Bay Area High School Students Explore Immunology Through UCSF's Expanded Summer Camp

Underrepresented minority (URM) high school students from across the Bay Area gathered at UCSF's ImmunoExplore summer camp earlier this year, where they engaged in hands-on lab activities and interactive lessons to learn about biomedical research. Co-founded in 2023 by Holly Steininger, a PhD student in Susan Lynch's lab at the Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine (BCMM), ImmunoExplore is a free, immersive camp designed to make science and biomedical research accessible to students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to explore these fields. 

Supported in part by BCMM, the camp has experienced significant growth since its inception. Following the success of the first year's three-day camp, ImmunoExplore expanded its program to five days in 2024. This year, BCMM's $4,000 sponsorship played an important role in ensuring the program's accessibility, covering transportation costs for students traveling from Oakland high schools to UCSF's Parnassus campus. The effort helped increase the number of participants; this summer the camp welcomed 30 students, up from 25 in prior years, and featured an engaging curriculum designed to spark curiosity about immunology and science careers. Students participated in activities ranging from mouse dissections and patient mystery cases to outbreak simulations, and also attended lectures on topics such as cancer immunology, autoimmunity, and the immune system's role in fighting disease. The program also included career and college preparation panels, lab tours at UCSF's Mission Bay campus, and interactive sessions led by UCSF researchers to showcase pathways into science and medicine.

For Steininger, who served as Curriculum Director and a founding executive member of ImmunoExplore, the camp has been a deeply rewarding experience. "Seeing the students' excitement and curiosity develop as they learn about immunology is what drives me to continue building this program," she said. "Through it, I not only got to serve my community, but I developed a wide range of management, curriculum development, and communication skills that allowed me to help introduce immunology to many URM Bay Area high schoolers over the past three years," Steininger added.

UCSF's commitment to outreach and education remains central to ImmunoExplore's mission, with BCMM serving as a key partner in ensuring the program's success. Applications for next year's Curriculum Committee are now open, with the camp scheduled to run in July 2026. For more information about ImmunoExplore, please visit the program's website. Click here to apply to join the Curriculum Committee.