From FSU to NIH: How One Student Transformed Undergrad Research into Cancer Biology Breakthroughs

From FSU to NIH: How One Student Transformed Undergrad Research into Cancer Biology Breakthroughs

Nov 2, 2026 11:00 AM

By Megan Knox

"I was very intimidated to apply to this big top-tier program as somebody from a smaller regional school," Summerfield said. "It is very intimidating to be working with people who are at the top of their field."

At NCATS, Summerfield was assigned to a drug development lab focused on cancer biology. His primary project was to screen thousands of drugs and their effects against melanoma cells that carried extra chromosomes. Because cancer cells carry abnormal chromosome numbers, finding drugs that target and eliminate them could bring researchers closer to treating cancer with a variety of drug treatments.

Working at the NIH gave Summerfield access to the most advanced equipment and specialized teams that ranged from cell culture experts to data analysts. Throughout the process, he remained poised, diligent and respectful even when the research didn't go as planned.

During the final weeks of the internship, Summerfield encountered a bump in the road of his research journey where his data collection would turn very messy.

"We tried over and over again, controlling various things, and finally in the last week, we found that our cells had been contaminated with some unknown bacteria," he said. "By increasing the amount of penicillin in them, we were able to get good data."

Because of his problem-solving skills and quick thinking, Summerfield presented his research -- "Testing Dosage Buffering as a Selective Vulnerability in Chromosome 8q-Trisomic Melanoma Cells -- at the NCATS and the NIH-wide Summer Poster Day.

Working under the guidance of Dr. Holly Currie, chair of FSU's Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Summerfield gained years of problem-solving and hands-on experience designing and executing his own experiments.

"The department really emphasizes students being able to design and execute their own research, which I think is pretty unique," Summerfield said. "Having fewer students lets you have more autonomy, so when I was applying to the program, that's what everyone who interviewed me wanted to talk about; how I was designing my research and what sort of troubleshooting I was doing."

Currie observed that same drive from the moment she met Summerfield.

"Max has been a joy to mentor. He's sharp, hardworking and genuinely curious about science, which is exactly why he thrived at NIH this summer. I've had the chance to work with him closely in my own lab for several years now, and I could see early on that he had the instincts of a talented researcher: asking good questions, troubleshooting when things didn't go as planned, and digging into the literature to understand the 'why' behind his results," she said. "Watching him go from a student in my General Chemistry course to presenting his own cancer biology research at the NIH and now guiding the next generation of students behind him, has been quite rewarding. I'm excited to see what's next for Max after graduation."

Presently on campus for his senior year, Summerfield serves as a teaching assistant and a peer mentor in Currie's lab, helping her lead his peers through the same foundational techniques that originally sparked his own interest. He also presented his NIH findings to the department and shared his guidance with fellow students who are interested in applying to top-tier research programs.

"Get involved with research and try to take ownership of some part of it rather than just doing and following a procedure," Summerfield explained. "Try to ask related questions and actually design an experiment to investigate it."

For those interested in the NIH Summer Internship Program, the program is open to students interested in research and healthcare careers. The application for 2027 will be open from mid-November to mid-February. Information about the program and the application can be found at https://www.training.nih.gov/research-training/pb/sip/.