BioScience Center of Excellence
The BioScience COE provides guidance, encouragement, intellectual challenge, and unique exploratory opportunities to students who love science and are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.
The specialized academic programming offered by the BioScience Center of Excellence includes:
- Courses in human anatomy and physiology taught from a perspective of curiosity, enjoyment, and intellectual stimulation.
- Courses in bioethics and public health specially designed to encourage the inquisitive nature of BioScience students.
- Courses that provide practical experience in laboratory techniques and laboratory-based research.
- Field trips that complement the BioScience courses, and expose students to the diverse array of science-related career paths.
- The program culminates in the design and implementation of a year-long original research project under the guidance and mentorship of BioScience faculty—a faculty led by an MD and two BioMedical Engineers.
About the Program
Here's how to apply!
- Fill out the BioScience Application Form.
- Send the Science Teacher Evaluation Form to your Science teacher to fill out and submit
- The selection process will culminate with a formal interview.
Students will be evaluated on their academic record, teacher recommendations, and application essay.
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a reflection from a graduate of the bioscience center of excellence
Andrew Arsenault ’12, Biomedical Engineer at Baxter Medical
“The BioScience Program allowed me to have an early view into the healthcare field, specifically biomedical engineering. Having this opportunity in high school allowed me to make an educated decision early on, that this was the field for me; thus, giving me a clear path throughout college. The BioScience Program introduced me to the healthcare field and with it, the myriad of ways I could become involved. Along with our classes and research, this was done through touring many different facilities (Including hospitals, research labs, and many industry conferences), getting to shadow and learn about research currently being done in the field, and meeting many of the professionals performing this work. This led to me getting to know some of the people that would eventually become my professors at the University of Minnesota. We also took on capstone projects, mine was on modeling and gaining understanding of C-SRC Tyrosine Kinase, a protein involved in cancer progression. Through this I learned how cellular signaling works, and how those processes act against the cell in the case of cancer; I also gained early skills in AutoCAD during this project, which have been very useful in my current position as an engineer at Baxter Medical. Overall the BioScience Program was both the reason I chose my field, and my opportunity to pursue it.”
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Meet the Director
Maren LaLiberty, M.D., is the founding director of the BioScience Center of Excellence at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School.
Dr. LaLiberty holds an M.D. and a B.A. in microbiology from the University of Minnesota. After practicing family medicine for several years, she decided to dedicate her life to teaching and coaching. She spent seven years coaching women’s rowing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison before taking her extensive knowledge of biological sciences to St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock, VA, where she taught science and math courses and coached the rowing team.
Meet the Assistant Director
Ellee Cook, PhD, was hired as the assistant director of the Shattuck-St. Mary’s BioScience Center of Excellence in 2024.
Dr. Cook received her B.S. in Biology from Trinity University and her PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri. She assists with all facets of the program, including helping to develop and grow the BioScience program through unique, exploratory opportunities for students who are interested in pursuing a health-science related career.