When his high school chemistry teacher said a representative from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy was stopping by to discuss the Young Innovators Program (YIP), Alex DeWalle ’22 decided to listen in.
Smart move.
The summer after his junior year in high school, DeWalle was one of 17 students to be accepted into YIP. He was paired with Dr. Sam Lai (Ph.D.) at the Lai Lab.
YIP engages top-tier high school students in cutting-edge and innovative research in the pharmaceutical sciences for eight weeks. The program, part of the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, challenges students to think creatively and critically as they solve real and urgent health-care problems, all under the guidance of UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy mentors.
“I helped [Dr. Lai] with his research and even did some independent work of my own,” says DeWalle, now a freshman biology major at Carolina. “At the end of the summer, I presented my work in a symposium. Each summer since then, I’ve worked in the same lab and expanded my work to gain more independence.”
DeWalle, who grew up in Allen, Texas, and Cary, North Carolina, says he got to witness firsthand researchers’ collaboration on projects in their various fields of expertise.
“The experience of working in the Lai Lab gave me insight into how science works, specifically pharmacology,” DeWalle says. “It taught me more about what I’m interested in and how to go about expanding and developing my passions.”
DeWalle says the immersive YIP experience was more than just academic.
“I’ve met lots of amazing people,” he says. “I’ve made new friends that have helped me get adjusted to life at Carolina, and I’ve learned a lot about the paths that are available to me during, and after, my undergraduate education.”
DeWalle admits a large reason he chose Carolina was YIP.
“The Young Innovators Program provides students with one of the most comprehensive and immersive introductions to research they can find. I would absolutely recommend this program.”
The Eshelman Institute for Innovation is made possible by a $100 million gift from Fred Eshelman to accelerate the creation and development of ideas leading to discoveries and transformative changes in education, research and health care. To learn more about the EII’s impact, visit unceii.org/impact.
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