school’s science teachers, a group of science-inclined primary five and six students were chosen for this unique learning journey.

 

 

Prof William Hwang, Senior Advisor, SingHealth, advised students that whatever their choice of career, it is important to have passion for the work they do

The DREAMS Workshop began with members from the Laboratory of Applied Human Genetics and Cancer Discovery Hub, sharing their personal journeys to becoming researchers. These included testimonials from NCCS Research Officer Lim Boon Yee, and two aspiring clinician-scientists, Duke-NUS Medical School students Josephine Hendrikson and Jolynn Ong. They shared that they weren’t all interested in science as children but became passionate about research as it provided the opportunity to make discoveries and help people. Professor William Hwang, Senior Advisor, SingHealth, also met with the students and shared his experience in research. 

 

 

 

In the second half of the workshop, students were shown a video of mock patient, Amanda, and were tasked to discover a suitable treatment for her. They were then shown different types of equipment in the research labs and how they are used. Two hands-on activities, an experiment to extract DNA from strawberries and how to pipette and precisely put solutions into wells, gave them insights into processes commonly used in medical research. Finally, after learning about genes and signalling pathways, the students undertook a challenging task of identifying ways to target signalling pathways to treat Amanda.

 

 

At the end of the programme, Assoc Prof Ong went over the students’ proposed treatment for Amanda – and, impressively, they identified several correct targets! To wrap up the session, the students watched a video showing Amanda had recovered well from her cancer journey thanks to their help.

In the programme debrief, Dr Irene Teo from NCCS’ Department of Psychosocial Oncology helped students to leave behind their scientist personas and the heavier aspects of the learning journey. In closing, Assoc Prof Ong shared with students that regardless of what they chose to do, he hoped that that they would love their chosen careers and work to help their community.

Before leaving, students were asked if they had enjoyed themselves, and the answer was a resounding, “YES!”