Inspire Program

Our Program

The Inspire Program at the Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics aims to expose and inspire students ranging from elementary school to high school to a variety of STEM careers and the academics that complement those careers. This program includes events such as field trips, science teacher development/continuing education, internships, workshops and other outreach opportunities that support providing an educational experience to students, teachers and schools from all our communities. For more information please contact Laura Shilatifard or Brianna Monroe.

Recent Canning Summer Scholar Pre-Internship Workshop

Through the generous support of John and Rita Canning, the SQE Inspire Program developed this five day immersive summer workshop designed to introduce high school students to the language of biology through interactive, research-driven learning with a focus on DNA biology, genetics, and health-related research.

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Inspire Experiences

Students can participate in a variety of Inspire Program opportunities, like the examples below.

Visit and Shadow Days

Students can learn about STEM career pathways through Visiting Professor Days in which faculty panels come to speak at local schools. Shadow Days offer students a field trip to the Institute to meet with scientists, gain hands-on skills conducting experiments in the lab and discuss their careers to grow students' passion for STEM fields.

Read About a Shadow Day

STEM Field Trips

Middle School students visit the Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics to see how cancer research is done, from DNA, gene sequencing, how medical animations are created, to drug treatments and therapeutics. Students can speak with the Director Ali Shilatifard, PhD, about what it is like to be a scientist.

Hands-on activities include:

Microscopy
Next Gen Sequencing
Bioinformatics
Flow Cytometry
Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Chemical Biology
Medical Animation

Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago

High School students tour the CZ Biohub in Chicago where they participate in hands-on experiments and meet with scientists.

Robotic Matter Lab

High School students visit the Robotic Matter Lab of McCormick School of Engineering Prof. Ryan Truby, PhD, where they can learn about robotics, 3D printing, and materials.