Each student will be paired with a faculty mentor to work in one of our two UH Cancer Center research programs:

1. Population Sciences in the Pacific: epidemiology, nutrition, biostatistics, bioinformatics, behavior change, quality of life in cancer survivors, community-based interventions to promote cancer preventive lifestyles in Hawaiʻi's multiethnic population
2. Cancer Biology: molecular carcinogenesis, metastasis, drug discovery, cancer immunology, molecular mechanisms underlying cancer disparities, and new therapeutic approaches to cancer treatment and diagnosis

Browse examples of UH Cancer Center Interns Research Projects

In addition to mentored research project, students will participate in the following activities:

1. An orientation session and tour of the UH Cancer Center
2. Training in the responsible conduct of research, laboratory safety, and/or human research protection
3. Writing seminars and participation in manuscript preparation
4. Journal clubs and research seminars
5. Student poster presentations
6. For UH students, continuation of research activities during fall and spring semester is a possibility.

Application to the internship is open to students who are:

1. Currently enrolled, at the time of application, as a sophomore or junior in an accredited college or university
2. Students enrolled at UH Hilo and the University of Guam may apply for travel funds
3. Academically outstanding (at least a 3.5 GPA)
4. Stated interest in cancer research
5. Must be Hawaiʻi or Guam residents
6. Able to commit to a full-time summer research experience (8 weeks at 40 hours per week)

Priority will be given to eligible applicants who:

1. Express a cancer-related research interest that matches an available mentor’s focus in population or laboratory-based research
2. Relevant research experience and skills
3. Successful completion of college-level courses or training in the areas of biological, chemical, molecular, genetic, public health, nutritional, behavioral, clinical, computational, mathematical, or statistical sciences
4. First generation college or low socioeconomic status of the family

Population Sciences in the Pacific

Alexandra Binder, ScD
Erin Bantum, PhD
Kevin Cassel, DrPH
Monica Esquivel, PhD, MS, RDN, CCSD
Brenda Hernandez, PhD
Thaddeus Herzog, PhD
Joseph Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula, PhD
Loic Le Marchand, MD, PhD
Unhee Lim, PhD
Chloe Lozano, PhD
Gertraud Maskarinec, MD, PhD

Izumi Okado, PhD
Scott Okamoto, PhD, MSW
Song-Yi Park, PhD
Sung-shim (Lani) Park, PhD
Pallav Pokhrel, PhD
Marie Kainoa Fialkowski Revilla, PhD, MS, RDN
John Shepherd, PhD
Yurii Shvetsov, PhD
Samantha Streicher, PhD
Lynne Wilkens, DrPH
Herbert Yu, MD, PhD

Cancer Biology

Christa Braun-Inglis, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP
Xin Chen, PhD
Youping Deng, PhD
Jami A. Fukui, MD
Peter Hoffmann, PhD, MSPH
Toshiaki Iwase, MD, PhD
Bardia Kohn, PhD
Jangsoon (Jason) Lee, PhD
Stephanie Si Lim, MD

Lenora Loo, PhD
Alika Maunakea, PhD
Marcus Tius, PhD, MS
Xiaoping (Maggie) Wang, PhD
Xuemei Xie, PhD
Paulette Yamada, PhD
Haining Yang, MD, PhD
Shuxing Zhang, PhD

Participants receive hourly pay according to University of Hawaiʻi schedules for their full-time participation in the internship program.

1. For students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the University of Guam, housing, transportation, or travel expenses may be available.

Please use this link to complete the application. Applications are due March 1st, 2025 at 11:59PM HST.  Please review the "Possible Faculty Mentors" tab prior to filling out the application.  Direct any questions regarding the application to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Contact Us

If you have any additional questions about the summer internship program please send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The summer internship program is supported in part by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (R25 CA244073), an endowment from the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company, and donations from the Friends of the UH Cancer Center.