Welcome to UNCW Summer Ventures. This 4 week research intensive program provides students the opportunity to engage in the science and mathematics research process. UNCW courses highlight areas of STEM and research at our campus. Students will have the pleasure and privilege of working with some of our most innovative faculty on collaborative research projects. So, take a deep breath and get ready to “dive in” to Summer Ventures at UNCW.
-Ms. Erin Moran, Director for Summer Ventures at UNCW
Summer Ventures is open to North Carolina students in the sophomore and junior year of high school. Participants apply to join summer ventures in the Fall with a deadline in mid-Janauary. Students apply to summer ventures as a state program. Accepted students are placed at one of the 4 campuses that host the program. Campuses inlcude App State, University North Carolina Charlotte, East Carolina University, and University North Carolina Wilmington.
Summer 2024 planning is underway for this year's 4-week UNCW Summer Ventures programming in person.
When: Sunday, June 23 to Saturday, July 20, 2024
Gene therapy encompasses a spectrum of advanced biotechnological approaches aimed at effecting transient or permanent genetic alterations within the cells of the human body. Recent advancements in this field have offered promising avenues for treating previously incurable diseases. We cordially invite the brightest young minds from North Carolina to embark on an exciting and challenging research expedition this summer.
Join us in collaborative teams as we tackle complex diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) utilizing cutting-edge gene therapy techniques. This immersive program will introduce you to state-of-the-art methodologies, including genome editing utilizing CRISPR-Cas9, RNA interference, and gene replacement strategies employing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and Adenovirus-Associated Virus (AAV). Throughout this experience, you will have the opportunity to select a target disease and craft personalized gene therapy solutions. Under expert guidance, you will engage in hands-on laboratory work, mastering the entire process of creating brain-targeted delivery systems such as AAVs and LNPs. This intensive 4-week program mirrors the intricacies of real-world biomedical research, encouraging highly exploratory projects that delve into uncharted territories.
This program represents a unique opportunity to boldly venture into unexplored scientific frontiers, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in the realm of gene therapy. Together, we will embark on a transformative journey towards addressing diseases of the CNS, opening doors to innovation and discovery.
This course is an introduction to applications of mathematical concepts in developing, analyzing, and simulating deterministic biological models. Mathematical methods may include continuous and discrete modeling in terms of non-linear differential equations and difference equations. Biological applications may include population dynamics, ecology, Epidemiology, evolution, molecular biology, and physiology. We will first study some of the fundamental mathematics topics that students will encounter in college-level differential equations and linear algebra courses (after calculus). More importantly, we will explore the relevance of differential/difference equations to real-life problems and get students trained with the discrete and continuous modeling process in biology and ecology. Through literature reading, problem sets, Maple projects, and group discussions, students will 1) have a thorough understanding of classical models and their variations, 2) attain a skillful mastery of the linearization and phase-plane methods as well as the stability analysis for differential and difference equations, 3) learn some basic numerical packages for analysis and simulations, 4) reach conclusions concerning selected biological questions through a final paper on developed mathematical model, using the concepts and methods learned.
Today, we face challenges due to climate change, land-use change, and coastal pollution disrupting natural biogeochemical cycles. These disruptions lead to severe consequences like habitat loss, degraded water quality, and declining essential ecosystem services. Ecosystem services include fishing, aquaculture, recreation, water filtration, and carbon sequestration. From conceptualization to study design, execution, and completion, we will guide each research team through the scientific method to explore the impacts of natural and anthropogenic processes on coastal biogeochemistry. Because of our proximity to the coast, at UNCW, there is a unique opportunity to conduct fieldwork, transforming your classroom learning experience into a real-life science laboratory. You’ll collect samples to analyze environmental factors like salinity, pH, and nutrient concentrations, biological parameters like chlorophyll-a and nutrient concentrations, and geological elements like grain-size analyses and microplastic pollution. We also have access to the Center for Marine Sciences Core facilities, allowing us to analyze data on-site using state-of-the-art instrumentation, integrating stable isotope analyses into our studies. This interdisciplinary course offers hands-on, practical experiences that highlight the impacts of environmental change on coastal North Carolina.