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2026 KEYS Interns Partner with RKCCOP Faculty for Research Showcase

Sept. 14, 2026
KEYS 2026

This summer marked the 20th anniversary of the BIO5 Institute’s KEYS Research Internship. For twenty years, high school students across Arizona have been given the opportunity to partner with faculty and researchers from the University of Arizona to tackle some of today’s biggest scientific questions and projects. Removed from a traditional classroom setup, KEYS interns enter the lab, participate in hands-on groundbreaking research, and learn the importance of curiosity, collaboration, and persistence.

The KEYS internship enables Arizona students to immerse themselves in scientific projects and training on a practical and real-world scale, under the guidance of University of Arizona faculty members. The program aims to prepare students to pursue STEM degrees after high school while increasing the talent and diversity at in-state universities.

This year’s cohort of interns included 58 students, chosen from over 500 applicants, the largest pool in the program’s history. The program concluded on July 17, when the cohort presented its research to U of A and community attendees of the KEYS Showcase, held annually at the Health Sciences Innovation Building. The R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy had multiple faculty members participate in 2026, including:

Together with their mentors, these students built skills in lab techniques, data science, and science communication, expanding their experience and knowledge of laboratory settings and the scientific process while cultivating their interest in STEM fields. We spoke with three students who gave us some insight into their experiences as KEYS Interns.

Fatima Al Zubaidi | The effects of cell cycle inhibition on G-quadruples levels

Fatima Al Zubaidi
  • Can you summarize your research focus and objective?
    • My research focused on G- quadruplexes, which are secondary DNA structures that arise in Ewing Sarcoma (ES). ES is the second most common pediatric bone cancer, and it is a transcriptionally addicted tumor, which results in high levels of secondary DNA structures like R-loops and G-quadruplexes. These structures can act as barriers to regulate transcription. This study examined the effects on G-quadruplex levels in Ewing Sarcoma cells, by stopping cell cycle through the removal of fetal bovine serum over 24 and 48 hours. We observed that stopping cell cycle resulted in increased G-quadruplex levels, indicating that cell cycle inhibition can limit ES's ability to resolve these secondary structures.
  • What was your experience as a KEYS intern?
    • As a KEYS intern, I was able to explore the part of science that can't be taught in a classroom setting. From attending lab meetings to conducting experiments alongside my mentors, I was immersed in an environment which honed my professional skills in communication and presenting and nourished my academic interest in the world of research. I was provided with an invaluable experience that not only helped me grow as a person both academically and fundamentally, but also an experience which allowed me to interact with many other peers, mentors, and professionals who share the same interest and curiosity in the world of stem.
Fatima Al Zubaidi
  • What are your key takeaways from your mentorship?
    • My key takeaway was the tight-knit community that welcomed me with open arms during my summer with KEYS. I came into the internship thinking that all scientists and researchers were solely goal oriented and only had their minds on the research. However, I quickly learned that it was not the case. Although everyone is there with the goal of completing research, they were also people with lives outside work and amazing personalities. Above all it was a community filled with individuals with bright minds and caring hearts; a community of people who are ready to help at all times, whether it was with running ideas through each other or providing directions when someone got lost in the huge buildings. This summer I truly felt welcomed within this special community.
  • How will the internship affect your post-high school career?
    • This internship and presentation were truly an eye-opening experience that may change the trajectory of my career post-high school. I came into the program dead-set on having a career in health care in the future because of my love for medicine. However, 7 weeks showed me the importance and value that research holds. Being placed in a cancer research lab revealed to me how medicine can be approached through a scientific laboratory sense and I grew to love it more than I could have ever imagined. Now I am seriously considering approaching my love for medicine through research as well. Additionally, this program has equipped me with presentation skills as well as with scientific and professional communication.

Naveen Nanthakumar | Optimal Data Harmonization for Observational Data Analysis

Naveen Nanthakumar
  • Can you summarize your research focus and objective?
    • My main objective was to create an AI tool using Google Colab that helps researchers with the data harmonization process. The tool allows researchers to find similar variables across different datasets and suggests a common variable name for the datasets. Ultimately, the common variable names will make data analysis and pooling (combining different datasets) easier. After creating the AI tool, I had to determine the pooling feasibility of data from two cohorts: the Precision Aging Network (PAN) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). I used the AI tool to help find similar variables across the two datasets, and I determined the pooling feasibility using data analysis techniques such as statistical regression and finding standardized mean difference (SMD) values.
  • What was your experience as a KEYS intern?
    • I have learned so much in my time in KEYS, from statistics to scientific communication. During the training week, I learned and improved upon many skills and topics, such as learning how to program in R, learning new concepts in statistics, understanding how to communicate in science, and even learning how to use Microsoft products! Working in the lab has given me valuable experience in a professional setting, as I have learned how to collaborate with a research team and how to manage my time more effectively to stay on track and meet deadlines. My lab was very helpful, and they ensured I understood everything. This experience has taught me that there are so many people and tools to help you when something seems hard; for example, I had a hard time understanding some of the concepts in the statistics lesson during the training week, so I asked questions and used tools such as Google to help me understand better. Overall, I intend to continue using the academic and professional experience I learned during KEYS in future professional and academic settings.
Naveen Nanthakumar
  • What are your key takeaways from your mentorship?
    • Dr. Bonnie LaFleur taught me so many skills necessary for working in a professional field. She introduced me to her research area, explaining that scientific papers are essential for a deeper understanding of the topic. Additionally, everyone treated me like a real researcher, and they gave me the opportunity to learn more about the topic. Everyone was so kind and understanding, and they made sure I was successful in my time with KEYS.
  • How will this internship affect your post-high school career?
    • I learned so many new skills and concepts during KEYS. Beyond strengthening my college applications, the professional experience I gained in KEYS will help with the jobs I will pursue in the future, as I will be able to communicate and collaborate better and more professionally.

Medha Sivakumar | IL-6 Baseline Predictions on Two-Year Cognitive Decline on the MoCA

Medha Sivakumar
  • Can you summarize your research focus and objective?
    • My research examined whether baseline IL-6, a key inflammatory biomarker, can predict two-year cognitive decline as measured by MoCA scores, and whether this relationship is moderated by APOE ε4 carrier status, a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The motivation for this project stemmed from the fact that chronic inflammation is linked to neurodegeneration, and APOE ε4 carriers already show a heightened inflammatory response, making IL-6 a plausible early biomarker for dementia risk. I tested this across three cohorts (PAN, ADNI, and NACC), comparing a model with an IL-6 × APOE ε4 interaction term against a model without it. The results showed that APOE ε4 acts independently of IL-6, significantly predicting steeper two-year decline in both models, but the lack of a statistically significant interaction (in ADNI and the pooled analysis) points to an association between cognitive decline and APOE ε4 status specifically in those groups, rather than an amplifying effect of IL-6. Since ADNI has more than double PAN's sample size and carrier rate, pooling added precision to ADNI's signal rather than independently replicating it across cohorts. Overall, the work suggests that APOE ε4 status itself is the stronger, more independent signal for two-year cognitive decline risk.
  • What was your experience as a KEYS intern?
    • As a KEYS Research Intern, my internship was fully online, but being remote didn't take away from the experience at all. I learned how to work with research data, wrote and ran statistical models, and put together a full research poster from start to finish. It pushed me to grow a lot technically, especially since I started without much background in coding or data analysis.
Medha Sivakumar
  • What are your key takeaways from your mentorship?
    • My mentor, Dr. Bonnie LaFleur, was incredibly helpful the whole time and always willing to explain things until I understood. She really invested in making sure I understood the material instead of just getting through it. It ended up being such a rewarding experience, and honestly just really fun too.
  • How will this internship affect your post-high school career?
    • This internship confirmed a lot for me about where I want to go after high school. I'm planning to major in data science/statistics, and this experience gave me a real understanding of what that could actually look like. It made me want to keep pursuing research and analytical work, and gave me more confidence going into college, since I already know I can pick up technical tools on my own and work through problems that don't have a clean answer right away. Presenting the poster specifically helped me get more comfortable communicating my work to people who might not have the same background.

Since its founding, the KEYS program has graduated over 800 students. The program is led by the BIO5 Institute and made possible through the support of BIO5 and generous donors, including individuals, families, companies, foundations, and colleges and departments across the University of Arizona. Alumni have completed and are enrolled in advanced degrees in bioscience fields, work in industry, have published and contributed to research, and even mentor their own trainees – including KEYS alumna and current PharmTox doctoral candidate Alexis Cruickshank-Taylor.

Many graduates of the program attest that KEYS gave them the confidence they needed to pursue research careers and degrees and a competitive edge, as they had more direct research experience than their peers.  KEYS was also able to increase access to the program this year by offering 13 students the opportunity to stay in university dorms at no cost, making it easier for those who do not reside in Tucson or Phoenix to participate.

“It has been my honor to invite KEYs interns into my lab every year for the past 6 years,” shared LaFleur, faculty mentor to Nanthakumar and Sivakumar for 2026. “Naveen and Medha were the 13th and 14th intern who have been helping us with analyses and development of methods that can be used to improve healthspan and resiliency in older adults.  This summer was a wonderful capstone for the 5th year of the Precision Aging Network (PAN).  Naveen and Medha were instrumental in helping in our data sciences efforts from in building a novel AI tool (Naveen) through sophisticated analyses that help us understand the cognitive aging trajectory (Medha), PAN investigators will all benefit from the incredible work of our interns.”

Graduates of the program have the opportunity to enter higher education having already experienced the rigors and challenges of an academic and laboratory setting – often a crucial boost to student confidence and competence. A key goal of the program is to retain talented students within Arizona’s public universities and workforce. In support of this mission, KEYS interns earn college credit and are offered assured admission to the University of Arizona’s W.A. Franke Honors College upon application and acceptance.

Schwartz, faculty mentor to Al Zubaidi, had similar praise to share for the KEYS program. “I’ve found being a KEYS mentor rewarding for allowing the opportunity to engage students at a pivotal stage before they enter university and to meet some of the brightest young minds right here in Arizona,” he shared. “Without support from the KEYS program and its staff, this opportunity would be almost unheard of at the University of Arizona and no single lab or mentor could reproduce such an impactful, concentrated, and well-structured learning experience. Mentors like me and the U of A are at least as privileged to be part of the KEYS program as the students participating.”

We want to offer our warmest congratulations to all who participated in the KEYS Research Showcase, a special thanks to the students who discussed their internship experiences with us, and to all the faculty and KEYS staff who made these opportunities possible. You can read more about the program on the KEYS website, as well as view photos of the Showcase and the 2026 cohort. The 2027 KEYS Program will be held from June 7 – July 23, with applications opening November 2. Read more about KEYS 2026 and view photos on the Bio5 website.