Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates (CREU)

Through the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center's Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates (CREU), every summer, selected college undergraduate fellows spend ten weeks in our laboratories at the University of Colorado Anschutz. An R25CA240122 grant and the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center support the CREU program.

The goal of the program is to engage scientific curiosity in the next generation of scientists, challenging qualified college undergraduates to consider a cancer-related career in the future.

Additional participants in the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) will form a cohort with fellows participating in CREU. For more information on the SURF Program, which will use the same application as CREU, click here.

Important Dates

Applications open on 11/15/25 to 02/01/2026.

Program dates are May 26 - July 31, 2026.

What to know about the Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates

Fellows work full-time for approximately ten weeks during the summer.
Fellows may not combine their research work with other significant work commitments or daytime class work.
Stipends are paid in biweekly installments through direct deposit as fellows complete their program requirements.

Fellowships are open to:

Students currently enrolled at an undergraduate institution, including seniors, at the time of application submission.
Students who are able to devote 40 hours per week to this program.
U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
Individuals from all backgrounds who seek to expand knowledge, representation, perspectives, and/or experiences in the biomedical sciences.

Fellows receive:

CREU/SURF students receive a $6,000 stipend, paid over the 10-week program.
Out-of-state students receive up to $500 for travel to the program by air, car, or public transit. Note: the program will not cover the cost of towing vehicles.
$1,000 to use towards housing, paid over the 10-week program. The CREU/SURF team will send housing options and information to accepted fellows.

Fellows must commit to completing program requirements. If you are selected as a fellow in either program (CREU or SURF), you must sign a Student Agreement committing to these requirements:

Orientation

Orientation will be held on the first day of the program. This one-hour meeting is mandatory for all fellows (unless prior arrangements have been made). We will cover program requirements, training requirements, stipends, and more.

Goals and Objectives

With the help of your mentor, you will write a two to three-page, double-spaced report describing the goals of your research project. The report is due within ten (10) days of your start date. Your mentor will also sign the report.

Twice-weekly Lectures

All fellows are required to attend twice-weekly lectures on various topics related to cancer research. Presenters will include mentors and faculty members. Topics will range from discussions on different cancer types and health disparities to effective research presentations. Attendance will be taken at these lectures.

Clinical/Translational Workshops

These half-day workshops feature speakers from faculty and biotechnology companies on the CU Anschutz campus. These workshops aim to enhance the fellows’ research experience. They capitalize on the unique strengths and cancer training opportunities at CU Anschutz in personalized medicine/ molecular diagnostics, cancer genomics /bioinformatics, and experimental therapeutics/emerging technologies. Attending at least two of these workshops is required.

Career Mentoring

These informal discussions will be held during the ten weeks. Presenters and panel members will be drawn from faculty, postdoc trainees, and professional scientists in the community. Topics will include academic career trajectories, biotech/pharmaceuticals careers, life/work balance, and others as suggested by CREU/SURF participants. An informal Q&A session will follow each discussion.

Poster Session

All fellows will participate in the annual poster session on the last day of the program.

When you apply to be a CREU/SURF fellow, you will select four mentors you would like to work with and note them on your application. We make every effort to assign you to your first choice, but we may make alternative assignments based on mentor availability.

Projects are performed CU Anschutz.

*Projects are subject to change at any time. They are likely representative of what that person’s lab is doing, but not a guarantee of the actual project you will be performing.

Name	Department	Lab Website	Research Interests
Caitlin Bell, MD	Medicine	Bell Lab	Extensive population-level evidence demonstrates that patients with cancer have significantly increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and, conversely, patients with CVD have significantly increased risk of incident cancer. The bidirectional associations extend beyond simple shared risk factors and cardiotoxicity from cancer therapies to include shared molecular mechanisms and disease cross-communication, both of which are poorly defined. One example of this is the observation that colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors have higher rates of hypertension and atherosclerosis even when attempting to control for age, shared risk factors, and therapy received. As such, one of the Bell Lab's projects focuses on how CRC itself may lead to vascular remodeling and worsening of CVDs using mouse models, cell culture assays, and computational data. The goal is to identify causal pathways for treatment and prevention of accelerated CVD in cancer survivors.
Benjamin Bitler, PhD	OB-GYN	Bitler Lab	Investigating novel DNA damage repair mechanisms that can be targeted to overcome therapy resistant ovarian cancer.
Andrea Bonetto, PhD	Pathology	Bonetto Lab	Molecular mechanisms related to the onset of cachexia (i.e. musculoskeletal wasting) in colorectal cancer.
Virginia Borges, MD, MMSc	Medicine - Medical Oncology	Borges Lab	Determining the reasons why young women's breast cancer has worse recurrence and survival outcomes, with a focus on human translational research, extra cellular vesicles, the influence of parity status and large database research.
Alessandra Brambati, PhD	Pharmacology	Brambati Lab	We will study the molecular mechanisms that regulate microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ), a poorly understood DNA double-strand break repair pathway. The mutational signature associated with MMEJ is frequently observed in cancer genomes. When the two canonical DSB repair pathways-non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination-are compromised, cells become dependent on MMEJ for survival. This dependency makes MMEJ an attractive therapeutic target, particularly for treating cancers with homologous recombination deficiencies, either as a monotherapy or in combination with PARP inhibitors.
Cecilia Caino, PhD	Pharmacology	Caino Lab	My lab is interested in liver metastasis.
Zachary Clayton, PhD	Medicine - Geriatrics		We employ preclinical to clinical translational experimental approaches to determine the influence of cancer and cancer therapy on cardiovascular disease risk through the lens of large artery health. In mouse models, we are currently assessing the influence of breast cancer on large artery health and the potential therapeutic efficacy of various exercise and dietary interventions for mitigating declines in large artery health with breast cancer. Clinically, we are currently assessing cardiovascular health in lymphoma survivors relative to age- and sex-matched healthy counterparts and the underlying role of cellular senescence.
Kyle Concannon, MD	Medicine - Medical Oncology	Concannon Lab	We study targetable resistance mechanisms to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in lung cancer with current projects aimed at overcoming resistance using cell surface targeting strategies like antibody-drug conjugates and cellular therapies in collaboration with the Fecci lab.
James DeGregori, PhD	Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (BMG)	DeGregori Lab	Our research will focus either on mutational patterns in normal lung or on hematologic malignancies.
Elan Eisenmesser, PhD	Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (BMG)	Eisenmesser Lab	Biochemical and structural studies on metabolic enzymes and their super assemblies. Students will learn fundamental biochemistry, learn how to purify enzymes, probe enzymes, and ultimately use atomic-resolution methods to determine how they function.
Patricia Ernst, PhD	Pediatrics and Pharmacology	Ernst Lab	Our lab studies epigenetic mechanisms regulating normal hematopoiesis and leukemia focusing on histone methyltransferases. Specific projects range from biochemical, immunology, gene expression or cell biological approaches to understanding particular pathways in high-risk pediatric leukemia.
Xiying Fan, PhD	Dermatology		My laboratory focuses on utilizing large-scale sequencing tools to better understand the mechanisms of cancer immunoediting. My primary focus of interest lies in studying the functions and interactions of innate immune cells and hair follicles in cancer immunoediting during skin cancer progression. The overarching goal of my research is to advance the development of immunotherapies aimed at treating cancer patients.
Daysha Ferrer Torres, PhD	Medicine-GI	Ferrer Torres Lab	The Ferrer-Torres Lab studies how the esophagus repairs itself after injury and how these processes differ across racial and genetic backgrounds, focusing on conditions like GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, and esophageal cancer. The lab explores the role of the protective enzyme GSTT2 and has developed advanced organoid models that mimic esophageal tissue, including both epithelial and mesenchymal layers, to study development and repair. By using these tools, the lab aims to discover new treatments and improve personalized care for diverse populations.
Craig Forester, MD, PhD	Pediatric Hematology/Oncology	Forester Lab	Our lab seeks to define out epitranscriptomic changes impact specificity in protein synthesis across an array of contexts including pediatric bone marrow failure and oncogenesis predisposition.
Michael Graner, MS, PhD	Neurosurgery	Graner Lab	Understanding how tumor/host immune responses in immune suppression and immunotherapy development. Extracellular vesicles in neurologic diseases. Canine cancer vaccine development.
Adam Green, MD	Pediatrics	Green Lab	Our lab investigates pediatric high-grade glioma, a challenging childhood brain tumor that currently has poor treatment options and survival. We use genomic, functional genomic, and drug screening methods to find novel targets in these tumors, and then we study treatments against these targets in lab models to find promising therapies to take to early-phase pediatric clinical trials. We have several potential projects available across the translational spectrum and studying various subtypes of these tumors.
Curtis Henry, PhD		Henry Lab	Obesity is associated with immune dysfunction, which increases susceptibility to infections, cancer, and other diseases. Interestingly, research in our lab has discovered that obesity reduces global actin levels in T-cells and increased lipid content in the cell membrane. Furthermore, we have discovered that these obesity-induced biophysical changes in T-cell compromises binding to targets, including immunotherapies which are used to treat blood cancers. We will continue to characterize obesity induced T-cell function using a variety of biophysical and bioengineering assays to assess overall structure of T-cells, their movement through simulated blood and lymphatic vessels, and their ability to bind and kill cancer cells.
Rebecca Ihrie, PhD	Pediatrics - Child Neurology		My laboratory focuses on brain tumors across the lifespan and their relationship to stem cells of the developing and adult brain. We do a large amount of flow cytometry, imaging cytometry, and advanced data analysis. A typical summer research project would involve learning immunostaining techniques with supervision from lab members, and then implementing a quantitative workflow to analyze the data. For students with a particular interest in computational analyses, we do offer advanced projects analyzing high dimensional data (35+ channels on tens of thousands to millions of cells) supported by an Image Data Science Manager in the group.
Craig Jordan, PhD	Medicine	Jordan Lab	Evaluation of leukemia stem cell biology and therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Miria Kano, PhD	Community and Behavioral Health		We have two potential projects for a summer student - survivorship care for people diagnosed with breast cancer and barriers and facilitators to clinical trial enrollment for those diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Laurel Lenz, PhD	Immunology and Microbiology		Our group is doing basic research geared towards improving the activation and impact of natural killer (NK) cells in the context of cancer and other diseases. Mature NK cells can recognize and kill tumor cells, but their ability to do is enhanced (or possibly impaired) by external stimuli they are exposed to. We have identified bacterial products that engage with the immune system in a way that strongly induces NK cell activation. Ongoing work in the lab seeks to better understand how these products work in hopes of developing new therapies. The summer project will involve testing if tumor cell products might suppress the activation of NK cells and whether stimulation of NK cells with bacterial products can overcome or block these effects to improve NK cell anti-tumor responses.
Traci Lyons, PhD	Medicine - Medical Oncology		The relationship between semaphorin 7a and mesenchymal and macrophage related phenotypes.
Siddhartha Mitra, PhD	Pediatrics and Neurosurgery		I lead an independent laboratory focused on researching tumor immunology and exploring the crucial role of oncogenes in controlling tumor immune surveillance.
Joe Nassour, PhD	Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (BMG)	Nassour Lab	We study how activation of the RAS pathway triggers the senescence program, causing cells to permanently stop dividing. In particular, we focus on how oncogenic RAS signaling induces DNA damage at telomeres, leading to activation of the DNA damage response and establishment of cellular senescence. Our goal is to understand how these mechanisms link oncogenic signaling, telomere dysfunction, and tumor suppression.
Mike Oliphant, PhD	Pharmacology	Oliphant Lab	The Oliphant Lab integrates single-cell genomics, patient-derived organoids and high-throughput drug screening to understand how breast cancers begin and how they rewire their metabolism to become resistant to therapy.
Eric Pietras, PhD	Medicine		Metabolic targeting of pre-leukemic stem cells in clonal hematopoiesis and myelodysplastic syndrome
Todd Pitts, PhD	Medicine	Pitts Lab	The Pitts (GI Translational Research) Lab is focused on developing new novel therapies for colorectal and pancreatic cancers. The lab is interested in finding rational combination partners for molecularly-targeted anticancer and immunotherapy agents. The Pitts lab has a special interest in predictive biomarker and resistance mechanisms using correlative biological assays for early phase clinical trials.
Jennifer Richer, PhD	Pathology	Richer Lab	Dr. Richer’s expertise in steroid hormone receptors in cancer spans over 25 years. Her laboratory uses contemporary cell and molecular biology techniques to elucidate mechanisms of endocrine therapy resistance in women’s cancers and identify targetable proteins involved in tumor progression.
Rebecca Schweppe, PhD	Endocrinology-Medicine	Schweppe Lab	Activating mutations of the MAP kinase (MAPK) pathway, especially mutations in BRAF-V600E, are common in thyroid cancer. Although a combination of BRAF and MEK1/2 inhibition (dabrafenib and trametinib) was recently approved for BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer, it is clear that new, more effective therapies are needed. We have recently identified the androgen receptor (AR) as a potential mechanism of resistance to BRAF-directed therapies. The goals of the summer research project will be determine how AR mediates resistance to BRAF inhibition using innovative in vitro approaches.
Natalie Serkova, PhD	Radiology	Serkova Lab	The student will be involved in a multi-team project (including Animal Imaging team, Pediatric Neurooncology Team, and Radiation Oncology team) to apply advancer MRI imaging protocols at a 9.4T MRI scanner to detect, characterize and differentiate three distinct brain tumor subtypes of orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models. Particularly, she/he will be involved in MRI analysis to characterize pediatric debilitating brain tumors such as high-grade gliomas/ diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas, medulloblastomas and ependymomas. The student will have an independent, well-defined summer fellowship project and learn to work in a collaborative multi-team environment. He/she will receive extended training in brain tumor biology, oncologic imaging, image analysis and how to present their results and prepare scientific reports.
Dan Sherbenou, MD-PhD	Medicine	Sherbenou Lab	The immediate goal of our research is to improve the treatment and outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma, especially for patients who have developed difficult-to-treat multi-drug resistant disease. Our approach is to utilize primary bone marrow biopsies in developing new therapies, personalizing the application of current drugs, and designing novel drug combinations to treat acquired resistance.
Meredith Tennis, PhD	Medicine		Investigate a molecular profile of persistence in lung premalignant lesions for mechanistic connections to activity to a lung cancer prevention agent.
Linda van Dyk, PhD	Immunology and Microbiology		My lab's research interests center around cancer biology, gene regulation, and microbiology virology.
Rajeev Vibhakar, MD, PhD	Pediatrics		Investigation of mechanisms of resistance in pediatric brain tumors using patient derived cells and advanced molecular techniques such as ChIP-Seq, single cell RNA Seq.

Meet Our Past Fellows

Summer Program Finale

CREU – Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates and SURF – Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, scholars completed their 2025 season at the University of Colorado Anschutz with a Poster Session, that highlighted their projects, including research, findings, and results. Campus faculty and staff, as well as participants' family members, had the opportunity to listen to presentations and view posters. Congratulations to all CREU and SURF scholars; as well as to program PIs Rebecca Schweppe, PhD (CREU), and Traci Lyons, PhD (SURF), and Co-Director John Tentler, PhD, and Program Coordinator Claire McGraw, PhD. Well Done!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4u4qmiwqyLs

Esha Chopra, a 2024 CREU student, named a 2025 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) fellow.

CREU 2024 alumna, Esha Chopra, has been awarded a prestigious NSF GRFP fellowship to pursue her graduate studies in biomedical engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding students early in their careers who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support, inclusive of an annual stipend.

Congratulations, Esha, on this tremendous achievement!

CREU Program Provides Pathways to Research Success for Undergraduates, with Insights from Khoa Nguyễn

The Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates (CREU) program is a transformative initiative designed to provide students, especially those from first-generation college or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in scientific research. By offering financial support, mentorship, and educational resources, the program allows students to focus entirely on their research pursuits without the burden of financial concerns.

Khoa Nguyễn, an MD/MBA candidate at the University of Colorado Anschutz, is one of the many students whose academic journey has been shaped by CREU. Nguyễn first joined the program before the COVID-19 pandemic and received additional funding in 2021 for in-person research activities. Reflecting on his experience, Nguyễn highlighted the importance of mentorship, which he believes was crucial for his growth. CREU not only provided him with professional skills, such as poster building and abstract submission, but also empowered him with opportunities to engage in research and present his findings, tools essential for furthering a career in science.

Nguyễn’s CREU research, under the mentorship of Michael Graner, PhD, primarily focused on neurosurgery, particularly brain tumors. His work centered on chordomas—rare tumors of the spine that can metastasize to the skull base. His research on exosomal interactions within chordoma cells, an area largely unexplored, aimed to understand how exosomes—small vesicles that carry genetic material and proteins—impact osteoblasts and the tumor microenvironment. This groundbreaking work has the potential to uncover new therapeutic pathways for rare tumor types. Looking forward, Nguyễn postulated, “I hope the findings from our research serve as a fundamental cornerstone to further motivate other researchers to continue exploring the signaling pathways of chordoma tumors and their exosomal effects, with the goal of advancing therapeutic options for this challenging pathology.”

Since his time with CREU, Nguyễn’s experience in medicine has inspired him to pursue a clinical career in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He is also involved in research focused on improving breast cancer reconstruction techniques, specifically salvage reconstruction methods post-mastectomy, to enhance patient outcomes using natural tissue. He notes, “CREU gave me the experience and skills to translate my research abilities towards any field of interest, so that I can continue to advance healthcare for my patients. I am beyond grateful to Dr. Graner and the program for shaping my path.”

In addition to his medical training, Nguyễn is pursuing an MBA through a dual-degree program to complement his clinical expertise with strategic decision-making skills in healthcare. He is passionate about advocating for underprivileged students and breaking down socioeconomic barriers in medical education, ensuring equitable access to research opportunities for all.

The CREU program continues to be a vital resource for undergraduates interested in cancer research. With its ongoing commitment to inclusivity, mentorship, and professional development, the program encourages students from diverse backgrounds to apply. As it fosters the next generation of researchers, CREU remains dedicated to providing meaningful research experiences that can lead to significant advancements in healthcare.

CREU 2024 Alumni Rank in Top 15% for Cancer Biology Presentations at Fall Conference

CREU 2024 alumni Troy Sensano (University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa), Reina Saldivar (University of Texas at San Antonio), and Alondra Rodriguez (University of Texas at El Paso) were recognized for their Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Presentations in Cancer Biology at the 2024 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) in Pittsburgh, PA. Their presentations placed them in the top 15% of students presenting in the Cancer Biology category at the conference.

Congratulations to Troy, Reina, and Alondra, and best wishes to them and their 2024 cohort in all their future endeavors!

Elijah Johnson, a 2022 CREU Fellow, came to the CU Anschutz Cancer Center to research the mutation that makes him more likely to develop cancer.

Growing up in Windsor, Colorado, Elijah Johnson thought he would grow up to be a professional musician. He never considered a career as a biomedical researcher. But that all changed when his mother was diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a rare genetic mutation that increases the risk of cancer.

→ Read Elijah's Story Here.

Accomplishments

Do you have an accomplishments you'd like to share? Let us know at the link below!

CREU/SURF/DICR Accomplishments Form

Tools & Resources

CU Campuses

CU Anschutz

University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center

Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates (CREU)

Important Dates

What to know about the Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates

Fellowships are open to:

Fellows receive:

Orientation

Goals and Objectives

Twice-weekly Lectures

Clinical/Translational Workshops

Career Mentoring

Poster Session

Meet Our Past Fellows

Summer Program Finale

Esha Chopra, a 2024 CREU student, named a 2025 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) fellow.

CREU Program Provides Pathways to Research Success for Undergraduates, with Insights from Khoa Nguyễn

CREU 2024 Alumni Rank in Top 15% for Cancer Biology Presentations at Fall Conference

Elijah Johnson, a 2022 CREU Fellow, came to the CU Anschutz Cancer Center to research the mutation that makes him more likely to develop cancer.

Accomplishments

Cancer Center

Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates (CREU)

Important Dates

Program Information

Program Requirements

Program Mentors

Contact Us

Meet Our Past Fellows

Summer Program Finale

Esha Chopra, a 2024 CREU student, named a 2025 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) fellow.

CREU Program Provides Pathways to Research Success for Undergraduates, with Insights from Khoa Nguyễn

CREU 2024 Alumni Rank in Top 15% for Cancer Biology Presentations at Fall Conference

Elijah Johnson, a 2022 CREU Fellow, came to the CU Anschutz Cancer Center to research the mutation that makes him more likely to develop cancer.

Accomplishments

Cancer Center