Chelsea Anna Young

The second-year medical student at UC San Francisco was one of about 40 people this year who received grants from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for all kids with cancer. Only 24, Young’s eight-week summer project focuses on battling leukemia cells. She hopes for a career in pediatrics.

How did you react when you were notified about the grant? I was so happy. It’s definitely helped a lot in terms of me figuring out what I want to do with my career, long term. I’m considering pediatric oncology. This is a great way for me to explore that, it’s been such a great opportunity for me.

How much is the grant and how have you used it? I believe $4,000 is my stipend for the summer, and $2,000 is for my supplies during the summer. There are various drugs we have to buy. It all goes towards my research.

How is the project going? It’s going really well. I’m looking at how different drugs can alter the susceptibility of leukemia cells to chemotherapy. Certain types of leukemia cells develop resistance to traditional chemotherapeutic agents. Other drugs can change that resistance. It’s translational work. We’re hoping that the drugs we’re looking at in the lab will eventually be used on patients to treat T-cell leukemia.
— Alexis Terrazas