Internship at Autism Speaks Merges Student’s Passion for Medicine and Science

As a psychology major with premedical and biological psychology concentrations at Holy Cross, Alice Simcoe-Matthews ’10 has learned quite a bit about autism through her studies.

This summer she will help further research on the developmental disorder, which affects 1 in 150 individuals, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.

Simcoe-Matthews, of Somers, Conn., will be an etiology science intern in the New York offices of Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding to find answers to the causes of autism. Autism Speaks was co-founded by Bob Wright ’65 and his wife, Suzanne.

During the full-time internship, which runs through Aug. 14, Simcoe-Matthews will blog about her work and life in New York. She earned the internship through the College’s competitive Summer Internship Program. Internships are developed through the strong network of Holy Cross alumni, parents, and friends throughout the country and are earmarked and designed specifically for Holy Cross students. This year a record 148 students are doing internships at 101 internship sites offered through the program.

“I hope to expand my knowledge about current research being conducted in the areas of etiology, biology, diagnosis and treatment,” she says. “I also hope to gain more extensive research experience myself and learn firsthand how the goals of Autism Speaks to raise awareness, provide services, and fund research are intertwined.”

At Autism Speaks, Simcoe-Matthews will help develop a background report that will inform activities of Autism Speaks Global Autism Public Health Initiative. “Specifically, I will help identify key autism awareness organizations, service providers, and available research infrastructure around the world, focusing on some of Autism Speaks priority territories — those in which Autism Speaks has current research investments or opportunities,” she explains.

After graduation, Simcoe-Matthews plans on working in the health care field while preparing to apply to medical school. Her goal is to be a pediatric specialist.

Related Information:

• Summer Internship Program • Explore: Sciences