Sun Health interns take hold of futures in science

Siddharth Pandyia wasn't sure what his future had in store, and then the 16-year-old assisted in an autopsy.

The 16-year-old North Canyon High School student is involved the Sun Health Research Institute internship program, where he and others receive hands-on, professional experience and an opportunity to learn about a future career in science.

"It's been a great experience for me because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I do want a career in medicine for sure," said Pandyia, who lives in Glendale.

Brian Brown, director of communications and education for Sun Health, said the program formed eight years ago to increase the amount of bioscience students in Arizona.

"There was such a shortage that we thought it was important for us to create the next pipeline of bioscientists," Brown said.

Brown said hundreds applied to the competitive eight-week internship, with only 20 slots to be filled in the program. Many of the students come from local high schools and colleges throughout the nation but live in the Northwest Valley. The other area interns participating this summer include: Aaron Walker, Malti Bhamrah, Donia Hussain, Elizabeth Carter, Xuezhi Dong of Glendale; Glenn Chiarolanza and Amreen Gill of Peoria; and Sarah Johnson, Jaclyn Harper, Meagan Kerksieck and Russell Zuniga of Surprise.

"They're the brightest students who have been able to harness their nervous energy into learning good science," Brown said.

Since the program's inception, approximately 98 percent have attended graduate and medical schools to receive degrees in science.

In addition, students are working with the scientists from the Research Institute "to expose them to real-world cutting-edge science," Brown said.

Chiarolanza, a 32-year-old Peoria resident, attends Glendale Community College and majors in molecular biology.

Chiarolanza heard about the program through an instructor at the school and applied for the internship.

"It's one of the best decisions that I've ever made," he said. "This helps me keep up with lab work, but I've also learned so much about how the brain works."

Lauren Ornelis, 20, a Phoenix resident who attends Arizona State University, said she's excited about the program.

"We're able to get hands-on experience that the normal student wouldn't be able to get at all," she said. "It's a wonderful opportunity to learn from the best and find out about how Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease affects the brain."

Mitchell Vantrease may be reached at 876-2526 or e-mail mvantrease@yourwestvalley.com.