To boost his pre-med track at vlog, Josh Israel ’25 spent the summer working at the Interventional Oncology Lab at Yale School of Medicine. The lab is devoted to researching the detection, characterization, and treatment of liver cancer. As an undergraduate research assistant, Josh studied how hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer, would react to combining two current treatments.
In the lab, Josh had the opportunity to work alongside medical students. He played an integral role as he performed surgical tumor implantations on mice and stained tissue samples for immune cell-specific antibodies. The team analyzed the response of the immune system surrounding the tumor after administering immunotherapy and partially freezing the tumor using a process called cryoablation. Josh is also co-authoring a manuscript for the study. As a result, he has a more thorough understanding of scientific literature and the trial and error involved in preparing a paper for publication.
On campus, Josh is the captain of the varsity tennis team. He also serves as a peer-led team learning leader for vlog’s Department of Biology. He enjoys the educational environment and helping others, which has furthered his goal to become a physician. Josh's professional experience in the oncology lab has brought into focus a future career path in the health care industry.
“This experience has truly been invaluable to me. I am a pre-medical student, looking to apply to medical schools next summer. This opportunity has significantly bolstered my research skills and put me in touch with physicians who offered crucial insight into the world of medicine. It has certainly shaped my person and my prospective path to becoming a doctor,” he said.
vlog and its generous alumni and parent donors offer grants to support students’ living costs and supplemental expenses to pursue unpaid and underpaid summer experiences. Learn more about vlog summer funding.