Forsyth Student Scholars prepares students for STEM careers, providing an immersive experience alongside professional researchers. For six weeks, students immersed themselves in science and technology at ADA Forsyth’s headquarters in Somerville, Massachusetts.
This summer, a group of high school students entered ADA Forsyth labs to gain hands-on science experience, mentorship from leading researchers in their fields, and inspiration to start their careers in science.
“I’ve learned what being a scientist is like in a really hands-on way,” said Aritro Chatterjee, a student entering his junior year at Hopkinton High School. “I think that’s been the best part, and there’s nowhere else I would get that.”
Chatterjee is one of seven students who participated in Forsyth Student Scholars, which starting in 2025 is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Led by program director Dr. Takamitsu Maruyama, each Scholar teamed up with a microbiology, craniofacial biology, or inflammation and immunology researcher and their staff. The term culminated in a session in which each Scholar presented their research project.
“It was such a fun experience to welcome a bright group of students to our labs this summer,” said Dr. Maruyama. “I was impressed with how they responded to the challenge of thinking like a scientist. They gained many things that can’t be learned from a textbook.”
The program not only included hands-on research experience, but for many represented their first time regularly commuting.
Charlotte Lee, a rising senior at Needham High School, took the MBTA Green Line to the lab each day, where she learned from Dr. Felicitas Bidlack and Dr. Hakan Karaaslan and their study of tooth mineralization and enamel. She enjoyed learning how to use machinery such as MicroCT scanners to analyze samples.
“They’ve been very patient with me and brought me through everything step-by-step,” Lee said. “I’m interested in studying biology in college, and this experience will help me a lot.”
In Dr. Chengji Zhou’s lab, Concord-Carlisle High School student Maxim Shajenko dove into genetic analysis. As his interest in genetics grew, he looked up information online to learn more, but he quickly realized that some of the most novel topics could only be studied in the lab.
“It’s really interesting,” Shajenko said. “As a young person, you’re learning things that are so new, they haven’t even been published yet.”
Jacey Weng, who just entered her junior year at Wellesley High School, enjoyed observing microbes from the microscope and gaining hands-on training. Like many of her fellow Scholars, she believes Forsyth Student Scholars will be instrumental in helping her prepare for a career in science.
“What I learned here at Forsyth Student Scholars will be valuable for my future,” Weng said. “I want to go into science, but I never knew exactly what it was like to work in a lab. It’s great to have some exposure and opportunities to learn.”
Learn more about Forsyth Student Scholars and all of ADA Forsyth’s community programs.
