15 Biology Programs for High School Students in Pennsylvania
If you're a high school student who gets genuinely curious about how living things work, why cells divide, how diseases spread, what makes one organism adapt and another go extinct, biology programs can give you a space to actually explore those questions. Beyond the classroom, these programs put you in real lab environments, often alongside graduate students or faculty researchers, where you’ll work on projects that go well beyond what's covered in a standard science curriculum. The practical exposure is useful, but so is the network: you meet researchers, clinicians, and fellow students who share the same interests, and those connections often stick.
Why should you attend a Biology program in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a strong concentration of research universities and medical institutions, and several of them open their doors to high school students over the summer. Depending on where you land, you might find yourself running experiments in a university lab, studying ecology in the field, working through biomedical case studies, or getting a close look at how clinical research actually operates. If you live in Pennsylvania, these programs are an easy way to build academic connections close to home. If you're coming from out of state, the research environment here, particularly in cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, is a solid reason to make the trip.
We've narrowed things down to 15 biology programs for high school students in Pennsylvania.
If you’re looking for programs in Pennsylvania, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These 15 programs span cancer biology, immunology, neuroscience, computational biology, microbiology, infectious diseases, zoology, and AI in medicine, so students with a wide range of biology interests can find a relevant option in Pennsylvania or online.
Several programs are free or paid, including Wistar Institute Fellowship ($1,500 stipend), TRIPxJ&J at Fox Chase ($1,300 stipend), CHOP-RISES (stipend provided), UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy (stipends for underrepresented students), and Magee-Womens Research Institute Internship (free), while programs such as Lumiere and Veritas AI, offer full financial aid for eligible students.
Many programs prioritize Philadelphia or Pittsburgh residents or students from specific school districts, including Wistar Institute (Philadelphia School District), CHOP-RISES (Philadelphia public and charter schools), TRIPxJ&J (Philadelphia and Montgomery County), and Magee-Womens (southwest Pennsylvania counties), so local students should take note of these targeted opportunities.
Programs vary significantly in length and format, from one-week neuroscience intensives, such as Drexel NEURO Summer Academy, to multi-year commitments, such as CHOP-RISES (up to three consecutive summers) and West Philadelphia Zoo Scholars (year-round), so students can choose based on their availability and depth of interest.
Application deadlines for the most competitive programs fall early, including the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy (December to mid-February), the Wistar Institute Fellowship, and the Magee-Womens Research Institute (applications open in late fall), so students should begin researching options in the fall.
1. Wistar Institute High School Fellowship in Biomedical Research
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Free; $1,500 stipend upon successful completion
Program Dates: July 6 – July 30
Deadline: Check the website for the latest updates
Eligibility: At least 16 years old by July 6; must have completed at least one high school science course; prioritizes students enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia
The Wistar Institute is one of the country's leading cancer and immunology research centers, and its four-week High School Fellowship places 15 selected students directly inside an active research environment. You'll work in Wistar's Training Lab, learning biomedical laboratory techniques while contributing to real, ongoing science projects. The program also includes sessions on reading and interpreting scientific literature and structured career exploration across the range of roles in biomedical research. At the end of the four weeks, you present your work at a formal program presentation. There's also an optional, competitive add-on: select participants are invited to spend an additional three weeks immediately after the main program doing individually mentored research in one of Wistar's cancer research labs.
2. Veritas AI’s AI Medicine
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Varies as per program; financial aid available
Program Dates:10 weeks
Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 8–12, Completion of the AI Scholars program, or prior Python experience
Veritas AI is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. In the AI + Medicine Deep Dive, you learn how AI is used in the healthcare and medical industry. You also get a chance to work on real-world projects using AI & ML models to diagnose diseases, sharpen medical scans, and explain their outcomes to aid doctors and patients. Here is the program brochure and the application form.
3. Teen Research Internship Program Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson (TRIPxJ&J)
Location: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Free; $1,300 stipend upon successful completion
Program Dates: September 8 – November 7
Deadline: June 8
Eligibility: Current 9th–12th graders; at least 16 years old by September 8; must be from a school in the Philadelphia School District or Montgomery County, PA; completion of at least one biology or chemistry course recommended but not required
TRIPxJ&J is a ten-week program at Fox Chase Cancer Center structured around three phases: career exploration, hands-on experimentation, and scientific communication. You'll meet with researchers and healthcare professionals across the cancer center, run real lab experiments, collect and analyze data, and finish the program by presenting your findings at a symposium and publishing a blog post for a public audience. One-on-one mentoring with Fox Chase faculty and leadership development activities are woven into the schedule throughout.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote; you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varies based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. Magee-Womens Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Magee-Womens Research Institute / Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cost: Free
Program Dates: June 15 – July 24
Deadline: Applications open in late fall
Eligibility: Current sophomore or junior in high school; over 16 years old by June 15; must have permanent or primary residence in one of the following southwest Pennsylvania counties: Greene, Fayette, Somerset, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Washington, Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana, or Cambria
In the Magee-Womens Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program, you are paired with an investigator and their lab staff, working on a basic, translational, or clinical research project. Throughout the summer, informal Lunch and Learn sessions give you direct access to MWRI scientists and faculty who talk candidly about their careers and how they got there. The program wraps with a formal High School Internship Presentation Day, where you present your findings to MWRI faculty, staff, and other invitees.
6. Immersion Science Program (ISP)
Location: FCCC Teaching Lab, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Program Dates: 11 consecutive Saturdays; winter and summer session cycles available
Deadline: October–early November
Eligibility: Open to students in the Philadelphia Tri-State area; at least 16 years old; must have completed both high school biology and chemistry, neither of which may be concurrent
The Immersion Science Program is a research program where you'll conduct experiments in Fox Chase's Teaching Lab focused on identifying the molecular targets of dietary nutrients in cancer-relevant biological pathways, and this student-generated data has contributed to peer-reviewed publications. You'll be participating in crowdsourced, large-scale experimental work alongside graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who follow up on your results. At the end of the 11 weeks, you present your findings on student presentation day.
7. CHOP Research Internship for Scholars and Emerging Scientists (CHOP-RISES)
Location: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Free; stipends provided
Program Dates: 6 weeks
Deadline: Applications open in February
Eligibility: Rising juniors at public or charter schools in the City of Philadelphia; at least 16 years old; must be legally authorized to work in the United States; priority given to students from West Philadelphia and schools with existing CHOP-RISES partnerships
CHOP-RISES is built as a two-summer internship, not a one-time program. Rising juniors at Philadelphia public or charter schools enter through CHOP-RISES I, a six-week hands-on lab internship where you work alongside CHOP researchers, build foundational research skills, and explore a range of STEM and health careers. Students who complete RISES I are invited back the following summer for RISES II, an eight-week program where you choose a specialized research track, work on an independent project, and mentor the next RISES I cohort. An optional third summer RISES III is available for graduates if you want to continue your research involvement.
8. West Philadelphia Zoo Scholars
Location: Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Free
Program Dates: Year-round; 2 Saturday sessions per month during the school year plus summer programs
Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students going into 10th or 11th grade who attend school or live in Philadelphia; preference given to students in West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia Zoo Scholars is built around zoological sciences, veterinary medicine, environmental education, and wildlife conservation. The program places you in hands-on work at America's first zoo, directly alongside zookeepers, veterinarians, and conservation educators. You'll conduct field research, participate in environmental justice projects, and develop skills in public speaking, teamwork, and scientific communication over time.
9. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy
Location: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Free; stipends available for students from underrepresented-in-biomedicine backgrounds
Program Dates: June 15 – July 31
Deadline: December–mid-February
Eligibility: High school students in good academic standing; primarily rising juniors and seniors; seniors in their final year may apply if not enrolled in college courses during the program; must be at least 15 years old for computational sites or at least 16 years old for all other lab sites
The UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy places high school students inside active cancer research labs across the University of Pittsburgh campus for eight weeks. You're assigned to one of several research sites covering areas like computational biology, pathobiology, cancer immunology, and women's cancer research, and you spend the majority of your time working directly on a research project with an assigned faculty mentor. About 80% of your time is in the lab doing real research; the rest goes toward didactic instruction, journal clubs, facility tours of clinical cancer care centers, and career talks from scientists and doctors working in the field. At the end of the program, you’ll give a ten-minute oral presentation and defend a research poster at a formal symposium.
10. Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Program in Computational Biology
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Program Dates: June 20 – July 18
Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Current sophomore or junior in high school at time of application; at least 16 years old by June 20; academic average of B (3.0/4.0) or better
Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Program in Computational Biology splits each day between a wet lab and a coding hackathon. In the lab, you’ll collect environmental samples, isolate bacterial DNA, fragment it into sequences, generate the datasets, and then work computationally. In the hackathon half of the day, you’ll work in teams to write code that solves real, research-inspired problems in biology using the same approaches computational biologists use to analyze genomic data worldwide. CMU also gives you access to robotic lab equipment, including liquid handling robots, so you get a sense of how automation and machine learning are changing how science is conducted.
11. Drexel Neuroscience Camp
Location: Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: $2,500
Program Dates: July 20 – July 31
Deadline: April 3
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; background in biology, chemistry, or research required
Drexel's medical school, the Neuroscience Camp, covers the brain from multiple angles: anatomy, electrophysiology, cellular neuroscience, sensory processing, neuropathology, neuropharmacology, comparative neuroanatomy, and brain-machine interfacing. It's led by award-winning faculty alongside graduate student instructors, and includes live brain activity recordings as part of the lab experience. You'll work through a lab project that incorporates neuroscience techniques and data analysis, get instruction in scientific literature searching, and practice research presentation skills. Field trips to the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Franklin Institute are also part of the schedule.
12. Penn State Biotechnology Mini Summer School
Location: Penn State University Park, Pennsylvania
Cost: $335
Program Dates: July 27–30
Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Ages 14–17
Penn State Biotechnology Mini Summer School is a compact program built around wet lab work and industry exposure rather than a longer residential experience. You'll get hands-on time with DNA cloning and PCR amplification, learning the techniques directly in a working research lab. Alongside the lab sessions, you'll hear from scientists and industry professionals from biopharmaceutical, agricultural, and environmental biotechnology careers, giving you a grounded picture of where these techniques actually get used.
13. Drexel NEURO Summer Academy on Brain and Technology
Location: Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: $2,000
Program Dates: June 23 – June 27
Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors; must have completed one year of biology; some interest in math, engineering, or health and life sciences
The Drexel NEURO Summer Academy is a one-week, in-person program that explores neuroscience through the lens of how the brain's biology translates into real-world technology. You'll build foundational knowledge in cognitive neuroscience and neuroengineering while getting hands-on time with tools that sit at the intersection of both, including wearable neuroimaging devices, brain-computer interfaces, and virtual reality platforms.
The program is led by Drexel faculty who are actively conducting research in neuroscience and biomedical engineering, and includes site visits and seminars with industry professionals working in the biomedical space. Alongside the lab and classroom components, you'll hear directly from experts about career paths and where the field is headed.
14. Penn SAS Biomedical Research Academy
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Not specified; scholarships available for select Philadelphia students
Program Dates: July 11 – August 1
Deadline: Check the website for the latest updates
Eligibility: Current 9th–11th grade students; one year of high school biology required; international students welcome with a Tourist or B-2 visa
The Biomedical Research Academy at the University of Pennsylvania is a three-week residential program built around the experimental side of cellular, molecular, and genetic biology with a deliberate focus on how all of it connects to disease. Each day combines morning lectures, journal clubs, and laboratory sessions, giving you a structured rhythm that reflects how real research actually moves. Guest lecturers include scientists, clinicians, and faculty from Penn's Department of Biology and School of Medicine, and topics shift year to year; past sessions have covered genome sequencing, CRISPR/Cas-9, vaccine research, and antibiotic resistance. In the wet lab, you'll run experiments like PCR, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, and ELISA using the same lab spaces Penn undergrads use to determine blood types, investigate gene expression in bacteria, and analyze a mock disease outbreak. Four of the 13 lab sessions move into computational biology, where you'll use Python to analyze real biological data and draw scientific conclusions. Journal clubs meet daily in small groups under faculty guidance, where you read, interpret, and critique primary research articles and present your findings to the group at the end of the program.
15. Penn SAS Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Academy
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Program Dates: July 11 – August 1
Deadline: Check the website for the latest updates
Eligibility: Current 9th–11th grade students; one year of high school biology required; international students welcome with a Tourist or B-2 visa
Penn SAS Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Academy’s curriculum moves through cell and molecular biology, microbiology, immunology, genetics, and epidemiology, all organized around how specific pathogens behave in the human body and in populations. You'll study diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, influenza, smallpox, and COVID-19, covering not just the science but the public health response strategies around them. Classes combine lectures with small group activities, debates, and daily interviews with frontline experts like virologists, epidemiologists, microbiologists, and public health workers currently or previously involved in pandemic response. You'll also get hands-on lab and field trip experiences tied to course content. The program ends with a final project: you lead a peer discussion on a specific pathogen and produce a public service announcement about responding to the next pandemic.
Frequently asked questions
1. What biology programs are available for high school students in Pennsylvania?
Options include cancer and biomedical research programs, such as Wistar Institute Fellowship, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy, and TRIPxJ&J at Fox Chase, neuroscience programs, such as Drexel Neuroscience Camp and Drexel NEURO Summer Academy, computational biology programs, such as CMU Pre-College Computational Biology, microbiology and infectious disease programs, such as Penn SAS Microbiology Academy, zoology and conservation programs, such as West Philadelphia Zoo Scholars, and virtual and research programs, such as Lumiere and Veritas AI.
2. Are there free or paid biology programs for high school students in Pennsylvania?
Yes, Wistar Institute Fellowship provides a $1,500 stipend, TRIPxJ&J provides a $1,300 stipend, CHOP-RISES provides stipends across its three-summer structure, UPMC Hillman provides stipends for underrepresented students, and Magee-Womens Research Institute Internship is free, while Lumiere and Veritas AI offer full financial aid for eligible students.
3. Which Pennsylvania biology programs are best for students interested in cancer research?
Wistar Institute Fellowship, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy, TRIPxJ&J at Fox Chase, and Fox Chase Immersion Science Program all place students in active cancer research environments, with UPMC Hillman and Wistar offering the most intensive lab placements with faculty mentors.
4. Do any Pennsylvania biology programs lead to publications or formal research outputs?
Fox Chase Immersion Science Program has contributed student-generated data to peer-reviewed publications, Lumiere Research Scholar Program guides students through producing an independent research paper, Veritas AI supports students in publishing AI medicine projects, and CHOP-RISES students in the second summer complete independent research projects.
5. Which programs are open to students outside Pennsylvania?
Lumiere Research Scholar Program and Veritas AI are fully virtual and open to students anywhere in the world; Penn SAS Academies welcome international students with a Tourist or B-2 visa; and CMU Pre-College Computational Biology and Drexel programs accept out-of-state applicants.
6. When should I apply to biology programs for high school students in Pennsylvania?
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy and Wistar Institute Fellowship both open applications in the fall and close by mid-February; Magee-Womens Research Institute also opens applications in late fall, and TRIPxJ&J closes June 8 for its fall session. Students should begin researching options in the summer before the program year and prepare applications as soon as they open.