OICR sponsored University of Toronto undergraduate student Mesai James for the 2024 BioCanRx Indigenous Summer Student Internship.

Mesai James has already seen his hard work this summer pay off.

The third-year University of Toronto undergrad spent his summer break doing a four-month internship in the lab of OICR Senior Investigator Dr. Robert Rottapel.

Through the internship, James made meaningful contributions to innovative research into potential new drugs to treat high-grade serous ovarian cancer, while also learning theory and practical skills related to biology and drug discovery research.

And many of these topics have come up in his university courses this fall.

“Things have been coming full circle in my classes, and it really reinforces my experience in the lab this summer,” says James, who is studying for his Bachelor of Science with a double major in immunology and neuroscience.

James’ internship was offered through the BioCanRx Indigenous Summer Student Internship program, an OICR-supported initiative that provides Indigenous students with hands-on research or policy experience.

James, a Métis from the Eastern Woodland Métis Nation, says these kinds of opportunities are important for Indigenous youth, who may not otherwise see a career in science as an option.

OICR News spoke to James about his background in science, his internship experience, and his plans for the future.

How did you decide that you wanted to study sciences?

Growing up I wasn’t really interested in science. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do or be when I grew up. I always loved drawing and reading. But I learned from my great-grandmother, who lived and worked in Nova Scotia and spoke about her experiences working in a hospital with young people facing mental challenges, and I found myself drawn to healthcare. Then, in high school, I developed an interest and fascination for biology and chemistry in my classes. I was always asking why – why does this element react with this other one? And then my interest grew.

How did you get involved in cancer research?

I got involved in cancer research because I wanted to learn more about science. I was drawn to subjects like genetics and epigenetics in my late high school years and then was given a couple of opportunities through internships with the University of Toronto and SickKids Hospital. Last year, I had the opportunity to intern at the Rottapel lab, and to work on this drug discovery project in ovarian cancer. It was a wonderful experience, and I am so grateful for the BioCanRx internship for allowing me to continue my research in the lab this year. The internship has allowed me to grow in my knowledge of cancer research.

What sort of skills did you gain during your internship that will be helpful for your future?

The skills I gained during my internship that will be helpful for my future include procedures like western blotting and cell culturing. This year, I was able to build on those skills and techniques by learning about bacterial culturing and RNA extraction, for example. These and other techniques will be helpful in my future career, and they have recently come up in a few of my university classes. Because of the internship, I know how to do certain procedures and techniques and have gained an understanding of the theory behind them. So, I’m having a lot of full circle moments thanks to my experience this summer.

Speaking of the future, what are your plans for after your studies?

In the future, after my studies, I plan to work in healthcare, whether as a medical doctor or a scientist or both. I think doing health research and helping turn that research into medicine would be very gratifying to me and others. I do want to be able to share my research work within Canada and maybe across the world. I see myself being happy doing that.

Why are these internship opportunities important for Indigenous youth?

There is a great importance in providing intern opportunities for Indigenous students as it provides a view into a company or organization that may not have been viewable to an Indigenous youth. I grew up in a predominantly white neighbourhood and wasn’t fortunate enough to be given opportunities without seeking out different avenues to gain experience and knowledge like this one. I never saw people who looked like me doing science in Canada. I feel that other young Indigenous youth maybe feel deterred from entering into the sciences field because they don’t see themselves represented – whether it’s in the media or in actual labs. These kinds of internships improve representation and increase opportunities for the next generation and the generations to come, and they also make research better by making it more inclusive.