August 4, 2004
'Junior nobelist' finds summer home at Dana-Farber
Mason Hedberg at work
When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, people often express their concern by calling or visiting, offering to do household chores or cook meals, or making a donation for cancer research.
When Mason Hedberg's grandmother developed a tumor on her spine four years ago, the then-high school freshman channeled his energy into a molecular biology project aimed at fixing a fundamental flaw in the chromosomes of cancer cells.
This year, the continuation of that project propelled Hedberg to first place in the nation's most prestigious science competition for high school seniors: the Intel Science Scholarship Talent Search, known informally as the "Junior Nobel Prize." It also helped him land a summer internship in the Dana-Farber laboratory of Ronald DePinho, MD, of Medical Oncology.
"I've been reading about laboratory techniques in microbiology for several years," says the member of North Attleboro High's Class of 2004. "This is the first opportunity I've had to actually do them."
If Hedberg's venture into the arcane realm of molecular biology was unusually ambitious for a 14-year-old, it was hardly out of character. His passion for science grew out of a boyhood fascination with insects and other small animals. His parents — a homemaker and an electrical engineer — noticed his interest and encouraged it. "My mother loves art museums," he remarks, "but she made sure we visited the occasional natural history museum for me."
The junior Nobelist is a science-fair enthusiast from way back. His first project, in sixth grade, sprang from his experiences as a competitive swimmer. The aim was to determine which hand position provides the most "pull" through the water. "I poured plaster into latex gloves and molded them into different positions," Hedberg recalls.
The project inspired by his grandmother's successful bout with cancer involved telomerase, an enzyme responsible for maintaining protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. In many cancer cells, the gene for telomerase gets stuck in overdrive, preventing the gradual whittling-away of the caps that eventually prompts cells to die. Hedberg devised a way of testing substances to see if they could inhibit telomerase. To obtain the necessary genes and reagents and gain access to laboratory equipment and space, Hedberg e-mailed scientists and biotech firms engaged in this work. The first researcher to send him telomerase genes was Dana-Farber's William Hahn, MD, PhD, of Medical Oncology.
"Over the years, my lab has had the privilege of hosting aspiring high school scientists," DePinho remarks. "There is nothing more important or gratifying than to see how that seminal lab experience has influenced the lives of these students. Amongst this very select group, Mason is clearly one of the special ones."
And the winner is...
Hedberg applied for the Intel prize in the fall of 2002, his junior year, by writing a 20-page research paper and five essays — "basically what you'd go through to apply to college," he says. One of 1,300 students nationally to apply, he was named one of 40 finalists.
In March of this year, the finalists traveled to Washington, D.C., for a week of pressure-cooker competition. "In the first part, we were interviewed by five groups of judges," Hedberg explains. "Each panel had three judges, and each interview lasted 15 minutes. We were asked random questions about science, not necessarily in areas related to our own projects." Next, the students presented their projects to judges in poster displays. For the awards ceremony, all 40 finalists went on stage to receive medals, laptop computers, and $5,000 college scholarships. Then the top 10 students were announced, each receiving additional scholarships.
"I was hoping for a spot in the top 10," Hedberg says, "but I didn't think I'd be the overall winner. Then the confetti started falling and they read my name. I was in shock." The top price included a large medal, a $100,000 scholarship, and the kind of adulation usually reserved for Super Bowl heroes. He took part in a press conference in New York City, and was interviewed on CNN and the Voice of America radio network. When he returned to North Attleboro, banners in the town center and outside his high school proclaimed, "Welcome Back, Mason Hedberg, #1 Science Student in the USA."
Prophetic words
It was a previous bit of "press" that helped bring Hedberg to the Institute this summer. Having won an earlier science competition, he was quoted in the Boston Herald as saying his career goal was to be an MD-PhD scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. When DFCI President Edward J. Benz Jr., MD, read the article, he invited Hedberg for an interview and put him in touch with DePinho, whose laboratory specializes in telomerase research.
Now, working with Richard Maser, PhD, of DePinho's lab team, Hedberg is involved in a project that uses telomerase-deficient mice to find genetic clues to colon cancer.
"It's been a great experience to work with someone as enthusiastic as Mason is about learning and applying new skills," Maser says. "He's an important part of our lab's efforts to understand cancer and aging."
