ABERDEEN, S.D. – Christian Wells, a sophomore McNair Scholar at Northern State University, has been accepted as a summer intern at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He secured a position in the prestigious Pre-MSTP Cancer Research, Education, and Training Experience (CREATE) Program at the university’s Twin Cities campus.

Through this program, Wells will have the opportunity to work under the mentorship of Dr. David Potter, M.D., Ph.D., an MIT-trained expert and a member of the Breast Cancer Program at the Masonic Cancer Center. The center, a renowned research institute at the University of Minnesota, has more than 600 researchers and was designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1998 by the National Cancer Institute.

As part of the program, Wells, a biochemistry major at Northern State, has been awarded a scholarship plus comprehensive support for on-campus housing, meals, and transportation costs. This opportunity is provided through the Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP), which consists of a 10-week research appointment in the summer of 2025.

Wells will spend the summer conducting hands-on cancer biology research under Potter’s mentorship. He’ll also attend a cancer education workshop designed to deepen his understanding of the field and build valuable professional skills. Along the way, he’ll collaborate with other undergraduate researchers, take part in seminars, and gain experience that will help shape his future in science.

Dr. George Nora, Wells’ McNair faculty mentor at Northern State, has played a key role in supporting his research pursuits. Wells applied for the internship with guidance from Dr. Chiara Wang, Northern’s McNair Scholar Program director.

“The thing I am most excited about is to be able to take this opportunity to have a profound impact on people’s lives,” Wells said.