Chandler district student learning bioscience through immersion

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Hannah Nough has been picked to be part of something special.

The Perry High School senior-to-be was selected from among more than 200 candidates to participate in the TGen Bioscience Leadership Academy this summer. This was after she was selected as one of 40 finalists invited to interview with a panel of community leaders and TGen scientists.

The 20 student selectees where chosen for a two-week camp in which they’ll learn about genomic medicine and will collaborate with STEM professionals.

And she gets a $1,000 scholarship after her summer experience.

“They’re going to teach a lot of basic lab and research skills,” Nough said of her understanding of the TGen Bioscience Leadership Academy. “It was competitive to get in, but I don’t expect it to be competitive, once we’re there. We all hope to learn a lot.”

Nough said she’s been thinking about a career in a medical field all through her childhood, though she realized, by middle school, she wanted to be more on the research side.

“I went to regular (medical) checkups like we all did, but I never looked forward to those,” Nough said. “So I didn’t want to be in like an everyday care role. I wanted to research things.”

Nough said that her middle-school days were when she started to learn about biosciences — and neuroscience in particular.

“Through social media and other places, I noticed that when I learned random neuroscience facts, I would look up the topic, and really wanted to learn more about it,” Nough said.

By the time Nough’s freshman year at Perry High School began, she was taking an extra class and was in advanced science and math for someone in her grade, she said.

Nough said she started looking for workshops and events to attend, as well as qualifying for and serving in leadership roles locally in the National Honors Society.

She attended a health care careers workshop, put on by the University of Arizona. There was also the UofA Summer Scrubs program last summer.

Last summer, she enrolled in an online University of California-San Diego bioengineering research program.

“That was a very helpful introduction to that field,” Nough said regarding the UCSD bioengineering program.

TGen — which stands for Translational Genomics Research Institute — states online that it’s a nonprofit biomedical research institute based in downtown Phoenix that focuses on “translational medicine,” meaning scientists rapidly turn genetic research and discoveries into diagnostics and tailored treatments for patients.

The bioscience academy is “designed for ambitious high school students, encouraging students to pursue STEM pathways in higher education by demystifying complex scientific concepts, sparking curiosity and providing a foundational understanding of the biomedical field,” it states.

Hough said her post-high school plans aren’t totally clear now, but she might engage in more workshops, internships and/or short-term academies as those arise.

“I’m going to try to enroll in as many of these leadership and bioscience programs as I can,” Nough said.

Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.