- Programs
- CPRIT CURE Summer Undergraduate Program
- CPRTP Summer Research Experience
- DACCPM Summer Research Program
- DISCOVER Program
- High School Summer Program
- ITERT Summer Program
- Medical Student Program in Radiation Oncology
- Med Students SOAR Program
- Neuro-Oncology Clinical Research Summer Program
- Partnership for Careers in Cancer Science and Medicine
- Partnership for Excellence in Cancer Research Summer Program
- STRONGER Scholar Summer Research Experience
- Summer Imaging Research Program
- Summer Program in Cancer Research
- Therapeutics Discovery and Development Internship Program
- University Outreach Summer Programs
- UPWARDS Summer Program
- Center for Clinical Ethics Internship
Therapeutics Discovery and Development Internship
MD Anderson is known for providing cancer patients with exceptional care, which includes early access to innovative new treatments through clinical trials. The Therapeutics Discovery & Development (TDD) division is a new hybrid model that uniquely combines the drug discovery capabilities of the biopharmaceutical industry and the extensive knowledge of biology found in academia with the expertise of MD Anderson’s top clinicians. TDD has the singular goal of rapidly developing novel, effective and safe therapeutics that improve patient health. Our work includes small molecule, protein, and cellular therapeutics.
Our division sponsored program is designed to introduce students to a one of-a-kind opportunity to work in a biotech-like environment where cross-functional research aims to discover and develop novel therapeutic agents that benefit patients. Students will capitalize on the synergy between industry and academia by working on projects that bridge these two domains. Students will be exposed to a fast-paced work environment, as well as a variety of opportunities to work in matrix and with scientists from various disciplines and backgrounds.
The Division’s Synergistic Approach Relies on Three Key Components:
- A highly experienced team of professional drug discovery and development scientists
- Real-time access to clinical insights gained by the best physician scientists in the nation who treat over 100,000 cancer patients per year
- Clinically informed, patient-oriented research programs focused on delivering impactful results to patients
See below for the therapeutics discovery oppporunities and drug discovery platforms our program offers.
Summer 2025 Applications
2025 applications open November 18, 2024 and are accepted until January 15, 2025.
Application Deadline
The following information is required on the application:
- Personal and demographic information
- Official transcript(s) from undergraduate university
- Statement of research experience & area(s) of interest. In addition to detailing any research experience that you may have, please use this section to highlight any specific areas of research you would like to explore this summer of faculty mentor that you would like to train with. If you do not have any research experience to date, please indicate describe your interest in pursuing an academic and/or professional career in cancer research.
- Two letters of recommendation uploaded by your referee. At least one reference should come from a science or math professor. The other may be from an advisor, counselor, or health care advisor/mentor with whom you worked in a prior program. Both letters must be submitted by your referees directly to SLATE.
Once you submit your application, you will be prompted to create a SLATE account where you can add the contact information for your referees. Once referees are added to your SLATE account, an emailed link will be sent through the system so that your referees may upload their letters of recommendation.
Incomplete applications will be purged after the deadline has passed. If the information found here did not provide the answers you need, please feel free to email the Program Coordinator, Jerome Penson, M.B.A. (jpenson@mdanderson.org) or Program Director, Basti Perazzona, Ph.D. (bperazzo@mdanderson.org).
Eligibility
- High school graduates who have been accepted to an undergraduate program, with intentions to attend in the upcoming Fall semester (students must be 18 years or older by June 2, 2025;10-week program: 6/2/2025-8/8/2025)
- Undergraduate students currently enrolled in an undergraduate program with good academic standing (10-week program: 6/2/2025-8/8/2025)
- Graduate students interested in collaborative projects with any of our Therapeutics Platforms Applicants who can participate in the on-site program, which is full time (other employment/program participation is not allowed)
- Graduate students enrolled in the Master of Biotechnology Program at Texas A&M (26-week program 6/2/2025-12/5/2025)
Stipend, Housing, Expenses
- Student interns receive a stipend of up to $6,800 for the 10-week program; $27,000 for the 26-week program.
- This stipend amount includes allowances for housing, living, and travel expenses - no additional allowances are available.
- Paychecks and stipend are based on actual days worked and will be issued on the 5th and the 20th of each month, deducting the required federal tax.
Mentor Match Process
- TDD Scientist and Researchers will serve as direct supervisors for the student interns and will participate in all aspects of the training program including formal instruction and supervision of research.
- If you are interested in a specific area or TDD platform, please note this interest in your statement of research experience and areas of interest.
- TDD Scientist and Researchers will facilitate one-on-one interviews with student to assess fit within the program.
Program Contacts
Program Contacts:
Jerome Penson, MBA
Program Coordinator, Therapeutics Discovery
jpenson@mdanderson.org
Basti Perazzona, Ph.D.
Director, Research Planning & Development, Therapeutics Discovery
bperazzo@mdanderson.org
TDD Summer Program Email:
tdplatformsoperations@mdanderson.org
Therapeutics Discovery Opportunities
Biology
Students will contribute to ongoing research initiatives using cutting-edge drug development and innovative techniques in a variety of functional groups:
Opportunity #1 - In Vitro Pharmacology
This group designs, optimizes, validates, and implements robust state-of- the-art biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based assays for novel cancer drug targets to guide medicinal chemistry efforts through the drug discovery process to clinical candidate nominations. These assays identify active chemical entities, characterize them with respect to potency and selectivity, and determine their mode of action. An intern within this group would obtain hands-on laboratory training with in vitro assays utilizing various technologies, learn the data analysis process, and learn how results enable rapid, iterative lead optimization on drug discovery project teams.
Opportunity #2 - Biomarker Discovery and Validation
For a treatment to be successful in vivo, a drug must reach the disease tissue and engage with the molecular target, leading to a desired effect. Before testing new anticancer drugs in humans, each compound is carefully optimized and evaluated in clinically relevant animal models that mimic human disease and treatment. The aim of the Biomarker group is to develop assays to monitor molecular indicators of drug effect on the target in an organism. An intern in this group will gain laboratory training in cell and tissue-based assays utilizing various technologies, and learn various aspects of the development, validation and utilization of biomarkers from preclinical as well as clinical samples.
Opportunity #3 - Target Discovery
Interns will have an opportunity to gain experience in translation biology activities that are critical for early drug discovery pipeline development. Major responsibilities include: (1) Implementing functional genomic screens to identify possible metabolism drug targets in cancer cells. (2) Applying a range of biological assays that characterize the activity of metabolic pathways in cancer models, including metabolomics, to help interpret the screens. (3) Carrying out more focused genetic and/or pharmacological validation of specific targets.
Opportunity #4 - Innovation, Imaging, and Automation
Candidates will have the opportunity to experience innovation development in a translational biotech-like environment. Agnostic to approach, our focus ranges from automation of image analysis, to scaling and streamlining of assays, to development of molecular pathology tools and assays understand biology of response, to the introduction of novel imaging modalities.
Opportunity #5 - Model Characterization and Disease Modeling
Candidates will have the opportunity to help our disease modeling efforts in the employment of cell- and organoid-based assays that will inform on important program objectives. These efforts can range from the design and development of these models to their characterization (e.g. responder vs. non-responder) to their interaction within in vivo systems (e.g. immune modulation).
Opportunity #6 - Biology of Rare Cancer
Candidates will have the opportunity to work with cell- and organoid-based systems that are derived from patients with very rare cancers. Our close collaborations with world-expert clinicians in these fields offers the unique opportunity to work with, characterize, and understand the biological underpinnings of rare cancers for which MD Anderson is known.
Opportunity #7 - Translational Biology
Candidates will have the opportunity to experience translation science in a biotech-like environment. Working first-hand with our program biologists, they will get to learn the principles behind how a drug works and how certain cancers will respond. Efforts will be program specific but can range from evaluating response in cell/organoid culture and in evaluating tissue specimens for target biology.
Opportunity #8 - Biology of Brain Metastasis
Candidates will have the opportunity to work with biologists who are focused on the mechanisms guiding brain metastasis. Our efforts in disease modeling and close collaboration with world-expert clinicians offer the unique opportunity to evaluate new mechanisms and drug combinations that can inform on tumor/brain interaction and tumor/immune reaction which mediate diverse responses and inform on novel mechanisms of resistance.
Chemistry
Students will contribute to ongoing research initiatives using cutting-edge drug development and innovative techniques in a variety of functional groups:
Opportunity #1 - Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics
The ADME/PK Group uses in vitro and LC/MS/MS techniques to evaluate the preclinical absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination (ADME) and pharmacokinetics (PK) properties of therapeutic small molecules in early discovery. Interns will have the opportunity to learn in vitro and LC/MS/MS techniques and understand the ADME and PK properties of novel therapeutics.
Opportunity #2 - Structural Chemistry
Understanding how small molecules bind to and inhibit their protein target is fundamental to the success of any drug discovery program. An intern within this group will quantify and explore the interactions between proteins and small molecules either through experimental means, learning how to express and purify recombinant proteins followed by application of biophysical and structural biology techniques, or by using computational methods to perform protein structure-based analyses. The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for protein structure determination by X-ray crystallography and has access to high performance computing resources.
Opportunity #3 - Small Molecule Drug Discovery
Interns will work closely alongside IACS chemists, synthesizing novel compounds to be evaluated in biochemical and cell-based assays. Interns will have the opportunity to work either on a direct drug discovery project or on a closely related earlier stage project. The Medicinal Chemistry team is seeking interns who have completed basic organic chemistry lab classes and are familiar with interpreting NMR and MS spectra.
Computer Science/Computational Biology
Opportunity #1 - Computational Biology
Our computational biology team investigates the novel molecular pathways of disease and multi-omic characterization of various cancers to inform on avenues of targeted therapies in collaboration with key clinical partners. Interns will work with our translational biology and reverse translation teams on various projects with topics that may include functional genomics methods and analysis, analysis of imaging-based data, single cell and spatial transcriptomics, epigenomics and genomics based.
Opportunity #2 Data - Visualization
Candidates can help develop visualization tools to enable program biologists’ visualization and interpretation of complex data streams. These tools have the potential to become part of the data analysis workflow across multiple programs.
Opportunity #3 - Disease Modeling and Functional Genomics
Candidates can help infer and develop hypotheses from multiple orthogonal datasets (e.g. RNAseq, Spatial Transcriptomics, CRISPR screening) regarding cancer modeling. The integration of diverse datasets will enable program biologists to better understand many aspects of disease/drug mechanism of action including biology of response and mechanisms of resistance.
Opportunity #4 - Data Storage and Database Organization
Candidates will have the opportunity to help structure the back-end side of database organization. They will be able to work with database experts to design optimal and cutting-edge solutions to the organization of our many and diverse data streams from sequencing data to sample and study tracking.
Our Drug Discovery Platforms
IACS - Small Molecule Drug Discovery
The Institute for Applied Cancer Science (IACS) is the small molecule drug discovery arm of MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery Division, which focuses on accelerating the delivery of new, safe, and highly effective therapeutics for cancer patients. We have more than 70 scientists from around the country, many recruited from the pharma industry, working on the development of novel small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. Our projects bring together scientists from multiple scientific disciplines, and they work together in project teams to advance our programs with the goal of moving new therapeutics into the clinic.
The Medicinal Chemistry team is currently seeking students interested in summer internships. Students will work closely alongside IACS chemists, synthesizing novel compounds to be evaluated in biochemical and cell-based assays. The students would work either on a direct drug discovery project, or on a closely related earlier stage project.
We are looking for students who have completed basic organic chemistry lab classes, and who are familiar with interpreting NMR and MS spectra.
The ideal candidates would be students who have spent significant time in organic labs and may have already spent a past summer doing organic lab work.
TRACTION - Computational Biology
The TRACTION-Therapeutics Discovery and Development division at MD Anderson is seeking highly motivated interns to support our computational biology efforts in the cancer drug discovery research space. Our platform provides preclinical translational science expertise to inform our biopharma partners on the clinical development of novel personalized therapeutics. Our reverse translation team investigates the novel molecular pathways of disease and multi-omic characterization of rare cancers to inform on avenues of targeted therapies in collaboration with key clinical partners.
Students will work with our translational biology and reverse translation teams on various projects with topics that may include functional genomics methods and analysis, analysis of imaging-based data, single cell, and spatial transcriptomics, epigenomics, and genomics based. The student will assist in ongoing efforts in genomic characterization, single cell, or spatial analysis, epigenomic data analysis, database development or functional genomics to advance understanding of clinical response in cancer.
We are looking for students who have prior experience in computer science, computational biology, or pursuing a career in biological research.
The ideal candidate would currently be enrolled in a computer science, bioengineering, biostatics, epidemiology, bioinformatics, computational biology, or similar fields.
TRACTION - Cancer Biology
The TRACTION-Therapeutics Discovery and Development division at MD Anderson is seeking highly motivated interns to support our experimental and computational biology efforts in the cancer drug discovery research area. Our platform provides preclinical translational science expertise to inform our biopharma partners on the clinical development of novel personalized therapeutics. Our reverse translation team investigates the novel molecular pathways of disease and multi- omic characterization of rare cancers to inform on avenues of targeted therapies in collaboration with key clinical partners.
Student will work with our translational biology and reverse translation teams to further ongoing programs focused on drug response and resistance or rare disease biology with topics ranging from experimental/bench-based cancer biology, methods in molecular biology, CRISPR-based functional genomics, imaging technology and microscopy.
We are looking for students who have prior experience in lab settings, cell biology, bioengineering, or cancer biology.
The ideal candidate would currently be enrolled in a biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, enzymology, pharmacology, chemistry, or similar fields.
Neurodegeneration Consortium - NDC
The Neurodegeneration Consortium (NDC) is a multi-institutional research consortium mobilizing innovative investigators against neurodegenerative diseases. The NDC unites the drug discovery capabilities of MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division with leading neuroscientists at MIT, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and researchers at several other institutions. Launched in 2012, the NDC is funded by the Robert A. and Renee E. Belfer family foundation, Oskar Fischer Project, and many other philanthropic donors and funding agencies.
The NDC is part of the Therapeutics Discovery Division at MD Anderson Cancer Center. This is a team of over 100 dedicated researchers, clinicians, drug developers and scientific experts that develop transformative therapies ranging from small molecule, biologics to cell therapies.
We are looking for students who have prior experience in lab settings, cell biology, bioengineering, or cancer biology.
The ideal candidate would currently be enrolled in a biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, enzymology, pharmacology, chemistry or similar fields, and has a strong interest in neuroscience.
Oncology Research for Biologics and Immunotherapy - ORBIT
The ORBIT platform is driving the future of therapeutic antibodies that can target cancer cells or trigger an immune response, allowing the body's own immune system to attack the cancer. ORBIT takes pride in collaborating with other platforms, clinicians, researchers, and drug development experts, working closely to create the next generation of targeted immune- and cell-based therapies.
The ORBIT team is comprised of skilled professionals who are committed to bringing new therapies to patients in a timely, safe, and effective manner. Multiple functional groups side by side on target validation, lead selection and optimization to advance the best candidate to move forward to next stage. With the goal of providing new therapies to cancer patients, the team is working tirelessly to advance a robust portfolio of therapeutic candidates into clinical trials.
Students will contribute to ongoing initiatives for cutting-edge therapeutic antibody development, innovative in vitro characterization techniques, and the advancement of cell-based therapies.
We are especially interested in candidates with prior laboratory experience and a strong background in disciplines such as protein sciences, biotechnology, biochemistry, molecular biology or cell biology. We are looking for individuals who are eager to learn new techniques and are motivated by a genuine desire to improve technology and its impact on our programs.
Co-evolution of Leukemia, and Immunity Post Stem Cell Transplant - ECLIPSE
Co-evolution of Leukemia and Immunity Post Stem Cell transplant (ECLIPSE) platform utilizes state-of-the-art NGS technologies to discover and develop novel immunotherapies for patients with various kinds of blood cancers.
We are a unique group of clinicians, researchers and drug development experts working collaboratively to develop the next generation of targeted, immune- and cell-based therapies.
Based on current experience, training, and field of pursuit, students will be matched with subject matter experts in oncology, immunology, or computational biology in our group; however, our groups are integrated so expect to partake on all aspects of wet and dry bench skills and be exposed to all the workflows occurring in ECLIPSE.
We are looking for motivated students with prior experience in lab settings with experience in cell biology, bioengineering, immunology, computational biology or oncology.
The ideal candidate would currently be enrolled in a program focused on biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, chemistry, computational biology, bioinformatics, or similar fields, and pursuing a career in biomedical research, discovery and drug development.
Accepted students will be matched with a specific TDD Platform mentor and will participate in various programmatic and research activities over the extent of the internship.
Our Labs
Learn more about our faculty and research taking place in our labs.
Conferences
View conferences available for continuing education credit.