By Eliza Dysart
Before spending the summer at the University of Florida Health Cancer Institute, Allison Hache had little experience with immunology or cancer research.
Twelve weeks later, the Methodist University senior had successfully completed complex laboratory procedures, observed physicians treating patients with brain tumors and contributed data that could appear in a future scientific publication.
Hache was one of 11 undergraduates from across the country who participated in the 2026 Summer Training in Research and Oncology for the Next Generation of Researchers, or STRONGER, program.
The 12-week summer internship trains young scientists by giving them hands-on experience working with UF faculty members, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers on cancer research projects. Interns spend about 80% of their time conducting research, while receiving mentoring, career development and preparation for graduate school.
STRONGER is designed to help students completing their bachelor’s degrees become competitive applicants for health-related advanced degree programs and prepare for careers in cancer research.
“It’s an opportunity for undergrads from universities that don’t offer many opportunities to conduct science research, particularly laboratory experience,” said Dietmar Siemann, Ph.D., associate director for education and training at the UF Health Cancer Institute and the principal investigator on a National Cancer Institute cancer research education grant that supports the internship. “Bringing in undergrads to an environment like we have at UF, an R1 university that has such a broad range of opportunities for students to work in a lab, is an exciting approach to develop the next generation of scientists.”
“Bringing in undergrads to an environment like we have at UF, an R1 university that has such a broad range of opportunities for students to work in a lab, is an exciting approach to develop the next generation of scientists.” — Dietmar Siemann, Ph.D.
Hands-on immersion in cancer research
Because her university does not have extensive research infrastructure, Hache, a biology premedicine major, sought opportunities to explore cancer research at a larger institution. She learned about STRONGER after attending the Cancer Institute’s Cancer Research Career Explorations program in January.
During the internship, Hache worked in UF’s Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program under the mentorship of Caitland Love, an M.D.-Ph.D. candidate studying glioblastoma.
Love’s research examines whether the aggressive brain tumor can be approached as a neurodevelopmental condition by studying how programs normally used during brain development reappear within tumors.
“Our laboratory has generated evidence that targeting radial glial cells, the earliest developmental progenitor cells of the central nervous system, may be an effective strategy for treating glioblastoma,” Love said.
Radial glial cells help produce and organize other cells during normal brain development. Similar cell programs may become active within glioblastoma tumors, where they could support cancer stem cells, produce additional tumor cells and help invasive cells migrate into healthy areas of the brain.
Researchers developed an immunotherapy treatment using radial glial cells and found that it was as effective in preclinical models as a therapy made using tumor-derived antigens. Hache’s project helped the team investigate why a therapy that does not originate from a tumor can still recognize and attack tumor cells.
She stained, imaged and quantified stem-like and invasive cell populations in tumors after treatment. These cells are associated with glioblastoma recurrence because they can survive treatment, spread into healthy brain tissue and contribute to the tumor’s regrowth.
“A therapy capable of eliminating the cells that survive treatment, invade healthy brain tissue and regenerate the tumor could ultimately help delay or reduce recurrence,” Love said.
Mentorship model helps interns gain skills
Hache entered the program without a strong background in immunology and initially faced a steep learning curve. Love provided individual lessons, scientific papers and study materials, while UF Health Cancer Institute member Catherine Flores, M.D., Ph.D., helped answer Hache’s questions.
“I now feel like I have a solid understanding of how immunotherapy is used in the fight against cancer,” Hache said.
Love approached mentorship by encouraging Hache to think critically, persist through uncertainty and treat unexpected results as opportunities to learn. She combined technical instruction with frequent communication and feedback so Hache could gradually take ownership of the project.
“My approach was to model what it looks like to think critically, persist through uncertainty and remain curious while answering a scientific question,” Love said.
Throughout the summer, Love watched Hache become increasingly independent in the lab. Hache learned to troubleshoot experiments, explain the significance of her findings and recognize that her questions could make meaningful contributions to the research.
“Watching her begin to see herself not simply as a student completing the tasks at hand, but also as a young scientist capable of generating new knowledge and contributing to a team and our field, was particularly rewarding,” Love said.
“Watching her begin to see herself not simply as a student completing the tasks at hand, but also as a young scientist capable of generating new knowledge and contributing to a team and our field, was particularly rewarding.” —Caitland Love, mentor
The near-peer mentorship approach makes STRONGER stand out among other internships, Siemann said.
“These students are connected with mentors who a few years ago were in their shoes, so they can appreciate what the interns are going through as they learn this new experience in cancer research,” he said.
Hache said she was especially proud of gaining experience in immunohistochemistry sample staining, a detailed process that uses antibodies to identify proteins within tissue samples. She successfully completed the staining protocol several times, and the resulting samples could be included in Love’s published research.
“It is one step in the long path to finding a cure for glioblastoma,” Hache said.
Positioned for a strong future
In addition to lab research, Hache shadowed Ashley Ghiaseddin, M.D., chief of the UF Division of Neuro-Oncology, and pediatric neurosurgeon Jason Blatt, M.D. The experiences allowed her to observe both the scientific and patient-care sides of cancer research.
STRONGER participants receive round-trip travel to and from Gainesville and a weekly subsistence allowance. The program also connects interns with researchers who can provide continued mentorship, career guidance and letters of recommendation.
Hache entered the summer uncertain whether she would pursue a Ph.D., an M.D. or a combined M.D.-Ph.D. degree. The program gave her the connections, information and support she needed to approach that decision with more confidence.
“Before, cancer was something I vaguely understood, but it has since become a special interest of mine,” Hache said. “I feel a calling to be a part of that fight in any way I can.”
“Before, cancer was something I vaguely understood, but it has since become a special interest of mine.” — Allison Hache, intern
